Digging In is a regular series of blog posts profiling UDig employees. We hope this series helps you get to know our team and understand why we dig what we do! Today, we are sitting down with Susan Frank, Chief Financial Officer.
UDig: Tell us a little bit about your background and your role at UDig.
SF: Hi! I’m Susan Frank and I’m UDig’s CFO – I’ve held this position since I came on board here in 2009.
I’ve always loved numbers. I majored in accounting at the University of Virginia and earned my CPA soon after graduating. After college, I worked at a big 6 accounting firm for a couple of years. I then spent time working for a Local Fortune 500 company, Circuit City Corporate, before settling at UDig.
Now, I’ve been here for over 10 years. I’ve seen the company change in ways that I could not have imagined when I first came on board, I’ve seen the company go through several different stages of growth over the years.
As UDig’s CFO, I’m responsible for the past and present financial state of the company. We provide financial reporting to UDig’s stakeholders, which helps identify the areas where UDig is most efficient, as well as areas that need improvement. My team is responsible for financial forecasting and ensuring that UDig remains profitable and adheres to KPI’s set at the beginning of the year. Additionally, we oversee treasury management, budgeting, and ensuring that UDig embraces a culture of financial discipline.
UDig: Why UDig? What made us the right decision for you?
SF: Andy, my husband, is the founder and CEO of the company. In 2009 when he bought out his partners, he asked me to come on board because I have an accounting background. It was the perfect time for me to have a natural transition into the company.
Andy and I’s roles here are very different. Because of this, there is a level of trust between us where we must understand that each of us is looking out for the company – we share similar goals and strive to provide the best experience possible for our clients and our employees.
UDig: What does “accelerate your success” mean to you?
SF: For me, this statement is all about the employees. I want to ensure that UDig is consistently putting career paths in place for our employees – I hope to see each of them continue to grow and learn during their time here. It’s important to me that we foster an environment where people feel comfortable speaking up and advocating for themselves.
When it comes to success, my hope is that we are winning interesting work and that our employees are getting exposure to projects that allow them to utilize their specific skillsets while learning new things.
UDig: What is your favorite procrastination tool?
SF: I love Octordle! It’s like Wordle, but with 8 words instead of 6. We have a family challenge going right now – it’s lots of fun!
UDig: What did you want to be when you grew up?
SF: When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a veterinarian because I loved dogs. As I got older, of course, things changed.
My dad was an engineer and I wanted to follow in his footsteps, but at the time, female engineers just weren’t really a thing. I liked math and numbers a lot, so he suggested that I look at accounting. I took some classes at UVA and fell in love; I’ve been in the accounting world ever since!
UDig: What’s the most played song in your library?
SF: Definitely something by Fleet Foxes. My current favorite song by them is The Shrine.
UDig: How would you spend your day if we told you to take the day off?
SF: If I had the day off, I’d start out by getting in a nice weight workout at the gym, followed by a round of pickleball and a walk with my dog. Then, I would go to the beach – I would have to have an amazing book to read and a good cocktail to sip on in the late afternoon. I’d wind down by cooking a fresh dinner with ingredients from a local farmer’s market. And of course, I would love to be surrounded by friends and family the whole time!
