Monika Panjabi: Controller

A Natural Fit

Van Kam Freightways Ltd. is proud to announce the recent promotion of Monika Panjabi to Controller.

Previously holding the title of Accounting Manager, Monika is a natural fit for her new role which was formerly held by Casey Henry – who was recently promoted to CEO.

Do the Math

As our resident numbers wizard for accounting and finance, Monika will continue to oversee the smooth operations of Van Kam’s Finance Team.

In addition to producing financial statements, filing government (CRA) documents, and working with tax auditors, she is ultimately responsible for the overall accounting functions at Van Kam.

“It’s not always about the numbers,” said Monika when asked about the duties she regularly performs. “Beyond the numbers, I work with my team to provide monthly financial analysis for management to review and make corporate decisions upon; for example, new equipment purchases and other major financings that can directly impact the operation of our business.”

By the Numbers

Monika has been with Van Kam since 2016; in fact, this August marks her 5 year work anniversary with our company! During her time at Van Kam, she has accomplished so many great things that we couldn’t find enough words to describe it all, so we asked Monika if she had a particular career highlight that sticks out in her mind.

“At the end of the day, my decisions also affects our customers, and that’s something I don’t take lightly.”

“Helping smooth out our various accounting procedures and operations reports is something I’m very proud of,” says Monika. “Implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system in my first year at Van Kam increased our employee efficiency and streamlined our accounting needs. Ultimately, it allowed us to offer our customers improved freight services.”

Monika is quick to note, “At the end of the day, my decisions also affects our customers, and that’s something I don’t take lightly. Van Kam is built on great employees with exceptional customer service. It’s something I take much pride in.”

Family Vibes

“It’s also amazing to be working for a family-owned business that understands how important it is to have work-life balance.”

On a personal level, Monika has much to say about working at Van Kam. “The people…. I really enjoy coming to work every day and working with all the wonderful people at Van Kam. I have always received full support from management and the entire team that I work with.”

“It’s also amazing to be working for a family-owned business that understands how important it is to have work-life balance,” says Monika.

Banff, Bikes, and Books

When she’s not working, Monika spends her free time with her loving family. “I enjoy taking long road trips with my husband and biking with my two boys (3 and 6 years old). One of my favourite road trips was from Vancouver to Banff. It was a nice long drive that offered a lot of personal time to catch up on things aside from our busy lives, and of course, the scenery itself was beautiful!”

Monika is a true advocate of reading. She enjoys reading to her boys and also reads a lot on her own to improve herself personally and professionally. “I have many favourite books but one of my recent favourite non-fiction books is ‘The Hard Thing about Hard Things’ by Ben Horowitz. I also enjoy reading fictional novels from Debbie Macomber – one of my favourite authors.”

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