MingYu Xu joined Amer Sports as Finance manager for Wilson Golf 16 years ago. From day one, she has challenged herself to expand her skill set and take on new opportunities. Today, Ming is Senior Director, North America Financial Controlling in Group Finance.
MingYu Xu joined Amer Sports as Finance Manager for Wilson Golf 16 years ago. A few years after, her responsibility expanded into the Wilson Racket division.
“Taking care of both Golf and Racket divisions really allowed me to get to know more about our products and the people behind the Wilson brand,” Ming says.
In 2011, Ming became part of the Amer Sports Internal Control team. She believes that her leap of faith into a broader role set the foundation for her future successful career with us.
“I switched my hat from Wilson to Amer Sports. It was an opportunity to broaden my view. I was no longer focusing on one brand but gained a new perspective. It gave me the chance to travel around the world to visit our different entities and get to know people from all our brands and locations. It was an eye-opening experience.”
Ming explains how her success at Amer Sports and Wilson has derived from connecting with people, and learning from them along the way.
“I received support from colleagues I had met throughout the Amer Sports organization. It was their support which helped me excel and grow.”
In 2020, Ming was appointed as North America Financial Control Director to lead the implementation of our Global Finance Platform in the region. Just recently, she was promoted to be the Senior Director of the team.
A positive attitude drives change
Ming drives change by implementing new processes to improve financial operations and to ensure accuracy in financial reporting and improve process efficiency. She reflects upon how a positive attitude and listening skills have taken her a long way.
“If you have the right attitude, you can look at things from very different angles and turn things into a positive perspective.”
When implementing changes, a perceptive leader can see if people are not happy or they disapprove. How does Ming handle this?
“For me, it’s through a positive attitude, not taking things personally, keeping an open mind, and sitting down to talk with my team. As a leader, you need to understand why they are concerned or uncomfortable with the change. Listen to them. Maybe it’s legitimate, and then you can adapt or think, ‘Oh, actually I hadn’t thought about that’,” she says.
Building the full picture before making decisions
Ming creates a collaborative and innovative environment which leads to positive change and growth. She listens to people and incorporates their ideas and feedback into her decision making.
“I love talking to everyone from different parts of the company, from our credit team to customer service, and colleagues from other entities. We’re in a rapidly changing world. Our customers are changing, the environment is changing, and so is our company. It’s important to get the full picture and share best practices.”
While data is a crucial aspect of decision making, Ming reflects upon how it’s not the only factor that should be considered.
“Finance is not only about collecting data and generating reports. We need to collaborate with other functions and harness our data to help them make the best strategic decision. But data can sometimes be seen as a dry topic, right? You need help from other teams to bring context to the data and build a more vibrant picture.”
Ming compares it to serving a meal. “Salad alone might not be that fulfilling. You need the main course as well. Management needs a full meal to make the best strategic decision, and that requires us to collaborate on preparing it.”
The changing role of finance: from data provider to strategic support
Ming talks about how the role of finance is shifting from reporting to a support function thanks to technological advancements that enable an increased automation of manual work.
“We are shifting our focus to providing support to enable business growth and understanding how we can help mitigate risks,” she explains.
“We acknowledge that the business landscape is constantly changing. The Finance team needs to be agile to be ready to respond to the new challenges and risks quickly. Our team is dedicated to process improvements and data accuracy for the business leaders to make informed decisions to drive growth and success for our company. To achieve that, we need to continuously adapt and evolve with new technology and tools.”
MingYu Xu
Current role: Senior Director of Financial Controlling, North America
Location: Chicago, USA
Previous experience: Accounting Manager at a large marketing firm
Hobbies: Hiking and painting
Fun fact: “I was born and grew up in Shanghai, China. I speak fluent Mandarine and Shanghainese.”
