What's it like to work at FHB?
Get the inside scoop from our valued team members in this special blog series.
Rachel has been with FHB for nearly seven years. She brings more than 24 years of experience in public accounting and customer relations to our team. As Client Services Manager, she focuses on client recognition and retention. She also works on accounting processes, finding new ways to increase finance department efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability.
Q: Before you came to FHB, what were you doing?
A: I was a staff accountant at Critical Control Energy Services in the Calgary, Alberta oil and gas industry. I was in charge of their accounts receivable department and invoicing for seven different products and seven different managers, which probably totaled about $11 million a year. I lived by the calendar. I had to complete month-end by the third day of the next month. So, I could never take any vacation. And I did that for many, many years.
Q: What is a highlight of your time at FHB?
A: One is coming on as a marketing administrator, which was very much out of my wheelhouse. But FHB gave me the opportunity to learn a whole new industry and work with great people. The second is being promoted to the client success manager role. I think it's a perfect fit for my personality and experience.
Q: What's the best part of your job?
A: The best thing about my job is working with the people here and working with my clients.
Q: Tell me about a time a coworker stepped up to help you on a project.
A: It's not a specific project. I receive ongoing help and support from our project management team and consultants on a daily basis, with ongoing projects and especially with our support site. That's the beauty of great team support from all over.
Q: How has FHB demonstrated that they care about you as a person?
A: The continued check-ins from HR and management, providing guidance and assistance, allowing flexibility to do my job, allowing me to outline my job duties and go to them with anything that I have issues or trouble with. They're very supportive.
Q: Do you feel like they trust you to do your job?
A: Yes, I feel they do trust me. They have given me many responsibilities. I have access to a lot of systems, software, platforms. I work with everybody in the company. So, I get to learn a lot.
Q: How do you think we've ended up with such a great culture and great group of people?
A: I think it’s management mainly, they're always open to suggestions. It's never “No,” it's always well, let's talk about it. Things like that. And I think Jamie (FHB President Jamie Black) is very knowledgeable about finding out what's the best thing for his employees. What are other organizations doing? What are they not doing?
Q: What opportunities have you had at FHB to learn and grow?
A: Working with the project management team and through all the implementations we've been doing. We've had such a variety of implementations and a variety of clients. I think wearing many hats and doing many things helps a lot in my role.
Q: What the most rewarding part of your job?
A: When we complete an implementation and get to tell a client’s success story, that makes me the happiest.
Q: How does FHB allow you to strike work/life balance?
A: Being allowed to work remotely, but also being allowed to work anywhere in the world. It's allowed me to travel, spend more time with my family that lives far away. To me, that's the most gratifying thing I could say about my job...it just means a lot that they trust you to be elsewhere.
Q: How does FHB support you to do your best work?
A: I always feel that I have support from the different teams at FHB, which allows me to do a better job when it comes to communicating with clients and resolving client issues. I get a lot of feedback from the Principal Consultants, whether I’m taking care of new clients or existing clients. There's so much history to learn and gain from our large list of clients.
Q: What do you think FHB gets right with its employees that other companies miss?
A: Keeping the staff engaged across all the departments and addressing issues, challenges. And then getting resolutions as a whole. A decision is not always made by one person. We chat a lot about it within the departments, and then as a whole. For instance, with company goals, at the end of the year, we talk about what we've accomplished and what we're striving to do for the next year. I think keeping us all engaged, all at the same time, is good.
Q: Where do you want to be in five years?
A: In five years, I can see myself heading a large client success department at FHB.
Q: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
A: It's a great place to work. I like the people. I like my job. I look forward to going to work every day.
