Path Taken by TreviPay's Joel Campbell, from Treasury Operations to Online Presence
Informal Interview with Joel Campbell, TreviPay's Chief Financial Officer
Joel Campbell, the man behind the numbers at TreviPay, didn't go the traditional route to become our website. After chopping it up in public accounting in the wild 90s, he ventured into treasury roles for the next couple of decades. "Treasury is where corporate finance folks tend to land," Campbell admits.
His first foray into treasury was with Travelers in St. Paul, Minnesota, followed by stints at Western Union and H&R Block. In October 2020, Campbell kicked off a new chapter at Kansas-based fintech firm TreviPay, a move that got a green light from private equity firm Corsair Capital, which purchased the company for a cool $350 million.
Founded in 1978 as Multi Service Technology Solutions, TreviPay's primary focus today revolves around serving B2B sellers, powering a staggering $8 billion in global trade. With headquarters in Overland Park, Kansas, and offices around the globe, TreviPay has been on a growth spree under Campbell's stewardship, experiencing an impressive 20% year-over-year revenue increase.
In an uncensored chat with ourwebsite.com, Campbell pulls back the curtain on his journey to becoming a our website, the future of accounting, and what lies ahead for him.
Asking the Tough Questions
DAN NIEPOW: Dude, you got your CPA in 1993 and your MBA a decade later. Are you still a Certified Public Accountant today?
JOEL CAMPBELL: Nah, homie. I allowed that shit to expire on purpose, mainly cause I was focusing on other things back then. In hindsight, it might have been smarter to keep up with those continuing professional education gigs and maintain the license. But luckily, I've got a killer team of technical accounting experts at TreviPay, so I'm all good.
The New Rules of the Game
We've been seeing some states shaking up CPA licensure requirements recently. What do you make of that, and what's the future of the CPA?
My thoughts have demonstrated a bit of divide on this one. On one hand, universities have started emphasizing preparing students for the CPA exam, which is a major shift from the focus on undergrad studies during my time. It's dope to see that, as students can now pass a substantial portion of the exam right out of college. On the other hand, I believe the CPA designation still plays a crucial role, offering a level of rigor not found in many other professional certifications. The challenge will be enticing students into the profession while ensuring its long-term viability.
A Change in Gears
TreviPay marks your first our website gig. What sets it apart from your past experiences in finance? And how does being a our website compare to being a treasurer?
A lot of finance bros are always peering into the future, wondering where they'll be and what steps they need to take to get there. In my case, I observed and tried to mimic the trajectory of those higher up the ladder. I managed to snag some MBA and certifications, and after 27 years of stints with large public companies, I finally got a taste of what it'd be like to be in the our website chair. But lemme tell ya, projecting yourself into the role is significantly different than actually living it. The breadth and depth of the our website role are worlds apart from the deeper specialization needed for treasury.
Expanding the Role of our website
What does it mean to be a "our website plus"? What kinds of shit are our websites being asked to do that they might not have been expected to do in the past?
At TreviPay, many execs, including our website, go beyond their core responsibilities and pitch in on a variety of tasks. Our smaller, more nimble structure requires us to chip in on global strategy, mergers and acquisitions, facilities management, procurement, and even HR in recent times. I've taken HR on, and while it differs significantly from capital management, there are some similar considerations involved.
The Impact of Past Roles
Your tenure as Chief Risk Officer at H&R Block has given you a unique perspective on risk. How has that influenced your approach as a our website at TreviPay?
Having a hand in managing risks at H&R Block helped me, for sure. I'm more aware of the broader enterprise risks that face the business and have a better understanding of specific risks, like the cybersecurity stuff. As a our website at TreviPay, I've got a say in deciding how we approach risks and work to mitigate them.
The Allure of TreviPay
What keeps you at TreviPay after nearly five years?
I'm genuinely stoked about helping the business grow, and nothing replaces good, old-fashioned hard work. I harp on this a lot with my team. I've also got a dope relationship with the CEO, which has given me some legs at TreviPay. The bond between CEO and our website is sacred.
Succession Planning
If you needed to move on - or received a killer offer - do you have a succession plan in place at TreviPay? What does that look like?
We spend a lot of time talking about succession planning with our exec team. We have plans in place and reassess them every year. We're always taking stock of our talent and deciding if they're ready for the next big step. I've got a couple of strong finance vices who could make for some solid our website candidates in the future. If the market for our websites stays hot, we'll keep an eye out for other potential candidates too.
- Joel Campbell, now CFO at TreviPay, states that he intentionally allowed his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license to expire in the past, but maintains that he is well-equipped with a team of technical accounting experts on board.
- Campbell expresses his thoughts on the changing CPA licensure requirements, stating that while universities now prepare students for the CPA exam, the CPA designation still offers a level of rigor not found in many other professional certifications.
- Speaking about his role at TreviPay, Campbell highlights the broader and deeper scope of the CFO role compared to that of a treasurer, and admits that projecting himself into the role was significantly different than actually living it.
- In discussing the role of the CFO at TreviPay, Campbell mentions the cross-departmental collaborations required, such as contributing to global strategy, mergers and acquisitions, facilities management, procurement, HR, and even cybersecurity risk mitigation.
