Cadmus’ Chief Financial Officer Cindy Shephard named finalist for the 2023 Chief Officer Awards
Cindy Shephard was interviewed by WashingtonExec highlighting her leadership at Cadmus, leadership at the firm, professional experience, and more. The article was originally published by WashingtonExec here.
What key achievements did you have in 2022/2023?
Over this past year, I’ve focused on enhancing and improving our organization’s finance procedures to support Cadmus’ growing business. With an expanded finance team, we are implementing new corporate budgeting and planning systems that improve upon our existing processes. Another achievement was improving our staff management systems, as well as optimizing performance data and key performance indicators.
These steps have enhanced the ability of our executive team, divisions, team leaders, and project managers to make the best decisions possible for the work that supports our employees’ career growth. While working on these projects, I led my team in supporting two acquisitions that built Cadmus from a firm of 700 employees to more than 1,000 employees! Ensuring quick, smooth, and effective integrations that were mindful of possible attrition from the acquired firms was essential.
These professional experiences continue to shape who I am as a financial leader and thought leader at the firm in support of Cadmus’ overall growth.
What has made you successful in your current role?
Throughout my career, I’ve found that knowing the holistic financial and accounting processes and understanding the data inside and out have been fundamental aspects for the successful execution of my role.
More importantly, it’s also critical to know how to contextualize these practices for various audiences through inclusive communications, whether that be with one of our vice presidents, board members, lenders, or project managers. It’s communicating our finance principles to everyone at the firm, meeting them where they are at the organization, and helping them understand how they can impact the success of the firm.
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
I’m proud and excited to be able to contribute to Cadmus’ continued growth and evolution of the firm from our business practices to the company culture. There have been several highlights this past year. On the business side, growing the size of the firm and expanding our capabilities has been such an exciting challenge. But at a more personal level, it’s been rewarding to coach, mentor, and provide opportunities for new team members. This has been a very rewarding part of my role and I look forward to continuing these career development programs within Cadmus.
I am a longstanding advocate for formalized processes and controls and understanding the value that’s led to growth, and I’m proud to have led the firm’s ISO 9001 certification and implemented project control across the enterprise.
As the corporate sponsor for the past three years, my focus on this has ensured Cadmus has passed and received certification each year, contributing to our ability to win new contracts and expand our capabilities.
