My name is April Neubauer — this is why I joined Aha!

Is it possible to know the answer before you solve a problem? It is if you work in accounting. That is how I first came to love it — everything must balance out, or it is not accurate. And there are clear indicators of what needs to be reconciled. But that does not mean it is easy. You have to understand the best way to resolve the numbers. And this takes far more than a few Excel tricks.

In accounting and finance, I have found that success depends on continuous learning and a motivated team.

My first job was as a public accountant, where I helped lead financial statement audits for clients across several industries. It was exciting to travel around with my team and interact with so many different organizations. But I learned that public accounting is mostly about checking the numbers — you are not there to make improvements (that is for the organization to do internally). I decided I wanted to contribute more directly in this way after a few years in that role.

This prompted my transition to work for private companies. Because I am based in the Detroit area, there were many opportunities in the automotive industry. I joined an auto supplier company as a financial analyst. I enjoyed this type of work: evaluating things like costs and business performance against the budget to determine where to improve. I was eager to grow my skills. So when a finance manager role opened up, I indicated that I was interested.

I took on bigger responsibilities as a finance manager, including handling our accounts payable and receivable and general ledger postings. It was satisfying to help ensure that our company finances were sound. But the best part of this new role was the teamwork. I loved having a more people-oriented position, both in guiding my own team and collaborating with cross-functional leadership.

As I grew in my career, I wanted to keep building on what I had learned. I decided to join another automotive supplier in an accounting role. It soon needed to fill a finance and tax manager position — so I stepped up. I loved that this role blended my previous experiences into one. And I was thrilled to be leading another great team. Whenever problems arose, we all worked closely together on a solution. And this was essential. The company was expanding rapidly at the time, which meant endless opportunities to learn. We explored how to add value and operate more efficiently to keep up with our growth.

My attitude has always been this: "Sign me up." I take every opportunity I can to grow, and I share what I learn to help others improve, too.

I spent nearly a decade with this organization, which culminated in a director-level role. When I finally felt it was time for something new, I came across the Aha! posting for a director of finance. It was as if the job description was written just for me. It mentioned responsibilities such as "managing the finance team and guiding its growth," "implementing process improvements," and "continually seeking to deepen your accounting expertise and skill set." My thoughts? You can probably guess. "Sign me up."

Now, I lead the finance group on the Aha! team. I am proud of the work we do to make financial operations more streamlined and transparent for the company. (As you can imagine, handling taxes and finances for a remote, globally distributed company can get pretty complex.) No matter what comes our way, I know our team will get it done. I love seeing the motivation and excitement. Everyone is open to one another's perspectives and confident in sharing their own.

I am so proud of all that our finance team is able to accomplish. It is amazing what we can do in an environment that so deeply values learning and achievement.

At Aha! doing what is right is the most important thing. We take ownership of any mistakes. And we support changing our direction when new ideas are brought forward. Is this as straightforward as balancing a spreadsheet? Of course not. It is always tougher to know what is "right" in real life. But being part of an organization that makes this a goal is an excellent place to start.

That is why I joined Aha! — and why you should too.