Ben says his first language is numbers, so it’s no surprise he’s our head of finance. What may be a surprise is that he’s also the head of our social committee. Meaning he cares as much about our agency’s spirit as he does its financial health. 

In the day-to-day, he’s forecasting, building and tracking our budget, monitoring revenue and expenses. But he’s always looking at the big picture. “Thinking about growth and generating ideas for Genuine is what excites and motivates me,” he says. “It’s what I really love about the job.” We love him for it, too.

“I think to be a leader within any sort of corporation,” Ben says, “you need to understand the pulse of what is going on in the agency.  Maybe the best business decision isn't going to be for purely financial benefit, maybe it’s for the benefit of our people.” And that’s not just talk. He’s helped advocate for a Mind, Body, Spirit stipend, planned all of our parties and even arranged for the occasional work-from-home lunch delivery. 

“You need to have passion for what you do,” he enthuses. “You need to have passion for the agency.”

Early in his career, Ben heard that being successful in finance would be easier if he put up a wall between his department and the rest of the agency. He’s never believed it. “I believe working well with people is about connecting with them and learning from them.” Understanding our employees, their needs and motivations is as important to Ben as understanding our finances. “I want people to be happy,” he says. “I want them to feel supported.”

“Finance can be very black and white,” Ben acknowledges, “but at an agency like Genuine where there's a lot going on every day, it’s exciting and fun.” It sure is, Ben.

Ben inherited an appreciation for art and creative expression from his family, which includes sculptors, artists and musicians. It’s why he loves cooking, music and travel. “When I'm not at work I try to leave finance at the door and do different things,” he says. His current creative project is building a digital recipe book of sorts, with videos in which he and his family make their favorite recipes. How Genuine.