Career Path of a Senior Manager FP&A at The Bouqs Company
Alice initially pursued pharmacy in undergrad, but an economics class sparked a change in interest, leading to multiple accounting internships where Alice "learned that like I really liked numbers, I really liked to, um, work with them"; desiring a more analytical focus, Alice transitioned into finance, proving analytical skills with a case study to land a financial analyst role at Hot Topic, eventually leading to senior roles at Amazon (Ring division) and currently The Bouqs Company in FP&A. Alice sought to wear "multiple hats and be able to like, see the business as a whole" at a startup, which motivated the move to The Bouqs Company.
Career Path, Finance, Accounting, FP&A, Internships
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Alice Choi
Senior Manager, FP&A
The Bouqs Company
Occidental College
UCLA Anderson MBA
Economics
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Finance
Honors Student, Immigrant
Video Highlights
1. Initially considered pharmacy before switching to economics and finance during college after discovering a passion for economics.
2. Gained experience through multiple accounting internships, realizing a desire for more analytical work which led to transitioning into finance.
3. Made a move to a startup (The Bouqs Company) to gain broader experience and exposure to the entire business, seeking the opportunity to 'wear multiple hats' and own the entire P&L.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Please include any internships or jobs you've had before your current role.
I started my undergraduate studies at Occidental College, majoring in economics and minoring in math. Initially, I wasn't sure about my career path and even considered becoming a pharmacist, so I took some biology and chemistry courses.
Around my sophomore year, economics was a required course. I found I really enjoyed it and decided to shift my focus towards economics or finance. My first internship was in accounting, and my second was also in accounting.
I ended up having three internships related to accounting, including tech tax. Through this experience, I realized I had a strong affinity for working with numbers. I wanted something more analytical, which led me to transition into finance.
This shift was challenging, as some people consider accounting and finance to be similar. However, when I interned in accounting at Hot Topic, it was difficult to move into finance because I had to prove my analytical abilities.
Eventually, I completed a case study and secured an entry-level financial analyst position at Hot Topic. After that, I moved into the semiconductor industry, as I had always wanted to work in a tech-related field and be around engineers. I stayed there for a couple of years.
Then, I decided to return to my roots in consumer packaged goods (CPG). I joined Amazon, working for the Ring division, which focuses on doorbells and alarm kits. I began as a senior financial analyst, concentrating on revenue and marketing spend, and was later promoted to finance manager.
My manager at Amazon then received a great opportunity at a startup. I had always wanted to work at a startup to gain diverse experience and see the business from a holistic perspective, including the entire profit and loss (P&L).
Consequently, I joined The Books, where I am currently a Senior Manager of P&A. That's how I arrived at my current role.