As Head of Controlling at Foxway Recommerce Mobiles, Maarja-Liis Tull is one of the essential connectors between financial insight and business direction. Leading the controlling team, she ensures that our financial analyses provide a clear and reliable view of the company’s performance. She works closely with the business to identify inefficiencies, build strong business cases, and refine our financial processes.
Aside from her strong expertise in finance, Maarja-Liis is known for her leadership skills. She was recently selected to participate in the 4th edition of the highly competitive Female Leaders Accelerator organized by the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and has been recognized by her colleagues at Foxway with the internal awards “Coaching Champion” and “Bright Starter”.
Maarja-Liis has said, “A strong finance team is the backbone of any successful company, and I’m passionate about building that strength.” Let’s find out what drives that passion.
Let’s start big. What’s your North Star that you strive for as a leader?
I’ve learned from experience that if I want to create change, it must be done in a simple way. Finance can be a very complicated world, and you must get your point across as simply as possible. Everyone needs to understand what you’re talking about and what the impact is. Whatever I do, I want to help and simply make things better. I need to feel that my team and I create value — that’s both my aim and my incentive.
You’re currently one of the 25 participants out of 470 applicants who got selected for an accelerator for female leaders by the Estonian Chamber of Commerce. What motivated you to apply and is there anything in particular you aim to take away from it?
The accelerator is meant for women who are currently mid-level managers wishing to advance their career and strengthen their position as experts. I wouldn’t wish to speak separately of male and female leaders, but the fact that it’s already the 4th edition of such a dedicated program, shows the topic is still relevant.
A large part of the program focuses on enhancing argumentation skills. Those sessions are led by skilled debate experts, and this part was also one of my primary motivators for applying. I’ve always regretted not joining a debate club at school, and ever since I’ve felt a need to redeem this bit for myself.
In general, I was looking to get a fresh perspective on my day-to-day ways of working, and the accelerator fits this perfectly. It’s rare to get the chance to meet so many new people with a similar motivation to yours, and who take both the program and networking seriously — everyone wants to be there. It’s also a great way to learn more about other organizations and companies.
Share some details of your professional career journey.
I began my bachelor’s studies as an English major and had a firm belief that I will become an interpreter, but I soon realized it’s not my path and chose to minor in economics. The path toward finance just started to flow naturally from there. After graduation, I took a job in a small IT company that was looking for an assistant with a broad skillset, someone who’d learn in-house and could later grow into a leader. I got a very hands-on approach to practical accounting, and the founders were very supportive. As soon as I developed new skills, I was given more responsibility in my tasks and role. Before I knew it, I was handling most of the company’s financial planning.
It gave me courage to expand my knowledge, explore, and try different paths in the finance world. And at just the age of 25, I was offered the role of Chief Financial Officer at the same company where I first started out, which had grown into a team of 70–80 people.
In parallel to working full-time, I also completed several ACCA exams. Eventually, after studying on my own for so long, I felt the need to learn together with other like-minded individuals again. This led me to the Conversion Master in IT program at the University of Tartu — a program designed to give systematic skills and knowledge in IT, but specifically designed for professionals with a background outside computer science. My passion for finance had not changed but I felt that I needed to top it up with some IT skills to advance my thinking.
Looking back, it was quite the journey. Over the course of 5 years, I became a student again, had 2 kids, worked at different companies, and got to know myself as a leader in those different roles.
Let’s talk more about that. What do you think people value most in a good leader?
Trust and respect. A good leader creates an environment where people have the courage to share their opinions, where making mistakes is ok — with the perspective, of course, that mistakes are an opportunity to learn. They give their team room to act and trust them as experts. No micromanagement. If trust is not present, people are afraid to discuss problems, and that creates a major block in development for the organization. However, having clarity about the value we’re creating together as a team goes a long way.
Tell us more about your life at Foxway. What inspired you to join the team and what motivates you in your work?
I started about 2.5 years ago, and I wasn’t expecting the offer at all. I had just decided to take a break in my career as the load of different responsibilities had pushed me too close to burnout. But it somehow happened that I had grown curious about Foxway and soon after Foxway found me.
Taking the position of Business Controller at Foxway ticked several boxes for me, so it wasn’t a difficult choice to make. By that time, I was convinced I wanted to work in a big international company, and to experience working in a bigger finance team. I also really wanted to know what it’s like working with actual products instead of only services. In fact, the offer ticked so many boxes, I remember thinking: “What else is there to find?”.
It’s been exciting to design our processes, to see the outcomes and impact of my work. And of course, above all, my colleagues and my own team are what motivate the day-to-day most.
Does the fact that we operate in the circular tech industry make your work as a finance expert more complex — or more interesting — in comparison to the other sectors you’ve worked in?
Every company has their challenges, and the bigger the company, the more fragmented the processes tend to be. In my work, I must understand a wide range of processes to give a correct assessment of any numbers in front of us.
Foxway’s portfolio is impressive already from the customers’ side, which means internally we’re simultaneously working on several different layers at once. Add the nuances of working internationally. The possibilities in data analysis are extensive, to say the least.
Question from a colleague: how do you keep calm?
I’m very flattered that I’ve managed to give such an impression. It’s a huge compliment, thank you!
There’s really not much to it. For example, my own manager is someone who I can always be honest with, and this definitely helps to keep my own balance.
There’s no way to change what’s already happened, so getting worked up rarely makes anything better.
Spoken like a true role model. Last, but not least, can you name any role models from your own journey?
Becoming a parent changed me most as a person. I was never a strong individualist, but before having a child I could live in a way that didn’t require me to think too much about anyone else’s interests or routines. That shifted completely once I became a parent — cooperation and shared decision‑making suddenly became central to everyday life. It was a big transition, and naturally it taught me a lot about the importance of communication. All assumptions and expectations without proper communication are bound to end with disappointment.
When speaking of role models, I can’t single out a particular person, but I do pay attention when a colleague handles a difficult situation very well or when someone demonstrates a skill that I’d like to develop myself. Moments like these are very inspiring, and I always try to take something valuable away from them.
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