Structuring and nurturing your career with Lee-Ann Perkins

Join me on this episode of the Treasury Career Corner Podcast, where I speak to Lee-Ann Perkins, the Assistant Treasurer at ION Geophysical. Lee-Ann is responsible for global treasury operations at ION where she has been focused on centralizing and maturing their treasury department. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, ION has been a technology leader specializing in data capture, analysis and optimization to enhance critical decision making of exploration and production (E&P) companies for over 50 years. Originally founded in 1968 as Input/Output (I/O) it was renamed ION in 2007. Today it is a publicly-traded company with revenues of around $180 million and 500 employees across regional offices. The company started off in the exploration and production (E&P) industry and today is diversifying into offshore logistics, military and marine robotics. ION’s strategy is to deliver the power of data-driven decision making for E&P companies. Lee-Ann started her career as a ballerina before an injury saw her take up a new career in South Africa working in accounting for a global petrochemical company. She moved into a treasury role for three years before moving to the US. She then went on to work for IES, two global oil services companies, Frank’s International N.V and Q’MAX Solutions before moving to her current role as Assistant Treasurer at ION. Lee-Ann has also become a recognized expert in the field of treasury, focused on cost-reduction, efficiencies, technologies, and compliance. She is a respected subject matter expert of the Association of Finance Professionals (AFP) and a member of the national Treasury Advisory Group (TAG) advising the AFP leadership team on matters affecting the industry, and also sets test questions for the CTP exam. She was also the Director of the Houston Treasury Management Association. Today she is a sought-after speaker in the world of treasury, with fantastic advice on structuring your career, which is why we are delighted to welcome Lee-Ann to The Treasury Career Corner Podcast. On the podcast we discussed…

• Lee-Ann’s very different career path into treasury
• How she developed her deep generalist treasury knowledge at various companies
• The changes she has witnessed in the world of treasury and the importance of looking to the future
• Why she feels it's so important to learn the business side in order to progress
• How she’s helped transform and centralise the treasury at ION and is driving technological change
• Lee-Ann’s three “N’s” for managing your career. Networking, noise, niceties and nurturing your career
• How she applies the same focus, hard-work, and desire to continually learn she had as a ballerina to her career in treasury

Would you like to get in touch with Lee-Ann? If so, you can connect with her via her LinkedIn profile Are you interested in pursuing a career within Treasury? Whether you’ve recently graduated, or you want to search for new job opportunities to help develop your treasury career, The Treasury Recruitment Company can help you in your search for the perfect job. Find out more here. Or, send us your CV and let us help you in your next career move! If you’re enjoying the show please rate and review us on whatever podcast app you listen to us on, for Apple Podcasts click here!