From Accountant to Head of Tax | Sara Spring from Oatly
Sarah Spring, Head of Tax at Oatly, joins Tax Leaders Unplugged to share her path from finance and accounting into tax leadership, and what it takes to become a real business partner inside an international company. She explains why tax teams need to stop acting as a clean-up function and instead get involved before key decisions are made.With a team of just four, Sarah also shares how she approaches tax transformation in practice, from VAT automation to better use of existing systems. A key theme is influence. Speak business, not tax. Push for a seat at the table. She also highlights a growing challenge. Today’s filings may be reviewed years later with far more advanced AI, raising the bar for controls and data quality now.
🔑 Key Insights and Learnings:
- AI will raise the standard for tax controls.Sara highlights a critical shift. Returns filed today may be reviewed years later using far more advanced AI by tax authorities. That means tax teams need stronger controls, cleaner data and more consistency now, not later.- Speak business, not tax.If non-tax stakeholders do not understand you, you will not influence decisions. Translate tax into business impact.- Get involved before decisions are made.Tax should not fix issues after the fact. It should shape decisions early, especially on funding, structuring and cross-border activity.- You have to earn your seat at the table.Do not wait to be invited. Join meetings, follow projects and proactively insert tax into discussions that may not look tax-related at first.- Broader experience makes better tax leaders.Backgrounds in finance, accounting and treasury help you understand other teams and collaborate more effectively.- Lean teams require better systems and controls.With a team of four, technology is essential. AI will also raise audit standards, so data quality and consistency matter more than ever.—Where to find Sara Spring: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraemspring/Where to find Stevi Frooninckx: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevifrooninckx__[00:00:00] Introduction and Sarah’s background[00:03:55] Career path and attraction to dynamic environments[00:07:10] Contracting vs permanent roles[00:09:19] Cultural differences across countries[00:12:27] Transition from accounting to tax[00:16:08] From tax blocker to business partner[00:17:10] Speak business, not tax[00:19:05] Earning a seat at the table[00:30:40] Tax transformation, VAT automation and AI[00:33:00] Future audit risk and final leadership lessons
