February 2023 Member Spotlight - Mark Pritchard

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Title:  Chief Financial Officer
 
Company:  GA Foods
 
Length of FEI membership: 3 months   
 
Work email: [email protected]
 
Work phone: (203) 823-8005
 
Do you have any personal stories to share about the connections you’ve made through FEI Tampa Bay?
 
I have already made some great connections through FEI Tampa Bay, which are benefitting my day-to-day here [at GA Foods]. Before joining, I would not know where to find local connections for real estate, banking, legal advice, temporary help, etc. So, FEI has been a great asset to me. In addition, my wife, who was looking for part-time work, is now working locally through connections I made through FEI.
 
Tell us a little bit about your career, educational/professional background and how you got to where you are today.
 
I’m a qualified CPA in the UK, where I am from. But I decided to take a career as a CFO rather than stay in public practice where I trained/qualified. I moved to the USA via Connecticut in 2011 and most of my career has been spent working in private equity backed portfolio companies. That meant I worked away from home during the week, traveling to Boston, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis.
 
Joining GA Foods came at the perfect time for my family. My youngest had just finished middle school, while my middle child had just finished high school. We had a chance to relocate and have me home for dinner during the week, so we took it!
 
What is your most rewarding accomplishment as a finance executive?
 
I value seeing people who work with and for me fulfil their potential more than anything I personally achieve at work. I can think of some people who have taken an opportunity that I’ve been able to get them and watch their careers grow – easily my most rewarding accomplishment.
 
What job would you pursue if you weren’t in finance?
 
I’d be an astronaut. My degree is in physics with a focus on astrophysics, so I’d be perfect for the job…maybe.
 
What are some of your personal hobbies outside of finance?
 
In recent years I have started running. I don’t know why, or what started it – I was never especially athletic, and I never ran more than I was forced to at school – but I now make a point of running four miles every morning. I feel great for it. Last winter, I was running in Minneapolis in temperatures of -40°F with twenty different layers of clothing and spikes on my shoes. Running in Florida, even during the summer, is easy. I’m running the Safety Harbor half marathon next month, but I’m aiming to run a full marathon this year.