Company: In transition (prior employer Syniverse)
Title: Prior position - Sr. Director Global Billing and Receivable Operations
Length of time you’ve been a FEI member: New member
Work email: [email protected]
Work phone number: (813) 748-8222
Tell us a little bit about your career, educational/professional background and how you got to where you are today.
After spending six years in the U.S. Air Force, I spent the first half of my career in technical roles and consulting, specializing in Cisco networking and architecture. I was then given the opportunity to go through a one-year Six Sigma Black Belt training program. At the time, this leadership program was designed to get key leaders in the organization trained in process improvement and get them back into different areas of the organization to build leaders with a mindset of continuous improvement to drive operational excellence throughout the organization.
I spent a year and a half as an individual contributor working on process improvement projects, then leading the Global Operational Excellence program for the organization. After successfully leading the Operational Excellence organization, I was asked by our CFO to step into a finance role and lead the Billing, Accounts Receivable and the Service Level Agreement organization, which I have done for the past nine years.
What do you love most about working as a financial executive?
I really enjoy having the insight and understanding of the financial performance of a company. Finance professionals have a tremendous responsibility to understand the business past the numbers in order to be able provide the organization with an accurate analysis of how the business is performing and provide strategic insight into potential future performance.
What is your best networking tip?
Network, network, network! Especially today, where most job applications are done online. With hundreds or thousands of people applying for the same position, there is nothing more important than networking and building a good group of professional contacts. Throughout my career, every job I have ever taken I knew someone who worked there and was able to help to get in front of the hiring manager. So, don’t be shy. Get out there and network. You will make great contacts and lifelong friends.
What personality traits and intangible qualities do you look for when recruiting new talent?
Integrity is the most important quality I look for when recruiting new talent. You can have the most qualified person, but without integrity, little else matters. The second quality I look for is leadership, or someone that takes initiative without having to be told what to do each and every minute of the day. Lastly, I look for someone with attention to detail, which is key in finance.
What is your best tip for how to stand out in the finance field?
Regardless of whether you are in finance or another part of the business, to me, professional growth can often be attributed to three things:
- Build relationships with senior leaders across the organization.
- Don’t be afraid to make lateral moves.
- Work yourself out of your job by building strong performing teams.