How would you describe your role?
I think like most Ridgeliners, my role here is multi-hatted. I focus primarily on two things. One, I focus on accounting and compliance, making sure all those less-than-fun but very important parts of running a business are accomplished. And secondly, the part of my job that I think is the most rewarding, is helping our Finance Team grow. I see this as building out the capacity for Ridgeline to become a better at things like finance-related reporting, doing analytics, and also helping everyone else in the company understand why those things are important and translating the data and numbers into info they can use to make better decisions.
How would you describe your leadership style?
I’m sure I have a leadership style, but I’m not really sure how to define it. I need to read more books most likely. But, I think if you ask my team, or anyone I’ve worked with, they would say that I’m 100 percent dedicated to the team and the outcomes that we can create. I truly care about each individual and what they can contribute and I’ve spent a lot of time trying to coach and mentor them so they grow as individuals and as contributors to the business.
There’s a style of leadership that was ingrained in me early on in the military, and something that I think that carries over into every facet of the business, and that’s placing importance on training every individual on your team so they can step up into the role that’s next in line for them. If every person knows the role and responsibilities of the person above them, we’ll be a successful business.
What’s something new you’ve learned recently?
If you ask anyone around here, they’ll tell you I’m probably one of the loudest people at the company, right? Well, I’m currently involved in a networking group of aspiring and first-time CFOs and I’m probably way more extroverted than most finance people in that space. Throughout my career, I’ve seen that as a potential negative. But recently, I’ve learned that I can use this ability to connect with people to make the more analytical and technical sides of finance more accessible.
What is your super power?
I think beyond the ability to take financial terms and concepts and break them down into things that are easily understood, my real super power is making pancakes. Every Saturday, my two young daughters request specifically that I make pancakes for them. I truly enjoy spending that time with them just making breakfast.
What’s something happening at Ridgeline right now that you’re excited to see develop or grow?
I’ve been at Ridgeline for about half of the time it’s been in business, and I’m excited to see us continue to evolve and grow, find our potential faults, and overcome them. I’ve seen us grow from a company that provided very bespoke systems for our customers. And now, we’re transitioning into using a SaaS model that will allow us to reach even more customers with our important technology.
How would you describe Ridgeline’s culture?
Like I said before, I’ve been at Ridgeline for half of the time it’s been in business so far, and one of the things that stands out to me is that, from the very beginning, if there was something our founders didn’t know, they brought in the people they needed who did have those skills. The success of the business was more important than anyone’s ego. That permeates all the way down and sets the tone for our company. We’re able to attract great people because they feel empowered and will do what they need to help grow the business.
Can you tell us about a time you were inspired or impressed by the work of another Ridgeliner?
That happens daily for me. Every time I hear about a new accomplishment or a new technology we’ve delivered for a customer, a new concept we’ve developed to solve a problem – it constantly impresses me.
What’s unique about Ridgeline?
I think that Ridgeline has truly been able to maintain a strong sense of culture and belonging throughout several evolutions and reinventions because at the heart of it, we’re committed to our employees and to our mission.