The Women Powering ArganoUV: Mariela Soliani

Putting the spotlight on our workforce, The Women Powering ArganoUV showcases the professional and personal pathways of women at ArganoUV. We uncover daily motivations and personal passions, first company impressions and important career milestones. Today, we meet Mariela Soliani, Director of Finance.

In what year did you start working at ArganoUV? 

I joined UV in 2015. At that time, it consisted of two companies that were separating. Dani [formerly ArganoUV’s CFO and current president of Argano Digital] also joined at that time and he needed someone to help him in finance.

Being a time of change and reorganization, at first no one understood my role. A short time later, we ended up separating from the other company, and from that point we began to gradually form the Finance Department. 

When you joined ArganoUV, was your department already set up or did you help to put it together? And how?  

The Finance Department did not exist. We put it together from scratch with Dani. For a long time, the two of us handled it ourselves before beginning to hire people to help us. I feel like our Finance Department is not the typical one you see in other corporations, where there is almost no contact with the other teams. In our case, I feel that we are very close to all the departments and that we work very closely with them. We are like the glue that binds the other departments. I think this value of closeness is something that Dani inspired. 

Was it always your desire to work in the area where you are currently working? Or did you spontaneously fit into the role?  

I have liked finance since I was a little girl, but I was also interested in being a doctor. At that time, I decided to go into finance because, in addition to liking it, I thought that I would find a job faster. My role has evolved and changed over time. Today I can say that what I do is what I like the most, and I don’t regret a thing about the career path that I chose. I am where I am now because I started from the bottom when I worked on the streets as a delivery person. In that job I learned a lot and it gave me a specific education – it was kind of like my school. 

What was the biggest risk you took at work?  

The biggest risk was deciding to work at UV. It was during a particular moment in my life where I had my 1-year-old son: I wanted to graduate and at the same time I needed to work. I needed a job with fewer hours and that did not require a full-time presence. UV met all those expectations. That’s why I took the personal and professional challenge of joining, having all those things happening simultaneously.
The support and consideration of Dani was really important, he is the main reason why I graduated. 

Office or home office? And why? 

I enjoy going to the office because I love having contact with my team. However, because of my family dynamic, I also like to work from home. I think having both options is really important. 

Do you have or did you have a mentor at ArganoUV?  

Yes, Dani. But I think it’s mutual. I think that like any relationship, it is built and you learn a lot from the other person. He is my mentor, but I think I am also his mentor in many things. Our relationship is built on the basis of great trust and respect that we have for each other. That is key to achieving what we have today. 

Any advice for someone who has recently joined the company?  

I believe that at ArganoUV, patience and resilience are key, along with the ability to adapt to change. I say this because there are always challenges to overcome and because being in a process of enormous growth, things and processes change very quickly. You have to know how to unlearn and relearn new ways all the time. 

What is a highlight about working at ArganoUV?  

In particular, I really like the dynamics of change and the adrenaline rush of always thinking about what is to come. I like that we can challenge ourselves.