Getting to know: Katie O’Koren Treggiari

I’m Katie O’Koren Treggiari, a Finance & Accounting Manager and a Finance Team lead here at Insource. I’m originally from Franklin MA and still live in the Boston area.

What do you do?

I’m currently a Finance and Accounting Manager and a Finance Team lead. I’ve been with Insource for about seven and a half years now.

How did you find Insource?

I was fresh out of college when I found Insource online. I saw a role that was well within my field and had everything I wanted. I liked the idea of working with multiple clients; people beyond those who were directly in my office. I always say I work for multiple companies, not just one.

What was the interview process like?

I came to the office twice. I met with a member of HR and the Head of Finance at the time. It was one of my first interviews out of college, so I was really nervous. I was late for my second interview, which was awful. I was convinced I wasn’t going to get it.

What were your main goals going in?

Well, I knew I wanted to be in accounting. I knew Quickbooks was something I should be excited about and was pretty sure it would be important to learn, so it was great to know I’d be trained on that software and use it in my work.

I also remember being told in my interview “You can grow up here.” What they meant by that was that people had been there for a long time. I could see the opportunity to have that constant in my life, supporting my learning and growth both professionally and personally. Seven years on, it’s going great. 

What’s been your biggest challenge so far?

Juggling the different clients. We give as much time to each of our clients as possible, and we plan our deadlines as well as we can, but dealing with surprises is always difficult.

What’s your day-to-day like?

I have multiple clients that I work closely with, so it goes without saying that things differ depending on the week and month. That said, most weeks start with payroll. People tend to get mad when they don’t get paid, so I prioritize that as best I can. So, the beginning and end of the month are always the busiest.

I’ve taken on a more managerial role more recently; I was a staff accountant for a long time, so I often help our staff accountants with the daily troubles they might run into.

I’ve also been helping to bring new software into our repertoire, which has been an exciting challenge.

What opportunities are available to you?

I came in at the level of Assistant Bookkeeper. It’s not even a role anymore, they invented it because I had so little experience! Progression is really about knowledge; you grow because you have the knowledge necessary to take on more complex tasks. My manager would sit with me and say “Ok, we’re learning this now. You need this to move to the next level”. I also like to think I’m pretty driven. I can see a gap in my knowledge and say “I’m going to go learn this now, I’ll figure it out”.

What is the support like?

When someone is new to the team, they’ll often need help, but people are generally really keen to learn, which is great. Working with the other teams at Insource has grown over the years, we’re more communicative than ever, and we’re getting better at working together. I work with Bruce (The President & CEO) all the time now, with my new role as Finance Team Lead. We have a couple of clients together, and also work on ways to help improve the Finance team as a whole.  

What’s your favorite thing about working at Insource?

I am never bored. There’s always more to do, be it for clients or for your colleagues. There’s also a lot of flexibility here; I manage my hours, so I get every other Friday off, which is amazing.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

We say “It’s accounting, not a kidney”. No one is going to die if and when you make a mistake. You can fix payroll, so when you do make a mistake, things aren’t going to explode. I’m very grateful for the mistakes I’ve made because I can now spot them in the work I review, for myself and my colleagues. My mistakes have made me a better accountant.

Was Insource the right fit for you?

Yes. I’ve been here for 7 1/2 years. I’ve learned a lot, from the different clients to the different software. I’m definitely not the same person I was when I started here at 22. Insource has helped me grow into the person I am today.

Could Insource be right for you?

Interested in what Insource has to offer? Take a look at our Careers page today to see our latest vacancies, and be sure to follow us on social media for all the latest Insource Insights.

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