Profile

As CFO of Carsales.com.au, Cameron McIntryre has built an enviable career in the fast moving world of online classifieds. Graduating from La Trobe University with an economics degree Cameron started out in financial accounting in businesses including L’Oreal and Sensis and has climbed the ranks to become CFO at Carsales.com.au, where he listed the company on the ASX in 2009.

What is your current position?

My title is Chief Financial Officer of carsales.com Limited which is an awesome business. We are an ASX Listed Top 100 company and we still see ourselves as a start up. This means that while we have titles to help identify our individual area of expertise, we also all operate across a broad set of responsibilities. For instance as CFO I oversee administration, human resources, legal, company secretary, investor relations and private sales, as well as finance.

Another characteristic of being a start up is that we need to run hard and run fast. Our market is constantly changing and evolving, so innovation is at our core and everyone in our business innovates. Another characteristic of being a start up is that we need to run hard and run fast. Our market is constantly changing and evolving so innovation is at our core and everyone in our business innovates.

How would you describe the path you have taken to get you to where you are today?

One of the things I have learned over time is that to achieve anything big you need to take risks. Back yourself and hope for some good fortune. Above all else you need to work extremely hard. I would say my path is characterised by each of these. I consider myself very lucky to have worked and continue to work in some world-class organisations with talented world-class people.

Do you have a personal philosophy that you bring to your work?

Life is short, do something really cool, and work hard doing it. Enjoyment is really important to me. It takes the work out of work and supports the positive attitude we need to choose for ourselves each day.

What has been your greatest career highlight(s)?

I’ve had lots of career highlights so far. The ones I remember and have enjoyed the most are those where I was stretched, taken out of my comfort zone and really challenged. Listing carsales on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2009 was certainly one of those moments.

What has been your greatest career challenge? How did you navigate this challenge?

The one that most people face at some point in time is the transition to a model of work-life balance, when marriage and kids start arriving on the scene. At this point in time you realise that it’s not just about you anymore. Some things more important than career and work. I’m probably in good company when I say that finding this balance is a challenge that is navigated daily. Sometimes it is clear sailing, but more often than not I find myself in treacherous waters where there is no safe harbour. You just need to ride the storm out! This is something I acknowledge I need to keep working on and I’m always open to suggestions.

Do you have any sage advice for those starting out in their careers?

Be flexible and prepared to give anything a go. Getting your career right can be a process of elimination, it’s just as important for you to understand what you don’t want to do as it is to understand what you do want to do. The earlier you start this process the better. In my case, my father had me work school holidays as a teenager in his company. I always managed to find myself doing what no one else wanted to do. I learned very quickly which things I didn’t want to entertain in my own career!

Where to from here?

More of the same, I get a lot of pleasure out of what I do and the people I work with every day, so the philosophy of - don’t fix what’s not broken - certainly applies to me.

What is your lasting impression of La Trobe?

La Trobe was a great place to study. Some of my closest friends are people I met during my time at La Trobe (including my wife!) so I guess I owe a great deal to the university. Through La Trobe I established the foundations needed for the development of a great career.

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