Fang Lanphear

My career journey began in China, where I originally studied English in college. When I came to the United States as a student at age [AGE], I had to completely start over because my English degree wasn't recognized here. I attended UMass Boston and earned a double major in accounting and finance in just two and a half years because I had no family support and needed to finish quickly to support myself. I started as a staff accountant at an IT company in Needham, Massachusetts, then moved to Colorado for six years where I continued building my accounting career at companies like Gambro and a Verizon telecommunications company that was later acquired by CenturyLink. During those six years in Colorado, I got married, bought my first house, and had my first child. When we moved back to Massachusetts, I became an accounting supervisor at a private company in Stoughton, which was my first management experience. I then joined Samsonite as AP manager, leading a team of 12 people through three major acquisitions including TUMI and eBags.com. I implemented automation processes and traveled extensively to subsidiaries in California, New Jersey, and back to Colorado. When COVID hit and the trade war with China impacted the business, I was laid off but immediately landed at Wayfair, where I managed North America accounts receivable and collections. I oversaw $75 million in daily credit card transactions and managed 50 offshore team members in the Philippines plus 5 onshore members during Wayfair's rapid COVID growth. Currently, I serve as Assistant Controller for PG Brands in Braintree, a promotional products company that has been around for 70 years. I'm responsible for all subsidiaries' month-end closing processes, balance sheet reconciliations, financial statement accuracy, cash reconciliations, fixed assets, and the full cycle of accounting. My goal is to pursue my MBA this fall or next fall and advance to an executive-level position.