Brooke Tesner

Director of Financial Operations, Financial Carrier Services

Biography:

Brooke is the director of financial operations for Financial Carrier Services, a premier factoring company in Charlotte, NC. FCS specializes in freight factoring for owner-operated trucking companies. Brooke has been an integral FCS team member for the past four years. Her current position involves working with and developing each department within the company to promote and capitalize on growth, efficiency and profitability. Additionally, Brooke is responsible for ensuring operational security as it relates to all financial interests of the company.

As the director of financial operations, Brooke has worked to increase company earnings and expand the company profile. She has been instrumental in developing new procedures which allow for increased accountability and communication throughout the company. Brooke has also continued to find innovative solutions for problems that exists within the transportation industry for both the company and their clients. Brooke obtained a BS in psychology from the University of North Carolina Charlotte. She is currently pursuing her MBA and is a member of Delta Mu Delta, an international business honor society. Brooke plans to culminate her educational experience by earning a PhD in business psychology. Brooke and her partner currently live in the greater Charlotte area with their three dogs and two cats.

What advice would you offer to someone just starting out who wants to be a difference maker in their organization?

The advice I would offer to someone just starting out in their organization would be to learn as much as possible, and not be afraid of change. Often, it seems like people get to certain positions, or have been in a particular industry so long, that they believe they have all the answers. I feel that, as soon as we allow this mindset to take over, we simultaneously begin to resist change. By continuing to learn throughout your career, you not only are able to better contribute to your organization through new ideas and improved processes, but also continue to develop as an individual who knows change is both inevitable and beneficial. By being open to new possibilities and ideas, whether it is in relation to small interdepartmental changes, or organization-wide reformations, you will be able to both see the need for and then implement changes that are worthwhile to your organization. I believe that an essential element of being a difference maker is taking ownership for the advancement and development of the company, and that this type of development is possible only through that individual’s willingness to be the one to foster that change through continued learning.

What professional achievement(s) are you most proud of since joining FCS and why?

The professional achievement I am most proud of relates to my promotion to the current position I hold. This feeling of pride, however, does not come from having a particular title, but from the fact that I am in a position that allows me to have daily involvement with one of the best aspects of the business world: the people. Because my position with the company involves operational management, this means that I get to work with both the CEO and president of FCS, as well as alongside every department within the company. It is both humbling and rewarding to be entrusted with a position that encompasses so many different types of responsibilities.

How did you learn about the factoring and trucking industries without previous experience in these industries? What advice would you give to people in the same position as you were in joining a new industry?

Starting a new job in an industry in which you are completely unfamiliar can be intimidating; however, I found in my own experience with FCS the best way to learn about something new is to become as involved as possible. For me, this meant asking question after question and conducting my own research to ensure that I at least had a good foundation regarding both the process of factoring, and the trucking industry in general.  As I became more familiar with the “big picture” as it related to FCS, I then began to look for opportunities that would allow me to learn more about the inner workings of each department. This learning experience was primarily cultivated by the fact that I constantly made it known that I was eager to take on more and more tasks. This desire to want to do as much as possible within the company, as well as having an attitude that is centralized around learning, would be the best advice I could offer to anyone joining a new industry in which they have no previous experience.