Two Decades of Financial Leadership Worldwide: Interview with Taleen Khzouz

“To be honest, I didn’t know I wanted a career in finance.  I always grew up thinking I would be a lawyer.  We moved a lot when I was a child so when we moved again between my sophomore and Junior year, my new High School initiated a new Internship program that allowed you real-life work at a select number of companies for a semester.  So I decided to give it a try in my senior year.  Lucky for me, a law firm was on the list which was my number 1 choice, but my counselor suggested I also try my hand in a corporate setting for my 2^nd choice, so I decided on Ford Motor Company.  I worked at both locations and excelled at both, but I did such an amazing job working in the tax department at Ford, that they called me back before I graduated high school and offered me a full-time job.  

I started in the tax department 3 days after high school graduation and worked full time while going to University full time at night.  Originally, I was on the accounting path, but changed to finance in my sophomore year at University after I found that finance suited my personality and likes more and it had more opportunities for corporate growth and exposure. After that I did several roles at Ford, working in accounting, finance, and controller’s office before moving to my dream job of working at Chicago Stamping Plant as a senior analyst.  

The move to Chicago was a personal goal of mine, so when I had to move back to Detroit after my role ended, I quit and found a job with Pepsico as a logistics analyst. In fact, working at Pepsico was on my vision board!  I interviewed and actively sought out that company.  But if I say I hated it, it would be an understatement.  I absolutely despised working for the manager at that time and I didn’t like the work I was doing or the culture.  It just wasn’t the right fit for me, so when the opportunity to work abroad came out of the blue, I jumped at it.  

I was already in Jordan on a summer vacation and a friend suggested I meet with the owner of the Ford dealership.  He had several brands under the umbrella of his holding company and needed someone to work with US companies, including Ford Motor, for tenders and business proposals.  It was the right fit for me, so I stayed in Jordan and didn’t come back.  I decided I would try my hand working in a completely new country and environment.  I absolutely LOVED my job. Although it was such a hard adjustment to make and it was out of Corporate America, and America altogether, I learned a lot about myself and my resilience. I got to travel quite a bit around that region, and I also got to network and meet with some influential business heads inside and outside the country.  

After spending 6 years in Jordan doing various roles for a couple of different large companies, I decided it was time to head back to the US. But before I headed home, I decided to take a trip to Dubai to see some friends.  In a completely unplanned and super lucky moment of being in the right place at the right time, I was offered a job on the spot to move to Dubai and work for a large PR company doing business development for their automotive side.  I took the job and although I did well, it wasn’t the right fit for me again, so I started to reach out to recruiters and my LinkedIn network to find another job.  

I got connected with an HR manager from Michigan at the newly established Ford Motor Company regional headquarters and he set up some meetings for me with the CFO and hiring manager.  I got offered a job and jumped ship. I worked for Ford for 4 years as a Finance Supervisor on the Aftersales and Warranty Business and I also got the opportunity to work in Profit Analysis which gave me a lot of exposure to the other teams.  I actively participated in the mentorship program, so again, I had some good connections and relationships with higher-level management.  

In early 2018, I was headhunted for the first time.  A recruiter reached out and said that there is a great company that he believes I would be a good fit for.  I hadn’t heard of them before, it was a medium-sized European company and it was consistently voted the best place to work for their company culture. 

I decided I would at least give the interview a shot and learn more.  It was the craziest experience interviewing and meeting the different teams and by the end of SEVERAL rounds of interviews, I decided to accept the offer to go to Hilti as a Regional Business Partner for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa.

Working for Hilti was one of the hardest transitions I had. I had to undo everything I was taught and relearn how to think like an entrepreneur.  They really prided themselves on letting the teams and individuals innovate, make mistakes and improve.  In addition to learning a new role in a new industry with new terminology and mindset, I was going through some turbulent times in my personal life.  They were the most supportive group of people I could’ve ever asked to work for.  I learned a LOT in this role and I had my most memorable achievements as I navigated a whole new set of challenges I was facing.”