For Mr. 《N.》 - the Fighter Within

 Back in time. 

Back to February of 2013. During a H1N1 epidemic in Greece, I was sending applications for my first permanent job. After having sent lots of CV's and while I was burning down with fever for more than a week, in bad condition, my phone rung. "We have called you for an interview regarding the position of assistant accountant". I said yes & I went to the interview with the CFO. It lasted more than I expected. Paracet had started fading, my fever was getting higher, I was feeling dizzy but I stayed there trying to be professional for my very first time..

I got the job.. I stepped from an assistant to an independent accountant; and became the "Watson" to my "Sherlock" supervisor.

For me Mr. N., was the one who trusted me, who believed in me. He guided me. He showed me the first steps in accounting & taxation. He taughed me to develop my critical thinking, my persistence, and my patience. We worked together as a team, we built from zero, the accounting department for a group of mass media companies which had changed management after a default and we created a professional relationship based in honesty, integrity and mutual respect. 

For me Mr. N. became more than a manager. He became my Leader.

By the end of 2015, while Greece was facing capital controls which affected the employment conditions for all the mass media companies, I took the chance to send my CV to PwC, with a dream and a goal to dedicate my professional life for the #1 international accounting firm. I succeeded and passed all the interviews. 

When I was in the difficult position to announce to Mr. N. that I had to quit, he smiled saying "I was prepared that this day would come, even if I will miss you, you have to step forward Niovi, we will not loose each other". I remember how much I cried that I had to left my "father" of Finance, my Leader, my Mentor, my Guide. 

He is till now, the most special person to my professional life; even if he is thousand of kilometers far away, even if we keep long periods of time not exchanging news, whenever we talk, he always reminds me how Proud he is for me, how he Believes in me and how he Supports me. 

Thank you Mr. N. 

I was keeping that post for a long time. 

I will always deeply appreciate the knowledge you instilled to me and on the top of everything for teaching me how to find the fighter within.