At Zuper, we put our people first and strive hard to create an inclusive culture that’s focused on our goals while having each other’s back. We believe in working together as a family, facing challenges head-on, and putting our heart and soul into building an awesome product. This series of blog posts intended to showcase what our employees have to say about their career journey and how they reached Zuper through a Q&A session. Read on to learn more about Aravind, our newly appointed Head of Finance. One warm Tuesday afternoon we found our newly appointed Head of Finance, Aravind, sipping his coffee deep in thought. None of us had any idea as to how many shots of coffee he had that today; neither does he. We could surmise that his thoughts were just plagued by the challenges that were ahead of him: tracking accounts that are due, laying down a solid financial structure, and fielding employee questions left and right on filing their income tax for the current financial year. We at Zuper feel gifted to work with an experienced and uber-cool guy like Aravind. Before we start singing a poem about his receptiveness and friendly nature. For novice Zuper coders, he’s become a mentor who patiently answers our redundant basic tax questions. Sometimes, it’s extremely hard to catch him in a rush, for he’s a single-person army who guards the tax system which never sleeps. While we can drone on and on about how Zuper-pumped we are to have a senior person amidst us in the workspace, we want to give the spotlight to the person who deserves it and let him share his thoughts. Looking at the laid back and fully awake Arvind, we start firing away our questions:
Us: Hi, Aravind. What does your afternoon look like?
I’m super pumped with work and coffee 🙂 After working for a variety of organizations from hyper-growth startups to large MNCs, I feel that a startup is where I’m zuper-pumped to be. Pitching in extra hours and making significant changes along the way, this is just the way you want every afternoon of your life to resemble.
Us: That’s great to hear! Could you give us a peek into your career history?
I’m happy and proud to say that I have spent most of my career at Price Waterhouse Cooper or PWC in their audit and consulting vertical for 9 years in Chennai and San Francisco Premises. During my last stint, I was the APAC CFO for a technology-distribution company that was based out of Singapore. As part of PWC, I was privileged to work with big tech companies like Twitter, Airbnb, and PayPal which were hyper-growth startups as well as upcoming startups like DoorDash, MalwareBytes, and Flipboard. Personally, I feel that Startups know how to pull off a favorable work environment with space and opportunity to experiment, wear many hats, and unleash our creativity.
Us: Wow, you have had quite an amazing career! So, what made you choose Zuper?
I’m pretty excited about my future here with Zuper as I feel that Zuper is exactly on the same page as upcoming startups like DoorDash that I mentioned earlier. I have always wanted to be a part of an early, upcoming startup so I’m really looking forward to working here. I believe that as a driver of strategic thinking, building a strong financial foundation will support Zuper as it grows and prepare the organization for its upcoming growth.
Us: Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I’m a nocturnal person who feels proud to be a night owl who is available to answer the queries of fellow nocturnal zuper humans in text.
Us: What do you aspire to accomplish here at Zuper?
Being the first person on the finance team, I want to watch the process grow from grassroots to the top. I want to build a system around Finance that is understandable and accessible to all. After working for tech giants, I want to make my mark in a startup and build things up from the ground. I aspire to form a team that can do wonders and pushes the company as I truly believe that Zuper has an awesome product that can make it big. Just the thought of adding value with my experience and building a system that I can call my own from the ground up gives me the kicks to keep going.
Connect with Aravind
Head of Finance
