Profile: Christanet Grewar, Senior Accountant
In our mission to build a strong accounting community in South Africa, Accounting Weekly highlights the journeys of finance professionals who make a significant impact in their fields. This edition features Christanet Grewar, a Senior Accountant at Pegasys Global Consulting Pty Ltd, with over 10 years of experience, bringing her passion for teamwork, leadership, and growth to the financial sector.
Christanet, an early bird, enjoys starting her day with family time, playing with her three-year-old, and engaging in stretches and dancing. Outside of work, she loves the outdoors, sunshine, and is currently exploring gardening with a focus on growing cutting flowers and a vegetable patch.
Christanet Grewar
Senior Accountant - Pegasys Global Consulting Pty Ltd
Past Experience:
Senior Accountant at Pegasys (Full-time): Apr 2021 – Present (3 years, 9 months)
Finance Function and Accounting Consultant at CGC-Finance (Freelance): Apr 2020 – Feb 2022 (1 year, 11 months)
Operations Leader | Finance & Compliance Leader at Grovation (Part-time): Apr 2020 – Apr 2021 (1 year, 1 month)
Finance Manager at Balfour Group (Full-time): Jun 2019 – Mar 2020 (10 months)
Group Finance Manager at CT International Finance (Full-time): Jun 2018 – May 2019 (1 year)
Financial Manager at The Training Room Online (Full-time): May 2014 – May 2018 (4 years, 1 month)
Financial Accountant at Eksteens' DIY Group (Full-time): May 2012 – Apr 2014 (2 years)
Financial Accountant at Môreson Pluimvee (Brandfort) (Full-time): Feb 2012 – Apr 2012 (3 months)
Trainee Accountant at Coetzee Smit Chartered Accountants (Full-time): Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 (3 years)
Qualifications:
Bachelor of Accounting
Country of Residence:
South Africa
LinkedIn Profile:
Connect with Christanet on LinkedIn
What time do you usually wake up on weekends?
6:00 AM
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
Early Bird
How do you spend the first hour of your day?
Family time – we play with our three-year-old and talk about the day, do stretches, and dance.
What sparked your interest in accounting or finance?
I had a wonderful accounting teacher in high school, and it just clicked for me! Accounting balances—and that makes sense to me.
Can you share some key career milestones or defining moments?
The company I worked for was acquired by a JSE-listed company. Through this transaction, I learned a lot about group structures, working under pressure, reporting into an external group company, and teamwork.
I was also honoured with some company awards over the years, including the 'CEO Award' for the biggest growth and value added in the year and the 'Commitment Award' for always going above and beyond.
Personal development and growth have always been important to me. One key realisation I had is to embrace the portions of work you excel in and delegate or acquire assistance in other areas of the finance scope.
What is your role within your company’s finance department?
I am a Senior Accountant reporting to the CFO.
We strive to provide accurate, timely information on which the company can rely to make important business decisions. We achieve this by implementing a month-end closing cycle, having open team communications, and maintaining a review process.
Within the finance team, I assist in driving and delivering on the strategic goals set by senior management on an annual and continuous basis.
What is one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your role? How did you overcome it?
Understanding people and how to get the best out of the working relationship.
I did a lot of upskilling on personalities and focused on encouraging and praising the team. ‘Soft skills’—these days called ‘critical skills’—are more important than you realise in the workplace. By understanding someone’s mindset and challenges, you can allocate work better and get the best results. Not only for the team or business, but the individual will also feel like they are adding value and have a place in the team.
What tools or strategies do you use to manage financial operations effectively?
I run the team’s task list and planning on Microsoft Planner, and we utilise Microsoft Teams daily. Our Planner includes annual deadlines, the month-end close cycle (tasks, dates, allocations), ad-hoc or open tasks, and an audit task list.
Share your strategies for staying balanced, especially during busy periods.
Overall, accountants have a high sense of responsibility, which makes setting boundaries hard. Currently, it is my family. I have to show up and be present for them.
What do you enjoy outside of work?
I love the outdoors and sunshine! At the moment, I am looking into growing cutting flowers with a vegetable patch. Other than that, reading has always been a favourite pastime, and I enjoy both development and fictional stories.
Do you mentor or support other team members in the finance department?
Yes – I love doing this and trying to support others through upskilling in accounting, assisting with handling difficult situations, or personal development.
I have regular one-on-ones with team members, where we discuss open tasks, challenges, training gaps, and development goals we want to work toward.
What advice would you give to someone aspiring to work in a finance department?
Your first job is more important than you realise. You can become a specialist in a specific area very quickly, so ensure it is the direction you want to go in. Talk to as many people as possible about the internal finance function of a company and what key factors are needed to thrive.
What’s your favourite quote or mantra that motivates you?
A smile goes a long way.
Share a leadership lesson or a piece of advice that’s been valuable to you in your career.
Everyone has their own mountain—meaning that what you are going through is no more or less than another person. We all have our own challenges and road ahead.
Manage expectations. If you need to deliver on a piece of work and are having difficulties or running behind schedule, communicate it as soon as possible and as clearly as possible—without giving up.
What’s something surprising about you that isn’t in your professional bio?
I love being creative and enjoy arranging get-togethers and team-building events for our team and sometimes the corporate services team too!
If you could have any superpower to help you in your job, what would it be?
Work-related: inputting every formula perfectly.
Normal life: teleportation—it could save so much time! Plus, seeing the world would be amazing.
What’s your go-to strategy for staying productive during long workdays?
Making set break times or allocating time to a task to try and complete it within that timeframe.
If you could relive one day from your career, which day would it be and why?
The year-end function where I received the 'Commitment Award.' I was super proud to have received the 'CEO Award' the prior year, but I worked extremely hard that year, and this award was created especially for me. Since then, it has become a standing annual award in the company.
Christanet’s journey is a testament to her dedication to growth, teamwork, and leadership. Connect with her on LinkedIn to learn more about her inspiring professional path.
Profile sponsored by the Chartered Institute for Business Accountants
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