Meet Tasneem, Raising the Bar as a Female Leader in Tax
How do you juggle being a hands-on mother, whilst championing female leadership in the workplace? It’s a challenge that many working women face today! Meet Tasneem, Tax Director at L’Oréal UK & Ireland, who shares her advice to women aspiring to become leaders within their field of expertise, and shares what else matters most to her — being the mother of two beautiful children.
Responsible for managing all UK & Ireland tax affairs, Tasneem’s role involves working as a business partner across all other functions, ensuring full tax compliance, monitoring, implementing and internally communicating tax legislative changes. As a mother, a key leader at L’Oréal AND a member of the Committee for Women in Tax, here’s how she does it all!
How did you find yourself at L’Oréal?
My journey in tax and accounting began at the University of Southampton where I studied Economics & Accounting. This inspired me to become a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Tax Adviser. Since then, I have built up almost 20 years of experience in tax, accounting & audit working in both industry and practice. I haven’t always worked in the beauty industry — I’ve held roles in the chemicals and pharmaceutical industries, and accountancy practices! Before I joined L’Oréal, I was working at Akzo Nobel where I had a mixed tax role, predominately focusing on the company’s direct tax affairs.
My son was just over 6 months old when I got approached for a role at L’Oréal. I remember thinking to myself, “is this the right time to go for a new role?” My inner voice told me to wait another year before taking on new responsibilities and self-doubt almost took over, but I was very driven and clear about where I wanted to go in my career. What mattered most is that I was surrounded by people who truly believed in me and told me to go for it. So I did! And now, 3 years later at L’Oréal, I have absolutely no regrets!
Tell us something about you that we can’t find on your CV.
I love Bollywood films and always have from a young age. I also love travelling, reading self-development books, cooking, trying new restaurants and going to the theatre!
What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t in tax, accounting & audit?
Medicine, believe it or not! That’s what I originally wanted to do when I was at school. I remember going on an amazing work placement at a hospital when I was 16. I got to watch live operations and it truly was an incredible experience to have seen that at such a young age. Failing that, I would have been a TV presenter as I love talking to people! All very different — but variety is the spice of life they say!
What are you passionate about?
Women in Leadership and especially within the tax sector is something I feel really strongly about. I’m on the Committee for Women in Tax and also on the ICAEW Large Business and International Tax Committee. I’m a mum of two, and I know that a lot of women start to have doubts about what they can achieve after having kids, such as experiencing dips in confidence and suffering from “mum guilt”! I would actually say my career really took off after I had my kids. They were my inspiration and propelled me to move forward.
I want to demonstrate that it is possible to have a successful career with kids and inspire women to achieve their dreams.
What would your advice be to aspiring women in tax?
Develop a growth mindset — this is about not letting setbacks dishearten you, but rather think about what would you do differently if you were faced with the same issues/challenges again? Have clear goals & visions about where you want to go. You wouldn’t drive a car without knowing your final destination so why do it with your career? This will help you to grow & succeed.
Be yourself — it’s so important to be authentic. Use your strengths to be the best version of you, this is what will help to set you apart from others. People will see through the pretence if you are trying to be someone you’re not. Be true to your own style, don’t try to be like someone else and don’t compare yourself to others!
Be passionate — it’s so important to love the work you do. People will see that in your work and it will help you win them over. I have always had a strong interest in tax even from the start of my career when I was in audit and accountancy. Share this passion with others by making sure you include tax news in internal newsletters, this helps to educate and spread knowledge.
Confidence — Have a go at something new and go out of your comfort zone! Believe in yourself and be confident, don’t let fear take over.
Role models — It’s important to have people that you aspire to, and to surround yourself with people who support you on your journey. Choose someone you look up to within the organization to be your mentor, they will understand the culture and characteristics of the people you work with helping you to see things in a different light and help find solutions. Don’t let the “mum guilt” take over — whenever I feel guilty I think about how everything I do is for my kids and how I can be a good role model for them. I always remind myself that my kids are my inspiration but that I also want to inspire them.
What would you tell your younger self?
My two biggest pieces of advice for my younger self would be to believe in yourself and go for it. I wish I’d worried less about what people might think of me, I’d tell myself to just be myself and be proud of who I am. Don’t try to change yourself in the pursuit of trying to please others or to be like them! It’s okay to be different as that’s how you will truly shine and this will set you apart from others.
What would you tell someone just starting their career?
You can overcome challenges and make and own your role! Try something different, don’t be afraid of challenges because this is how you will grow. And remember, as in true L’Oréal language, you’re worth it!
Why not try making your own role with us?
