Company News
A Decade of Accounting Operational Excellence: 10 Years In, What Does FloQast Mean to FloQasters?
In 2013, Mike Whitmire, Cullen Zandstra, and Chris Sluty officially incorporated FloQast.
A lot has changed since then. The team of three has grown to 550+ employees located around the world (with offices in LA, NYC, London, and, now, Sydney). Users regularly rate FloQast as the best-in-class platform for Financial Close Management platforms. And, perhaps most importantly, we’ve built out our suite of offerings in line with our mission to uplift the accounting profession.
Time sure does fly when you’re having fun, eh?
As far as the brand has come in that timeframe, it would be nowhere without the individual and team contributions from FloQast employees. From the former auditors and accountants throughout the company to the Sales, Marketing, Engineering, and Legal teams, every department at FloQast impacts the success of the organization. But as things turn out — and I can attest to this myself — FloQast has also positively impacted its employees, as well.
In celebration of FloQast’s 10-year anniversary, I spoke with a handful of colleagues to learn more about what working at the company has meant to them, lessons they’ve learned along the way, and how things have changed over time
From Office Manager to Vice President of Human Resources
When Adey Tadesse-Heath joined FloQast in June 2016 as employee #18, her role was office manager in FloQast’s first office on Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks.
In the seven years since then, she’s played a pivotal role in establishing what FloQast is today, transitioning from office management to Human Resources, building out FloQast’s perks and benefits programs, and helping to formally identify the skills and values the company looks for in FloQast employees.
“When I joined FloQast, I was single and 26, and now I’m 34 and have the love of my life, which I’m very excited about,” Adey said. “I think in my personal life, I’ve been able to build better relationships with my family and my friends, because I feel more secure in my work life, which was never a thing before FloQast.”
Putting the Success in Accounting Success — at Home and Abroad
Having spent several years at a large, publicly-traded company, Brittany Shaw wasn’t quite sure what to expect when she joined a then-small FloQast. However, she soon found an environment that encouraged — and expected — input from all members of the team, placing collaboration and efficiency first and rewarded those who did.
“It’s been the best career decision I’ve ever made,” she said. “I’ve learned so much [at FloQast]. I’ve met so many people. I’ve been able to experience so many life decisions, and I would probably encourage people along the same.”
Tales from the Valley Village House: Employee #5 Carlos Avila
Carlos Avila joined FloQast in 2015 as its second engineer. The office was a house in Valley Village, and given the company’s size — five employees, including the three co-founders — he admitted he was a little nervous about joining the company.
“Mike and Chris showed me the early FloQast application in one of my interview slots, and I just thought to myself, like, ‘Man, these guys need my help,’ he recalled with a laugh. “I was like, ‘That did not look good,’ but it was easy to see the value in the idea. I saw three people with a great idea and a solid vision, and knew it was something I wanted to be part of.”
From PwC to Product Management
By accountants, for accountants.
When Marc Reicher joined FloQast in early-2016, he became one of just a few former auditors and accountants on staff AND one of the first Big Four veterans to join the growing software engineering team.
“When I started, I feel like, despite what I knew about accounting and whatever I knew about software engineering, I didn’t have the ability to do that much on my own. I think I have a lot more autonomy today just from developing my engineering and my product management skills and I think I just have a much better appreciation for how a business works in its entirety, not just how a product gets built. So that’s something I’ve been really thankful for and working here is getting to see a bunch of different sides of the company…”
Stay tuned for more FloQaster stories this month as we celebrate 10 years of FloQast!
