Q&A with Jim Carney, where the buck stops!
For this Q&A, I had a chance to interview Jim Carney, our VP of Finance, to learn a little more about his role, his experience at Certinia.com, and what he’s looking forward to in the future. One thing I learned for sure—while Jim is serious about his job and responsibilities, he is one of the first to make sure others around him are enjoying their work day, and not taking things too seriously. Read on to learn more about Jim and what he thinks of working for this company.
1) Hi Jim, for those who don’t know, what is your role at Certinia.com?
I am the VP of Finance here and I would like to think the buck stops here. I manage all of the financial side including keeping track of all the money movement, who’s giving it to us, where it’s going, etc. I work closely with our two backers, UNIT4 and Salesforce.com, to give them the information they need. I am also responsible for budgeting and cash management.
2) How long have you been part of the company? How has it changed in your views?
It’s been 3 years now. It’s definitely changed a lot in size, in terms of people, customers, and products but even more so, the way we run the business has changed as it is now much more complex than it was 4 years ago when we were founded. What I mean is that we started as a one product company and we are now a multi-product company which certainly has changed the way we manage our money, where to invest, how much to invest, which product to invest in, etc… all are decisions that need careful consideration and management puts in a lot of analysis and debate into making sure we are making the right decisions.
From a cultural perspective, the biggest change in the time I’ve been here is our now bustling SF headquarters and the vibrant culture it has. It’s young, energetic, but still with leadership from some industry veterans to make sure we are growing in the right direction and consistently creating high quality work.
3) How do your responsibilities impact our customer relationships? What are things you are trying to improve?
Probably the number one way I impact customer relationships is giving accurate invoices to customers on time. Second is getting better at credit and collections by developing a systematic approach. We now are working closely with customer success and sales to make sure we are approaching customers mindfully and first ensuring that their needs are met. People don’t often think of finance as a role that impacts customer relationships but it does.
4) What are three words you’d use to describe the FiancialForce.com SF office?
Adaptable, energetic, fun—we have a lot of fun in our own way! There are lots of opportunities—everyone has an impact on how this company grows and changes!
5) What are you most looking forward to about Certinia.com’s future?
For me, it’s the opportunity to grow beyond just accounting and PSA. It’s very exciting to think about the possibilities. We won’t be the same company, which makes it more fun in my mind than being a static company!
6) Finally, a tough question. How do people see you in the company?
I’m known to be the finance guy—I believe contention in the company is good—it’s my role is to provide that perspective and be the devil’s advocate. People probably know that I am passionate about what I do! I try to bring some of the fun as well. I make fun of Jeremy where I can. I give people a hard time about personal things such as fitness, training to keep things light. I try my best to add color to the office whether literally or figuratively!
