Women in Leadership: Spotlight on Petra Deters
- Contact Petra Deters
- Director International Financial Outsourcing
- [email protected]
- +44 7547 401 801
Entering the corporate world in the UK from her home town in Germany, ZEDRA’s Director of International Financial Outsourcing, Petra Deters shares her career milestones, thoughts on the rapidly changing business landscape and what it takes to succeed in the Corporate & Global Expansion industry.
How did you get into the industry?
At the start of my career, an opportunity came up to become an accounting apprentice in my home town. Successfully completing the apprenticeship triggered my desire to study international business and work abroad.
Coming from Germany, with an interest in numbers and having both English and German language skills really proved useful for starting a career in the UK in accounting.
What has been a key learning in your career?
Remaining genuinely curious in life and in work means you will never stop learning, enriching you both personally and professionally.
What would you say to someone considering a career in your industry?
Whether you are working in-house helping to shape a specific business or providing external support to a number of companies, there is so much more to a career in accountancy than having an analytical mind and being good with numbers – being a strong communicator, manage projects well and leading a team are all integral to career progression in the field.
What are the opportunities and challenges you’re seeing in the industry?
One thing is increasingly clear: the regulatory landscape will continue to change at a rapid pace. For businesses considering international expansion, there will be more uncertainty as international trade agreements and tariffs evolve. Keeping up will require organisational agility and resilience.
Companies that thrive will be those who lean into innovation across their operations, with speed and agility built into their long-term vision. The potential gains of embracing change bring a new level of risk, and companies may see additional levels of governance and board oversight required – alongside closer collaboration with expert advisers.
Flexibility is also key in terms of resourcing, with companies continuing to seek skilled labour from the global talent pool, they will be exposed to an added layer of local labour and tax compliance challenges.
With the right advisers, companies doing business across borders can confidently enter this new era and seize opportunities whilst remaining compliant.
To find out more about the ways in which Petra and our team of Corporate & Global Expansion experts support clients around the world, get in touch.
