Stories The weight of a word: “Once you compromise integrity, you lose your compass.”

The cost of a reputation

Alexandra’s understanding of this “currency” was forged in 2008. Transitioning into Treasury, she found herself at the negotiating table with global banks. It was a high-pressure environment where it often seemed easier to soften a difficult truth or gloss over a financial hurdle to keep a deal moving.

She chose the opposite. She learned that while transparency might seem to slow down a negotiation in the short term, it creates a bulletproof reputation in the long run.

“Integrity simplifies your life,” she explains. “Once you’re clear about what you stand for, you don’t waste energy explaining yourself or fixing half-truths. You gain a trust that you simply cannot buy, and in moments of uncertainty, that trust is the only thing that keeps you moving forward.”

Starting over: The 2023 test

This commitment was tested again in late 2023 when Alexandra joined GAR Colombia. After 20 years in one organisation, she was suddenly a newcomer in a business experiencing intense, “messy” growth. Systems were still shifting, and financial processes required manual, meticulous care.

She could have relied on her seniority to push through challenges. Instead, she chose to listen. She found a small, young team that needed a leader who would stand behind them, not just manage them.

“Everything was new: the culture, the people, the pace,” she recalls. “I had to prove my principles all over again. By showing my team that I was willing to learn alongside them and protect their well-being first, we turned a daunting transition into a shared success.”

Where the personal meets the technical

Today, that trust is what allows Alexandra to navigate the complex daily decisions of a growing business.

Take setting credit limits for supplier prepayments, for example. On paper, it looks like a cold, technical calculation. In reality, it is a high stakes balancing act between Finance, Commercial, and Operations. It requires Alexandra to sit down, find a balance, and push back when the risk is too high for both the company and the supplier, even when there is pressure to move faster.

“Most people only see the final number on a sheet,” she says. “I see the difficult conversations that lead to it. It’s a shared agreement to grow both our business and our suppliers’ business safely. Because our partners and suppliers know we are people of our word, they trust us to navigate those risks together.”

A legacy of “Giving to Gain”

Because Alexandra learned the value of integrity the hard way, she is now intentional about passing it on. In 2025, she became a certified mentor, giving her time to help younger professionals – especially women – find their own voices in finance.

For her, mentorship is an investment in the next generation’s “compass.”

As she looks toward the future, Alexandra is passionate about opening doors for the next generations. She encourages them to “dare to stand out” and take on every new challenge.

“I hope people remember me as someone whose word was as good as a bank guarantee,” Alexandra reflects. “In finance, figures fade, but the trust you’ve built with partners and teams stays in the room long after you’ve left. I want the next generation to see that you don’t have to cut corners to win. At the end of the day, a successful business is a just a collection of people who trust one another to do the right thing.”

Alexandra’s journey is part of a wider series celebrating our leaders for International Women’s Day (IWD) 2026. Interested in meeting more women shaping our business? Meet Atika and Indahwati here.