"We were excited to have found each other”

Throughout the course of my career, I’ve been threading my own unique career path with three different roles: firstly working in the investment management field, I then joined tech companies in the CFO capacity, rolled up my sleeves and jumped in the trenches. Before I knew it, I served as CFO of three Nasdaq listed companies from China. I went on to identify a critical gap in connecting real time business metrics with financial metrics to provide insights for managers. So I set out to build a financial SaaS to address this problem for earlier stage companies to improve their chances of success.

Then, covid miraculously relocated me from China back to the U.S. in the most unexpected way. During the lockdown, I learned to code with Python to build data analytics models and to utilize machine learning models. By doing so, I updated my skill set to be able to work with data driven tech companies in a more close-nit way. 

By now, my background has become so unique that I don't fit neatly into the standard hiring framework. I was going to be patient and wait for that rare opportunity that aligned with my career goals and aspirations.

Then I received a LinkedIn message from Elliot Jackson’s team. He was not trying to fill a position when speaking to me. He and his team simply found my profile interesting and wanted to get to know me better and see what I wanted.  

“I have been talking to recruiters throughout my career, but this was the first time that a recruiter wanted to get to know me for who I am, what interests me and drives me that lead to who I am today, and would then try to find something that meets my goals. How rare is that!”

The team proved to be very creative recruiters. They helped the hiring side of their clients to think outside the box, and they eventually connected me with Foresite, a cybersecurity startup that needed exactly what I could offer. My interviews with the company's CEO and the Board went so fast and smoothly that it was a meeting of the minds. We were both excited to find each other through Robert Walters.

I soon joined as a Fractional CFO and helped the company sort out a roadmap for its next stage of development, supported with a framework to track the key business and financial metrics real time to ensure success. Working with Robert Walters was a wonderful experience and I can truly say they matched me with a role that perfectly aligns to my goals!    

Jackie You - Fractional CFO