INTHEBLACK November 2025 - Magazine - Page 17
“My mum is a very fierce, proud Aboriginal
woman,” she says. “She was part of the
Stolen Generation and being able to go
through that and survive certainly instilled
a strong spirit in me and my siblings. I was
the first in the family on my mother’s side
to go to university, and there is an immense
feeling of pride in our family about that.”
Working in an environment that respects
diversity is also important, she adds.
“Michael (Cassel, MCG founder)
is emotionally intelligent and educated
on the Indigenous space. He will do an
acknowledgment to country at every
meeting. For people like me, it matters.”
SETTING THE SCENE
Marcusson’s path to the stage, or rather,
to her behind-the-scenes role, involved
working across the finance function in a range
of industries, from aviation and manufacturing
to TV production.
After completing a degree in accounting
and marketing, her next career opportunity
came when she secured a position in the
Qantas Airways Graduate Program. One
of just 30 successful candidates from
a competitive pool of 4000 applicants,
Marcusson says the role was eye-opening
to the world of business and showed her the
benefits of moving across a range of functions.
“I’ve never been the type of person
to stay in the finance box,” she says.
“I’ve always been comfortable asking
questions of other departments and learning
how it all fits together.”
It is an attitude that has helped throughout
her career, Marcusson notes. After Qantas,
she moved into an APAC role with the Volvo
Group, then, at a crossroads in her career,
came home to Australia looking for the
next opportunity. It appeared as a role with
TV production company EndemolShine
Australia, which produces popular reality TV
shows including MasterChef, Gogglebox and
Big Brother.
“I had no entertainment experience
whatsoever, but when a job came up in
financial planning and analysis, I jumped.
It was one of the best experiences in my
career. It got me into the entertainment
industry and really set me up for my current
role,” she says.
Marcusson ended up moving into the
head of finance role, a decision that she says
was terrifying, but also immensely satisfying.
“I wasn’t looking for a promotion.
My partner and I had just welcomed our
second child,” she says. “But I had the
support and encouragement of my partner
and thought this would be a massive
opportunity to really test myself.”
It was a sink-or-swim moment for
Marcusson, who took on the role during
the uncertainty of the pandemic.
“My prior role was confined to finance
rather than being business-facing,” she says.
“It was hard, but I was able to use my people
skills to build solid relationships across all
departments. We were all in it together,
and I made some of the best friends I’ll ever
have during that time.”
SHOWTIME
Making the move to leave EndemolShine
“was the biggest decision of my life”,
Marcusson says.
For her, taking on the role of CFO
at MCG ticked all the boxes, but leaving
a tight-knit team that she had built through
a period of intense growth was extremely
hard. “This sort of change never feels easy.
It took me a long time to make the decision,
but in the end, I chose to step out of my
comfort zone and take the opportunity
of a lifetime.
“No two days at MCG are the same.
Thankfully I am now used to the pace and
surprise TV production can bring — but my
first year has been an absolute whirlwind.
We premiered Hamilton, Titaníque,
Dear Evan Hansen, MJ the Musical and
Beetlejuice the Musical in Australia,
and The Picture of Dorian Gray on Broadway.”
Being able to navigate the pace of the
industry comes down to being organised
and on top of everything every day,
she notes.
“I really think it is knowing what’s in your
toolbox and knowing when to take risks.” ■
READ
an article on the
streaming boom
and why
accountants are
in demand
LISTEN
to a podcast
episode on how the
CFO role is evolving
intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au 17
