3 minutes with John Gronen

I got into Finance somewhat by accident. My original goal was to get into US Federal Law Enforcement (FBI, DEA, Marshal Service) so I double majored in Finance and Criminal Justice. When I was in my last semester of college, I started interviewing with the FBI and they told me that my vision was too bad to qualify as a recruit. That shifted my focus to Finance and my first job after university was with someone that was buying a bank and opening an investment and trust company. It was an amazing opportunity to learn mergers and acquisitions, Finance, Banking and Venture Capital that set me on this path.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?  
Focus on working harder than everyone else and doing a good job and good things will happen for you. It has proven to be absolutely true.

What do you see as key trends for the sector in the next year?
Accounts Payable Automation adoption will continue to increase as companies look for ways to be more efficient and free up time for existing employees, who can then work on more value added functions. The tough global economy will continue to be a nice tailwind to our sector and push our growth rates up as companies seek out ways to improve processes.

What person or business in the industry do you really admire and why?  
I don’t like to single people out, as I often find qualities that I admire in others. I tend to look for those qualities and try to emulate those in my day-to-day and work life.

What’s the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is helping to mentor others and see them be successful in their careers. I have greatly enjoyed watching some of the people who have worked for me in the past take huge steps up in their careers and knowing that I played a small part in their success is rewarding.