Getting to know Chief Financial Officer Amy Ninos
September 16, 2020 | Category: News
Amy Ninos is Cetronia Ambulance Corps’ Chief Financial Officer. One may say it’s the most important role of the company because that’s who cuts the paychecks! We did a little Q&A to get to know her better. Read on …
How long have you been working at Cetronia?
I just celebrated my 3rd anniversary.
Before Cetronia, where did you go to school, and what did you study?
I went to Moravian College and graduated with a BA in Business Management.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I had several careers in mind – the earliest memory was me wanting to become a school bus driver! Then, I also considered becoming a veterinarian and an obstetrician before settling on being an accountant when I started college.
Can you walk me through your career path from entry level position to your current position?
I started my career at Rodale as a marketing analyst, mainly providing analysis of direct mail and television promotions for Rodale’s Book products (the big title at that time was Dr.’s Book of Home Remedies). I was promoted several times over the years to eventually becoming a Senior Finance Manager, where my role was primarily focused on budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis for Rodale’s growing E-Commerce business. I was with Rodale for 26 years, and loved my job and coworkers. It also provided me the opportunity to travel to London a few times on business, which was exciting.
What day-to-day responsibilities does your job entail?
My daily responsibilities include processing invoices for payment, monitoring cash in the bank, and handling issues with payroll. Since my recent promotion from Director of Finance with Cetronia, I’ve also taken on responsibilities including analyzing and negotiating contracts; identifying financial risks and opportunities; managing investments; arranging debt and equity financing; and monitoring and directing the implementation of strategic business plans.
What project that you’ve worked on at Cetronia are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the implementation of the credit card pre-payment requirement process that I helped lead, along with a team of employees from billing, dispatch and management. The group worked very diligently to put this in place, and it worked very well from the beginning. This process has had many benefits to Cetronia: improved cash flow, decreased write-offs, eliminated billing processing time and materials.
What’s really fun about your job, and what’s really challenging?
The most fun part of my job is working with a team of leaders who are very talented and help each other in every way they can … and they are incredibly funny and good-spirited. The most challenging part of my job has been implementing some changes that will improve workflow processes. Change is never easy!
How has your job here allowed you to grow personally and professionally?
On a personal level, I have learned a tremendous amount about EMS, which was brand new to me three years ago. I have so much respect for what our employees do every day, and I am very proud to do my part to make the corps function at its best. On a professional level, I have learned to handle every function of a finance department (because I am the finance department)! At my previous employer I handled one piece of a very large business, and we had an accounting department which handled all of the fundamental accounting functions. I quickly learned how to handle all of those responsibilities on my own at Cetronia.
What might surprise people about your job, or what’s one thing people don’t know about your position?
That’s a tough question. One task that I joke about and never expected to have to do in my career is to read the electric meter every month and the water meter every quarter. So if anyone sees me going into those rooms in the garage, that’s why – I’m a meter reader too!
What advice would you give to a young professional searching for a job like yours?
The best advice I can give is to learn the business from the ground up so that you have a well-rounded understanding of how every part of it functions. Talk to co-workers from every area about what they do. That will help you do your best in your role in finance.