Her Story
About Jennie
I grew up in a small town in Utah with a single mom who was remarkable — she always made clear that education matters, and that being financially independent is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. That stuck with me.
I originally had my sights set on law school. I loved political science and everything that came with it, but I ended up taking an accounting class after learning it was one of the top majors for law school applicants. Something just clicked. I started succeeding, earning scholarships, and genuinely enjoying what I was learning. Then I took an internship in Washington, D.C., and fell in love — not just with the structure of the field, which felt similar to law, but with the feeling of being truly embedded in an organization, a business, the people behind it.
I've always moved fast. I went straight from high school into college and finished both my bachelor's and master's degrees in under five years at the University of Utah, where I earned scholarships and secured funding for the one-year Master of Accounting program. From there, I jumped directly into public accounting, where I spent about seven years before recently accepting a Director of Finance/Controller position at a new company.
Day-to-day, my work touches anything that involves a dollar — money, operations, all of it. I help companies make sure what they're doing today is sound, plan and forecast for what's ahead, and when challenges come up, I help lead the decision-making on how to navigate them.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jennie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I am very stubborn, but I think having goals, even short-term and long-term, have been pretty much key to my success. But also creating a support system - amazing friends and amazing family. Having that support system and people to lean on has been a true key too, because they really support whatever my goals are. I think being able to set those goals and have people around me who believe in them has made all the difference in my journey.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would advise them to really stay strong. It is a male-dominated field, and sometimes you find yourself being the only woman in a room, or you find yourself feeling maybe that you can't speak up. I have had to figure out when the right time is to speak up or when to show my presence in a room. That's something that every woman has to figure out. I think being able to navigate that throughout the years and showing my strengths is something that I would continue to advise. You don't have to be the loudest person, but you want to show off where you are the strongest. And not being afraid to take risks. I'm an avid risk-averse person, and even changing jobs right now is one of the scariest things that I've done, but I think it's been so good for me to be able to do that. I would encourage people to continue doing that, because that is how you grow, not just being complacent. My advice would be, and for myself that I've learned, is to also search for a little bit of uncomfortable every time you start to feel comfortable.
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