“Phoenix Mecano just turned 50. They gave us a book to learn more about the company’s history. I was excited to find out that Brazil, my home country, was one of the first places Phoenix Mecano started doing business in. They’re still active there today, even though they’ve shifted to a different industry. So, working here in Frederick makes me feel like I’m making an impact in two countries that I love.”
So says Monick Da Silva, a cost accountant at Phoenix Mecano’s enclosure business in Maryland. Monick has been with the company for 10 months. She earned her undergraduate degree in accounting in Brazil, which she put to immediate use, working for five years at an accounting firm there. Monick: “My final three years there I was working with financial reports, doing analysis. My goal in coming to the U.S. was primarily to learn English, and also to experience life abroad. But once I got comfortable with the language, I applied to an MBA program and earned my graduate degree in accounting.”
Cost accountants play a vital role in any business: analyzing and managing expenses related to production and operations, and identifying areas where costs can be reduced and efficiency improved, ideally leading to increased profitability. As such, in the larger field of accounting, the role of cost accountant is seen as a higher-profile one, as the end product is used by management to make better business decisions. “I do a lot of data and performance analysis,” says Monick, “which I love. It’s very dynamic. I’m always thinking, what insights can the data offer? What can it bring to light that might give leadership greater clarity?”
“Dynamic” is a word that resonates with Monick. From a job perspective, she likes to be where the action is. She also likes interacting with people, and cost accounting gives her plenty of opportunities to do just that: “If something seems off, if my analysis brings something to light that needs further investigation, my job is to track down an answer, which entails me reaching out and meeting with people in different departments. I also handle accounts receivable, so I get to know our customers by name. I like that.”
And if, in the course of Monick’s investigation, she comes up with an idea that could streamline a process or in some way save Phoenix Mecano money, she’s not afraid to speak up; this is because she knows her opinions are genuinely valued. Monick: “It’s part of the culture at Phoenix Mecano that, no matter what your background or level of experience, people listen to your ideas. They value diversity. They get that, when you bring together people with differing opinions, you end up with better decisions.”
And on the subject of decisions, Monick has made an important one: “I see myself at Phoenix Mecano for quite some time. There’s room for real growth here. For someone like me, who’s at the beginning of her career, I see a lot of things I can still learn, things that will challenge me. Combined with the culture, I see a place where I can continue to grow.”
