Natasha King
Natasha King is an accomplished accounting professional with over 24 years of experience in the finance and accounting industry. Her career began at age 16 as a bank teller, which sparked her interest in financial systems and inspired her to pursue a lifelong career in accounting. Throughout her career, Natasha has intentionally cultivated a diverse skill set by working across multiple industries, including manufacturing, transportation, banking, medical, and telecommunications, allowing her to build a well-rounded and robust foundation in financial management. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Purdue University Global while balancing full-time work and family commitments.
Currently, Natasha serves as Accounting Manager at Gast, where she has been for the past two and a half years. In this role, she oversees the company’s financial operations, including maintaining policies and procedures, coordinating internal and external audits, ensuring GAAP and SOX compliance, reviewing entries and reconciliations, preparing financial statements, and managing working capital. She is highly regarded for her meticulous attention to detail and her ability to identify critical financial issues, most notably discovering a $5 million misstatement in a company’s favor. Her expertise is particularly strong in manufacturing accounting, financial reporting, and audit coordination.
Beyond her professional achievements, Natasha is deeply committed to community service and team development. She actively volunteers with the United Way of Southwest Michigan and has contributed her time to mentoring and supporting local children through programs like Osolo Elementary School’s volunteer initiatives. Natasha is passionate about fostering strong internal controls, accurate financial reporting, and cultivating a supportive workplace environment. Her long-term career goal is to rise to a CFO-level position, where she aims to break barriers for women in finance and create opportunities for future leaders in the industry.
• Purdue Global - BS
• United Way of Southwest Michigan
• Osolo Elementary School
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to being a teen mom and proving people wrong. There were people who said, 'Well, you're never gonna do this or that, or whatever,' and I came back and showed them that, yes, I can, and watch me. I just used that to my advantage. Being a young mother motivated me to prove that I could build a successful career despite the challenges, and that determination and resilience has been the driving force behind everything I've accomplished.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received came from my greatest mentor when I was working at a company called Pratt. His philosophy is something that I adopted for myself: train people so well that they can leave you, but treat them so good that they don't want to. That approach to leadership and employee development really shaped how I think about professional growth and creating environments where people want to stay and thrive.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say learn as much as you can, as early as you can, and leverage that in every move that you make. The knowledge you gain early in your career becomes a powerful tool that you can use strategically throughout your entire professional journey. Don't underestimate the value of continuous learning and how it can open doors and create opportunities for advancement.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think some of the biggest challenges are still that it's a very male-dominated field. The whole Boys Club is there and thriving. But you can't let that discourage you. That's actually why one of my career goals is to rise to a CFO-level position - I want to help break that glass ceiling and make it easier for the next woman behind me. While the male dominance in finance is a real challenge, I see it as an opportunity for women like me to push through and create more pathways for future generations of women in leadership.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Outside of work, I'm passionate about reading and traveling - I would be on the road 100% of the time if I could be. I love traveling internationally, and my next dream trip is to go to France, not just for the tourist stuff, but to see all the castles. So far, my favorite destination has been Cozumel, Mexico, which was wonderful and beautiful. I also enjoy staying informed by reading publications like Time Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. And for entertainment, I love listening to the Morbid podcast, where two ladies from Boston talk about killers and disappearances in a funny way while still respecting the victims and not making light of the heaviness of it.
Locations
GAST
Mishawaka, IN 46545