Getting to know: Joanne Ritter – Finance and Accounting Manager

My name is Joanne and I’m a Finance and Accounting at Insource. I work with both non-profit and for-profit companies. I’ve been with Insource for 15 years as of September of this year. I’m married and we have a nine-year-old son. I was born and raised on Martha’s Vineyard and moved to New Hampshire in the early 2000s.

How did you find Insource?

I found Insource in a local advertising publication called The Kearsarge Shopper out of New London, NH. When I first started with Insource there was a local office in New London. The office was managed by another Insource long-timer, Jan Barry. Before her retirement, she had been with the company for 20 years. We still keep in touch.

How was the interview process?

It was something I had never experienced before. I come from a small town on an island, where things tend to be a little more local and everyone knows everyone. The interview processes were pretty laid back. After getting married, I moved to New Hampshire and found Insource. It was my first formal interview process. There were two phone interviews with different people, then I met with the Office Manager and the manager of the finance practice. I met Bruce (Insource’s founder) once I’d been hired.

What were your main goals going in?

To not be bored! I know some think, how can accounting be exciting? Truth be told, some of it can be boring, the cadence of the same daily, weekly, monthly tasks. I became concerned that maybe accounting wasn’t my thing. However, prior to moving away from Martha’s Vineyard, I had worked for a company similar to Insource that also worked with multiple clients. I found that working with different clients and their companies kept me engaged and challenged with their individual uniqueness/nuances. I wanted to be back in that type of atmosphere. Being a consultant is all about multitasking and context switching without dropping balls – you have to be a different breed.

What was your biggest challenge?

It’s changed over the years. It used to be “find the penny!” I would spend more time reconciling a bank statement to find every last penny vs. realizing that looking for that penny was costing the client more. Is the juice worth the squeeze? I learned to balance the benefit vs. the cost.

Today, It’s the balance of being too hands-off as a manager vs. micro managing. I tend to be very hands-off. I figure, you know what you need to do, get it done, and if you run into a bump reach out and I’ll help you over it. However, there are some colleagues that want a bit more guidance. So, I’m learning the different needs of my teammates.

What’s your day-to-day like?

My day usually starts with checking emails and following up with anything quick that I can get out of the way, or checking to see if my team needs anything from me – removing blockers. Then I move on to prioritizing deadlines and projects. Once everyone is launched and, on their way, I can get to my work. 

My work involves a lot of reviewing of work that other staff have done and then a general control review and closing – making sure everything is where it should be. I love projects and problem solving – things that are out of the norm. I enjoy the rhythm and cadence of the day – I geek out with an Excel spreadsheet! I like to map out systems and processes to make things easier and more efficient for anyone who works with me.

What opportunities are available to you?

It’s changed over the years. When I first came to Insource I was hired as a bookkeeper (Staff Accountant) and there weren’t many opportunities for advancement. The company started to grow internally and externally, so progression opportunities became available (e.g., the role I have now). It’s still growing so there are more opportunities all the time.

What is the support like?

The support is wonderful at Insource. One of my favorite things about Insource is the camaraderie. We have all kinds of different people from many different backgrounds and we all support each other. We use MS Teams to reach out for help if anyone has a question. When we have group meetings, we get paired off with people from different practices and collaborate so that we learn from each other. The interview process has changed over the years and with that, we’ve attracted some really talented people. I love the way the company has grown and how much everyone supports each other.

Work you are most proud of?

I work a lot with non-profit organizations. Even though I’m not on the front lines working on a particular client’s mission (I’m in the background), I still get the reward of knowing that what I did today made a difference. In the past, sometimes we’d support clients with fundraising events and event management – I really enjoyed doing that. We’re often treated as part of the staff of the companies we support – we’re integrated into the fabric of those companies.

What do you do for fun?

Fun?! Ain’t nobody got time for that! I’m a hockey mom whose son is in three travel leagues. But, when the “ice is out”, we travel a lot as a family (we have a RV). Because I work remotely, I’ve been able to work from various places in the States and around the world. I’ve even worked from Egypt! And I can spend summers with family and friends back home while still working. If we’re not traveling, you can find me covered in dirt in the garden.

Was Insource the right fit for you?

I’d have to think Insource is the right fit since I’ve been here for 15 years. I come from a small town where everyone knows your name (not to be confused with “Cheers”). I enjoy building relationships. At Insource, not only do we develop our relationships within, but also with our clients. We become part of their organization and their mission. We are invested. We are ‘Ubuntu’ – “I am because we are”.

Want to discover if Insource is the right fit for you?

Head on over to our Careers page where you can browse our latest vacancies, and be sure to follow us on social media for all the latest Insource Insights.

Follow us here:

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

For anything else, email us at insource@insourceservices.com or call us on (781) 235-1490.