Today’s guest on the blog is Lauren Springer, Managing Director of Finance and Acquisitions. My first real interaction with Lauren was on a business trip; I was impressed by how intelligent and kind she was, but we were both running in too many directions to actually get to know each other. So, I was excited for the opportunity to learn more about her in this interview. (And my first impression wasn’t wrong – she really is incredibly smart!) I asked our CFO, Ryan McKenzie, to offer a few words of introduction. Here’s what he had to say:
Lauren joined StorageMart in 2010 as a member of the accounting team. She stepped into her current role in 2016 where she handles all of finance and banking for Company. She’s also an integral part of the company’s acquisition team. She often wears several different hats ensuring acquisition and development efforts proceed to plan. Her attention to detail, drive, and work ethic are invaluable to the company and have been instrumental to the growth of the company and the long-term success we’ve had with our equity partner. She’s cool under pressure, a creative problem-solver, and is always willing to go the extra mile when necessary.
What do you do at StorageMart?
I’m the Managing Director of Finance and Acquisitions, so I’m in charge of our finance team. Our team places and services all of the company’s debt. Additionally, I assume various roles on our acquisition & development teams. Once properties are identified, I’m involved from the point of purchase and sale negotiation, all the way through closing deal.
How long have you been at StorageMart?
I have been with the company a little over 10 years.
Is there a particular turning point in your professional experience that really helped define your career path?
Growing up, I had a close relationship with one aunt in particular and spent considerable time with her. She was the Vice President of Finance, the CFO, and lead various steering committees. She worked hard to achieve her various achievements. I admired her, so I strove to spend as much time with her as I could.
When I went to college at Truman State, she hired me as an intern for the entire time I was at school, I got to indirectly work with her, doing entry level accounting work. During that time, I got to see how a powerful woman runs a department. Watching her hard work, dedication, attention to detail, and determination to do the best she could for herself and her company led me to the path I’m on the today. She started in public accounting, and then moved to the private sector where she moved into leadership roles, which was the same path I wound up taking. We remain close, and she has always supported me personally and professionally.
What are some qualities of strong leadership that have proven important?
Respect all levels of the organization. Whether you’re the highest level sitting in the room or the lowest, it goes a long way to respect everyone. Another is to listen to your team. A good leader has a first instinct to support their team, go to bat for them, defend them.
Strong leaders make the hard decisions and stick to them and don’t avoid making those hard decisions.
Based on your experience, what is one thing managers or execs could do better to support and encourage women in the workplace?
Continue to allow women a spot at the table. We’ve come a long way, so I hope we continue to move in the right direction instead of regressing. I think women should encourage and support one another, whether their roles overlap or not.
What is one thing a leader has done to help promote women in the workplace — either organizationally or for you personally?
In my public accounting days, I was the only female on an all-male audit team of 15 people. Our partner always treated me the same as the others on the team. He never gave me special treatment or treated me any differently – he just treated me as a part of the team, and I really respected that.
Tell us a bit about what you do when you aren’t busy being a rock star at work.
My life is about two things, really. Being a proud boy mom is what I do when I’m not at work. Lucas is seven, Benton is five, and Blake is two. They keep my husband and I busy—they have a ton of energy and hearts of gold. They’re the best of friends. They all love sports. Their favorites are soccer, baseball, and basketball. Going to games keeps us busy! We love the water as a family, too. We like to boat, ski, fish, tube, and swim.
