This weeks Under the Hood features Rayanne Hipsley, Lotame’s Controller. Sound like big shoes to fill? Definitely! Let’s learn a little more about Rayanne does here on a daily basis!
Tell us about your position at Lotame? What is your day to day like here?
I am the Controller here with Lotame. I oversee the day to day accounting, record necessary journal entries in order to report on our results each month, lead the annual financial audit efforts, among other fun accounting type things!
Where were you prior to Lotame and what did you do?
Before joining Lotame I was with Millennial Media for over 8 years. I was employee number 45 with them and saw the company grow to over 400 employees globally and also go public. I really gained a lot of great experience with my time with them.
Can you describe Lotame’s environment?
Lotame has a lot of very dedicated and hard working employees that still know how to have fun. I believe this is what sets companies apart and helps to attract good talent. One of my favorite parts about Lotame is the flexibility. I have 2 young kids and I never feel like I have to miss out on the important stuff for them. That means a lot to me.
What is one piece of advice you would give to a woman who is new to the marketing technology industry?
I have been here just shy of 2 years and I still feel like there is a lot to learn. The tech industry in general is always changing and evolving. In my position, it is important to stay in the know and understand how it is going to affect my job from an accounting standpoint. So I would say, my advice would be make sure that you are always listening and paying attention what is happening in the business.
What is the most important thing you have learned working for Lotame?
Just how significant and powerful data is to advertisers, publishers, and marketers. And how some of Lotame’s products can take simple data and make it even more dynamic.
Can you describe your management style?
I like to say that I am the furthest thing from a micro manager. I believe in leading by example, I work very hard and I am always willing to roll up my sleeves to help anyone on the team. I try to develop strong relationships with my employees so that we have a mutual trust and respect. Usually that translates into a very strong team dynamic.
Tell us something we don’t already know about you.
My very first job was working for a very well known ice scream stand in my hometown. I started working there when I was 15. By my senior year in high school, I was a manager then when I was a junior in college the owners asked me if I would be interested in buying the business from them. Unfortunately, I could barely afford my groceries and beer so I had to decline the offer.