What A Senior Financial Analyst At Dexcom Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Corporate Finance Industry
Kimo wishes more people understood the different functions within corporate finance, emphasizing that it's a "very big term" encompassing roles like revenue-focused commercial finance, operations finance dealing with "cogs," and managing operating expenses for departments like HR or legal. The different roles also have varying paces and learning curves depending on if the company is a growth company or a larger company.
Corporate Finance, Commercial Finance, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Industry Specialization (Biotech/Healthcare), Company Growth Stage (Start-up vs. Established)
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Kimo Thomas
Sr Financial Analyst
Dexcom
University of San Diego
Finance
Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical
Finance
Scholarship Recipient
Video Highlights
1. Corporate finance encompasses various functions like commercial finance (revenue-focused) and operations finance (manufacturing/COGS).
2. Different roles within finance offer varying paces and learning curves, influenced by the company's growth stage (high-growth vs. established).
3. Understanding the specific functions within corporate finance can help students better navigate and choose a career path that aligns with their interests and desired pace.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
Commercial finance is a very broad term, as is working in corporate finance in general. I wish more people understood the different functions within corporate finance.
Commercial finance, which I'm in, is very revenue-focused. Then there's operations finance, which looks at the manufacturing side and involves cost of goods sold (COGS).
You could also oversee the budget for departments like legal or HR, which falls under operating expenses. There are many different roles within FP&A, or corporate finance overall.
It's a bit more complicated and less easily understood than, say, investment banking, which most people recognize. Within the biotech and healthcare industries, there are many exciting opportunities.
I'm on the revenue side and work for a growth company, so it's a fast-paced role. This is different from someone in R&D opex, who might partner with a large company like Abbott. That might not be as fast-paced because a bigger company is focused on refining existing products rather than finding new ones.
There are many interesting roles with different paces and learning curves. I believe if there were more details about these different functions, it might encourage more students to enter the industry.
Advizer Personal Links
LinkedIn.com/in/kimo-thomas/