At its spring board meeting, the 91社区 Board of Advisors welcomed new board member Shay Culver, Vice President Finance, at Berry Global. She is a seasoned finance professional with over 21 years of experience in the field of accounting. A 2009 graduate of the 91社区, she holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Accounting and Professional Services. She joined Berry Global in 2003 as a cash processor and has since been promoted to Director of Accounting and, most recently, Vice President Finance.
Take a moment to get to know more about Shay in our interview below:
Tell us about your career path.
I started my career as a part-time intern in 2003 with Berry Plastics (now Berry Global). I worked in Credit and Collections, and my main responsibility was posting cash receipts to customer ledgers. The following year I was hired full time in our general accounting department, and transitioned to night classes to finish my accounting degree. Throughout my tenure at Berry, I was fortunate to wear many different hats within the accounting function. I had exposure to treasury, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, internal reporting and accounting ERP鈥檚. Berry went through an IPO in 2012, at which time my responsibilities transitioned to public reporting requirements. After a few years in external reporting, I moved back to a leadership role in our internal reporting group. Still at Berry Global in 2024, I鈥檝e been in my most recent role as Vice President Finance, for the past 2.5 years. My career has come full circle, as I now lead our NA Credit and Collections team, as well as our Global Treasury and Risk Management team. I consider myself fortunate because my personal career growth aligned with the company I worked for.
What鈥檚 the best piece of advice you鈥檝e been given?
Early in my career, I was told to 鈥渕ake my position my own.鈥� It was very liberating advice, as I suddenly felt like I was given a blank canvas to create my dream role. Looking back, what I learned from taking that advice was, don鈥檛 limit yourself to your daily task list. Learn how to get your responsibilities complete, in an efficient manner, and then focus your time on growing the aspects of your job that you are most interested in. This approach opens the door for internal networking and gaining a deeper understanding of how your current role affects the company as a whole, all while allowing you to demonstrate your willingness to take initiative, think creatively, collaborate with coworkers, as well as your ability to make meaningful decisions; all greatly imperative to setting yourself apart and becoming a stronger leader.
What factors do you consider most when planning for the future?
The number one factor I have always considered in my career when planning for the future is maintaining a healthy work/life balance. Over the last 20+ years, I have worked hard to carve out time to be present at home, while still excelling in my career and taking on new challenges and responsibilities at a pace that fit with my family鈥檚 needs throughout different seasons of life. I consider being able to feel successful in both areas of my life one of my greatest accomplishments. I make sure to preserve this balance in any decisions, goals, or plans, I make for the future.
What attributes make a person successful in your industry?
Key attributes that lead to success include decision making, problem solving, integrity, adaptability, strong communication skills, and emotional intelligence. Analyzing data is a large part of any role in accounting and/or finance. To be able to use that information to draw conclusions, and make impactful decisions, is an attribute that will set you apart from others. In reference to emotional intelligence, these skills are necessary to manage self-awareness in your position, as well as read a room and be able to work productively with a team.
Published June 18, 2024