A Life in Accounting with Many Facets: Norbert Leimgruber

n.leimgruber@srb.at

“To be honest: I’m not that excited about IT itself. I’m more excited about what is possible with it” – that this sentence comes from one of the longest-serving SRB employees is not what one would expect. But for Norbert – if you look behind the facade of the 54-year-old Tyrolean – it fits. Because if anyone has experienced the development of IT and all its facets up close, it’s him.

He openly admits that it wasn’t easy at first for the “non-developer” to find his place at SRB. “SRB is very strong in coding and I have never developed anything myself. But that has never hindered me. There are areas where you can get by quite well without development. Accounting is one of them,” he says.

The multitude of possibilities makes it Finance, accounting, and the underlying clear processes with a certain business logic – that is what drives the current Head of Finance & Analytics. “It is always fascinating to see what is truly possible with SAP in accounting,” the trained business economist reports with shining eyes.

Especially the requirements and dimensions in international companies give him a thrill. And of course, the conception of the corresponding solution. For him, it’s like a mix of “Alice in Wonderland”: “The joint construction of the big picture is simply indescribably exciting. Like Alice, we lead our clients step by step into the rabbit hole. There, you can choose whether to take the red or blue pill, and then you go in. It’s truly powerful what unfolds there.”

Love for SAP Discovered That he discovered his “love” for SAP during his illustrious life was predestined. Back then, at Burton Snowboards, he experienced what many other companies do: growth in business means that IT must grow along – and SAP is usually the logical step. And Norbert was right in the middle of it.

For him, the implementation project “SAP” across the entire Burton Group was not only the first real touchpoint with the software platform but also the chance for eight months in the USA. An experience that would profoundly shape his further professional life. The result: the line job was no longer what he wanted. He was captivated by project-based work. Leaving there meant leaving Tyrol. It became Vienna. And shortly thereafter, SRB.

Job with Facets Norbert loves his job. Not only because he can make a good living from it, as he admits with a cheeky smile, but because it is flexible and every day brings something new. “I learn something exciting in every project, with every client – and that, despite having done this for several years now,” he explains exuberantly.

For him, accounting is more than just debits and credits. Especially because projects run on various levels – the professional, the technical, the social: “In SAP projects, it’s always about change. As consultants and project managers, we show the way, take you by the hand, and provide the right tools for it.”

He compares SAP to a scalpel: “It is sharp and can do a lot. But just because you have it, doesn’t make you a surgeon.” This means with SAP: a lot inside, a lot involved, a lot possible, but to use it correctly, knowledge is required. Comprehensive knowledge of what you really need, about processes, but also about the social level, the expectations, the relationships, as SAP is interwoven throughout the entire company. For Norbert, this is both challenging and varied. A job with facets.

“If you really want to, you can’t even use toilet paper without the accounting or controlling knowing about it.”

With S/4 into Retirement Norbert started in his field with SAP R/3 3.1i, and he will retire with S/4. His favourite topic: the transition to the new general ledger. “There are many question marks in the market,” he knows. And he is convinced:

“Yes, the old account solution is unattractive, one wouldn’t do it that way today if starting anew, but it works. So, anyone who hasn’t introduced a new general ledger with parallel ledgers until now doesn’t need to implement it for the S/4 transition either.”

By now, Norbert is at a point where he must slowly consider passing the baton. Especially with SAP projects that are long-term. “At 54, one shouldn’t be the central contact for the strategy of the next 10 years,” he admits candidly. And with a typical smile, he adds: One should leave it to those who will have to “deal with it” later.

His orthopaedist and all the metal that the passionate cycling and winter sports enthusiast carries in his body confirm this. After an active athlete's life in the realm of mountain biking, snowboarding, and skiing, he is now taking it a bit easier, having discovered road cycling and ski touring. And the old love for the mountains has flared up again. Salzburg, the place where his girlfriend is from, has captivated him. And it should become home later, once he has fulfilled his obligations at SRB.

Lasting Impressions That he leaves lasting impressions is already certain: Norbert has the thickest personnel file at SRB. The reason: unpaid short-term parking fines. True to the “finance guy”, he concludes analytically correct: “The shoemaker's children go barefoot, but for me, it is relieving not to keep such a close eye on my private accounting. This leads to a clear distinction between work and leisure.” Moreover, he has solved the “problem” thanks to SRB’s process optimisation and mobile app.

Inside SRB

Every month, we introduce one of our SRB employees in detail here on the blog. We look behind make-up, business outfits, and PowerPoint slides and want to bring you closer to the people who make up our SRB expertise. Together, we are SRB.

For further reading:

#1 – Manfred Scheiner

#2 – Veronika Lomasow

#3 – Yamen Albaheshhttps://www.srb.at/blog--events/inside-srb/index.aspx?blog1_pager1_page=2&detail=75&hl=Der%20SRB-Br%C3%BCckenbauer%3A%20Manfred%20Scheiner