The accounting of a Controller
What Does a Controller Do?
"So, what does a Controller do?" asked my 7-year-old, eyes wide with curiosity. She’d just returned from a visit to the controls room at an office—a space filled with wires, monitors, and mysterious boxes. Naturally, she imagined my day involved something equally exciting, like managing a spaceship control center.
I took a deep breath, ready to translate my job into a second-grader’s world. "Well," I began, "I lead the accounting team at my company. My job is to ensure we can ‘close our books,’ which means keeping track of all the money coming in and going out. I also make sure everyone, from vendors to employees, gets paid on time."
Her eyes narrowed as she pondered this. "But, Mom, what is accounting? And why do you have to close the books? Do you read them first? And how do you pay the employees?"
Explaining accounting and controllership to a 7-year-old wasn’t going to be easy. So, I went with simple analogies.
"Imagine you have a big jar where you keep your allowance, birthday money, or what you earn from chores. That jar is like the company's bank account. Whenever you spend money on a toy or a snack, you write it down to know how much is left. That’s what we do in accounting—except on a much bigger scale and with lots of jars!"
She nodded, intrigued. "Now, ‘closing the books’ is like making sure everything you wrote down is correct and current. At the end of the week, you might count your money to make sure it matches what you wrote down. We do that at the end of each month, but instead of counting coins, we review all the transactions to ensure the numbers add up."
"And paying the employees?" she asked, still curious.
"Good question! Paying employees is like when you decide to share your candy with friends. You count out the right amount for each person and give it to them. I make sure every employee gets the right amount of money for the work they’ve done. It’s a big job because we have a lot of employees and a lot to keep track of!"
Of course, what I didn’t dive into with my daughter—but is crucial for any Controller—is that the role is far more than just number-crunching. My to-do list includes:
Corporate Operations: It’s about getting things done and figuring it out. New employee starting in Ireland? I’m on it—setting up bank accounts, navigating new tax codes, and dealing with HMRC filings. Controllers are queens (and kings) of problem-solving.
Internal Controls and Compliance: With “control” in the title, Controllers ensure financial operations are trustworthy. We design, develop, and test financial procedures to keep chaos at bay. Imagine if everyone had access to the company’s bank account—scary thought, right?
Transaction Process Management: We handle critical processes like accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and general accounting. And yes, we’re always on the lookout for automation and efficiency improvements.
Storytelling: As financial storytellers, Controllers guide their teams like conductors of an eclectic orchestra. We tailor our messages to our audience and ensure the company’s financial story is accurate and effective.
Efficiency Focused: My north star? A continuous close (yes, I dream about it). I strive to shorten the close timeline with better processes and technology. Fortunately, I’m at Ramp , where automation and making finance teams’ lives easier is the norm.
Collaborator and Partner: Because Controllers see everything (especially at month-end), I form strong relationships with key departments like IT, HR, Legal, Product, Sales, and Engineering. This ensures smooth and integrated financial operations.
At startups, Controllers are forward-thinkers, always looking to improve efficiency and cut costs without sacrificing quality. Whether it’s streamlining processes, automating transactions, or collaborating with different departments, our goal is to ensure the financial side of the business operates like a well-oiled machine.
While my daughter may have walked away thinking I work with a giant piggy bank at the office, the truth is that being a Controller is about leadership, strategy, and a deep understanding of the company’s operations. It’s about making sure that when it’s time to "close the books," everything is in its rightful place—and that the company is ready for whatever comes next.
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