Meet Kristin, Finance Service Manager
Welcome to Furey Stories, our series spotlighting the talented individuals who drive innovation and solve problems creatively at Furey. This quarter, we're excited to introduce you to Kristin from our Finance team.
Kristin plays a pivotal role in guiding startups through the complexities of financial management, enabling them to make strategic decisions with confidence. Her journey at Furey began after working at various startups, where she developed a deep understanding of their unique financial challenges.
Read on to discover more about Kristin's career journey, her day-to-day, and what she’s learned from her time at Furey so far.
How did you get started in finance?
Kristin: I've always loved numbers and studied finance in college. I initially thought about doing something in banking, but a summer internship at a London bank confirmed that I was more interested in other areas. The following summer, I landed a merchandise planning internship at a major retail company in New York City, where I fell in love with financial planning and analysis (FP&A). It was there that I discovered my passion for planning and forecasting for real and tangible products. That eventually led me to build and run finance functions at a number of startups.
What brought you to Furey?
Kristin: The chance to work with multiple startups was a major draw for me. At Furey, I'm not limited to a single financial model; instead, I manage several, each tailored to different sectors and business needs. The variety keeps me engaged and constantly learning, which is exactly what I thrive on. Also, being able to apply the skills from past roles was important to me. Thankfully, all my past experience has meshed perfectly with my role here!
What does a typical day as a Finance Manager look like?
Kristin: Each day kicks off with a similar routine—my morning coffee, during which I check my emails and plan my tasks for the day. From there, my work varies depending on the time of month and client needs. Some days are dedicated to financial forecasting and modeling to help clients make informed financial decisions. Other days might be centered around the month-end close or re-forecasting projects, involving financial reviews and adjustments.
What skills do you use most frequently in your role?
Kristin: Financial analysis and modeling are at the core of what I do, which involves digging into the details of various parts of the business, spotting trends or outliers, and scenario planning for a variety of business outcomes. I spend a lot of time in Excel, manipulating (usually imperfect) data, building and refining financial models, and identifying trends that help generate actionable insights for our clients.
My role also includes a lot of communication and collaboration. I regularly catch up with clients to not only answer questions but also to understand how their business is doing and where we can help. As a bonus, I work closely with the accounting team to ensure seamless financial operations during month-end closes and other critical times. Together, we address any client issues, and maintain an efficient financial reporting process.
What’s a project you are enjoying/have enjoyed working on?
Kristin: The fun part about working at Furey is that we work with so many different startups, which translates to new challenges and projects. I feel like I’ve had so many engaging and interesting projects that it’s hard to choose from! My favorites involve building tools from scratch in order to fit the needs of the company at hand, and then being able to quickly harness results with the new tool (i.e. 3 statement model, budget versus actual dashboard, cash flow forecasting, and KPI dashboards). For example, it could take hours sifting through lines of data each month to try to understand what occurred in the past month, quarter, and year and compare that to a similar time period. With one of the tools we’ve created, you can understand these things in just a few minutes.
What’s something that you recently learned/are learning to do?
Kristin: I'm currently getting my MBA part-time at New York University, which has been an incredible opportunity to deepen my business and finance knowledge and refine my skills in venture financing and financial reporting.
What’s your favorite way to recharge?
Kristin: I love to go running! Honestly there’s no better feeling than a long mid morning run in the sun along the river. Currently training for a half and full marathon this year!
What career advice do you have for someone looking to try something new?
Kristin: I highly encourage trying new things. Life is for living, not for staying comfortable. Without the experience of testing your bounds and pushing yourself to try new things, you won’t ever be able to figure out if there’s something out there that you love to do. I think the big piece here is that it’s also okay to fail, as long as you’re trying and you learn from past failures to guide future successes.
