Opening Doors
Oracle VP launched career from Walsh
When lvgen Guner came to the United States from Turkey with a master’s degree that had no practical applications here at the time, she turned to Walsh. “I had a different back-ground than other people,” she recalls. “I had a Master of Science in agriculture engineering and fermentation. Those industries did not exist. That’s when I decided to start working as a bookkeeper.”
She also enrolled in Walsh. Today, she’s senior vice president of global business finance for Oracle Corp. A Fortune 100 company headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., Oracle is one of the largest software companies in the world, with more than $39 billion in annual sales.
That Walsh Master of Science in Accounting in 1984 launched Guner’s career trajectory. While at Walsh, she landed an internship in the finance department at Burroughs Corp. Upon graduation, she was offered a full-time job. Burroughs eventually merged with Sperry UNIVAC to become Unisys Corp.
“I was working in manufacturing accounting when the merger happened,” she says. “I was transferred to Philadelphia. From there, my career moved from accounting to finance, and I went from financial analyst to manager to director to senior director. Oracle recruited me into their sales finance division, and I eventually moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1999.”
Guner has seen Oracle shift its business model over the last two decades from licensing to subscription-based cloud services. She and her team have had to gain new skill sets in finance to provide critical in-sights to leaders. Guner helped develop Oracle’s Finance Academy to help employees gain the skills they need to grow and succeed.
Guner credits Walsh for playing a huge role in her career. “First, I had no idea about accounting,” she says. “My background was in science and had nothing to do with debits and credits. Walsh taught me a tremendous amount and gave me a technical perspective.”
The college’s size was an-other plus. “Because it’s a smaller, niche school, you get very qualified students,” she says. “The student body at Walsh is incredibly savvy, and you learn a lot from your peers.”
The faculty and administration also supported Guner in her career path. “A lot of the professors had good work experience,” she says. “Plus, the school has an incredible recruiting system and a connected environment. The faculty and placement office works well with all the companies, and nobody is left behind. “Students are prepared technically and operationally. Walsh opens the doors for you to get a really great job.”
Guner regularly speaks to groups about leadership development, finance talent and diversity and inclusion. She loves to advise other women who are interested in pursuing senior management roles, always stressing the power of persistence. “Nothing will just come to you, because nobody owes you anything,” she says. “You have to fight for it.
“Surround yourself with people who are willing to help you with your career. Find a way to get into an organization that will help you thrive and go faster in your career. Doors will open, and you can do whatever you like. You just have to be persistent.”
