Smith Alumnus Takes on New CFO Role With West Monroe

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I earned two business degrees from the Robert H. Smith School of Business: a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1994, and an MBA with a finance concentration in 2004. Combined, I have a total of 30 years of finance experience in both the public and private sectors. In June of this year, I joined West Monroe as chief financial officer, based in the Washington, D.C. office. West Monroe is a business and technology consulting firm that evolved from a 2002 startup into a global leader. It also doesn’t hurt that the firm has a reputation for being one of the best places to work in consulting. There are many great CFO opportunities out there. This role attracted me for several reasons. First, it’s a chance to apply my experience and know-how in a larger and more complex environment. In addition, West Monroe has a distinctive culture and collaborative spirit, in part because of a unique structure that has always emphasized employee ownership. There aren’t many organizations—in professional services or otherwise—that can claim culture is a true asset. Finally, as a finance leader, I have a particular appreciation for the ability to leverage technology. I believe West Monroe’s reputation for helping clients realize value from technology investments is a strong point of differentiation—and a particularly critical one today as demand grows for AI-enabled business.

What does a day in your role look like? What are your current responsibilities on any given day and how do you approach new projects?

One of the things I like most about this role and profession is that there’s no such thing as a typical day. That said, I’m just a few months into my new role, so much of my time falls in one of three areas. First, I’m trying to meet as many people in the company as I can to understand the business. There are many dimensions to West Monroe—areas of industry, functional, and technological specialization—and it’s important to learn the lingo and the lay of the land quickly. But this isn’t just about learning. It’s also about building relationships and trust for future collaboration, which is very important to me. I’m also working closely with our finance team and leaders to shape our mission, values and finance roadmap to ensure we are trusted business partners to West Monroe’s line operations. My third priority is getting involved in key company-wide initiatives, including refreshing and rolling out our business strategy. This is an area where a CFO can and should add value. Many of our leaders have been here for a long time, which is great, but I bring fresh perspectives and financial stewardship. At the end of the day, the CFO’s role is to support the organization in achieving its financial goals, so it is important that those goals and strategy and goals are well-aligned.

Is there something about your professional journey that people would find surprising? 

I think what surprises people most often is learning that I was with NII, (formerly Nextel International) for nearly 20 years. I started in an external reporting and technical accounting role, and then became a vice president and controller. I then moved to treasury leadership—a new discipline for me—and later added responsibility for investor relations and corporate development. When our CFO retired in 2015, I stepped into that position for four years. Staying with NII that long was not my original plan—but I found myself continuously motivated by the teamwork and camaraderie, as well as the opportunities available to me. I really felt like I was growing with the company. I’m noticing more long tenure since leaving NII. I’ve had colleagues at other of my stops along the way, including West Monroe, who have been with these organizations for 20 years or more. I think that says a lot about a company.

Tell us about your path to your current role since we last spoke with you in 2019. 

After our last interview, we completed the sale of NII’s Brazilian holdings—our remaining operating unit—and started the process to dissolve the company in 2020. I then became the CFO of JSI, a consulting firm that provides broadband solutions to U.S.-based communications companies. JSI had been family-owned for a long time before its acquisition by a private equity investor in 2018. The new CEO and I started on the same day, with a shared vision to transform and grow the business. I built the finance, billing, IT and HR functions from scratch, and substantially modernized the company’s technology infrastructure. We also acquired three engineering companies and combined them into an engineering division that ultimately represented two-thirds of our revenue. Overall, revenue grew four-fold during my tenure. Then, I got the call about the CFO opportunity at West Monroe.

What Smith resources or relationships did you leverage for your career? 

The Office of Career Services was a great connector of students and employers, providing a way to meet and learn about the Big Six (at the time) and mid-tier accounting firms. The array of classes and rigorous course load prepared me well for my first job at Price Waterhouse (now PwC). Once I started at NII, I knew that I wanted to expand my career opportunities, and that earning an MBA could open new doors. I was in a good place in my job and didn’t want to leave to attend school full-time. I knew that Smith had a great part-time MBA program that just happened to be nearby. That experience provided the confidence to take on a new and larger role. When I told my boss I was ready for something different, he worked with me to make that happen.

How has your Smith education helped you with your professional career? Were there specific classes, experiential projects, team projects, or internships that have been especially helpful to you?

Collectively, my finance-oriented courses—undergraduate and MBA—have been very helpful. When I became treasurer at NII, I was stepping into a completely new discipline. I had to raise over $6 billion of capital over the next five years. I didn’t have direct experience doing that, but I was confident that I understood the concepts and how markets work because of my finance and MBA coursework. One class on venture capital stands out. It focused on areas such as thinking through new opportunities objectively, developing new products and services, and making the best investment decisions. This has become especially relevant later in my CFO roles, as I’ve explored where to invest capital to earn the highest return.

Why did you decide to get a business degree and why did you choose the Robert H. Smith School of Business?

Growing up, a friend and I ran a lawn-mowing business in our neighborhood, from which I learned basic elements of business—for example, delivering quality service, collecting from the customer, and working as a team. I also worked in a pharmacy and learned a lot about business operations. From those experiences, I knew that I wanted to study business in college. And being from the area, I knew Maryland had a well-regarded business program. I was on the fence about whether to major in finance or accounting and ultimately chose the latter. Accounting offered a clear career path, and I knew that studying that field would provide broad exposure into how businesses run.

What about your personal journey has led to your success?

A big key is perseverance. My roles have brought many challenges, as this profession tends to do. I never back down to a challenge. By staying focused and maintaining a thirst to learn and grow from my experiences, I’ve been able to prove myself time and time again. That has opened many doors. I’ve had the good fortune to be part of many great teams. Working in high-performing teams is rewarding, but it’s also an opportunity to learn from one another. A third point is being purposeful about building relationships and trust. I talked about that in my previous interview in 2019. The cultural aspects of my previous role at NII, with teams in both the United States and Latin America, really put the spotlight on this. Success in business like West Monroe has achieved is all about collaboration. Collaboration doesn’t just happen—you must build the foundation for it over time by investing in relationships.

Is there anything else you would like to add that was not covered in the questions? 

I’m often asked about my advice for those just starting out or early in their careers—and I always appreciate the chance to share my perspectives. Here are a few bits of advice off the top of my head: Don’t be afraid to take chances, seize the opportunities put in front of you, and find your passion and run with it. All these things take effort. But if you’re willing to put in the work, it will lead to better and better outcomes.