Consultant Spotlight: Amy Byron

Not all of our amazing consultants are located in our hometown of Austin, Texas. Some hail from different corners of the country, like Seattle!

Amy Byron has been a valuable member of our remote team since early 2022. She brings a diverse skill set and a hunger to solve complex problems, and that has made her popular amongst both clients and coworkers.

Let’s get to know her!

Background

Amy Byron began her career as a CPA in corporate accounting, but even while she was still in school, she began doing some consulting on the side. She later transitioned into an assistant controller role at a public company and then took over as the director of financial systems.

“I had been more of a technical functional resource anyway,” she explained. “I began to move more into IT as the interface between accounting resources and technical resources. I performed that role for maybe seven years.”

After a time, she left the job force for what was supposed to be a three-month sabbatical. Five years later, she was still waiting for the perfect opportunity to come back — until CCN reached out via LinkedIn!

“What sounds interesting to you?” That question changed everything.

“It was great to have a proactive reach-out. CCN is so much more than a payment processor. Each time I’m coming near the end of a project, about 30 days ahead, I’ve got people reaching out from the client and internally at CCN to make sure they know what I’m looking for…. They are proactively interested in finding out how I’m doing — if I’m happy in the engagement that I’m on.”

Amy Byon, CCN Consultant

Work

Now, as a consultant with CCN, Amy has been placed on a larger team with a major client that’s kept her busy with unique and engaging projects.

Her first assignment involved business process optimization within the client’s larger corporate umbrella. “They were looking to improve the process as they spin up or liquidate legal entities… engaging all the right teams within the organization and really being prepared for system and operational readiness… getting onboarded to payroll tools, etc.”

After that, there was no shortage of interesting projects to jump to. Currently, Amy’s engaged in helping implement a new treasury management system.

“Amy is a phenomenal dynamic and progressive F&A/ERP professional! Every POC that had the privilege of working with Amy has raved about her robust skill set, operational process proficiency, and ability to drive efficiency, productivity, and resolution.”

Sarah Weil, CCN Managing Director

Life

Amy’s husband Mike works in real estate, which comes with a highly flexible and seasonal schedule. Amy shared that her ability to do consulting has “done wonders” for her ability to flex her schedule and get better time together.

“We’re very social people and love to entertain and have large dinner parties. The ability to step away from work on Friday and start cooking for that Friday night dinner is huge.”

They love to travel and have truly enjoyed the opportunity to enjoy a mental reset together on vacation between consulting engagements.

Amy and Mike are also big Seahawks fans and big into music: “I can’t even tell you how many concerts we still have on the schedule. We just saw Lionel Richey and Earth Wind and Fire, and we’re about to see Steve Miller band at an outdoor winery.”

Balance

What does the consultant lifestyle mean to her? Amy says that it started to hit home when she was at the beach one day, meeting a neighbor for the first time.

“I’ve lived in the same home for 23 years now, but I was meeting people who had never met me before. They knew my husband, but they had no idea who I was. I never had the time to participate.”

In full-time corporate accounting, Amy was “burning the candle at both ends,” but now she’s found a way to stay engaged in work and life — truly taking advantage of the best of both worlds.

The CCN Difference

A lot of people are hesitant to dip that toe in the pond when it comes to consulting — especially when they are accustomed to the stability of a full-time job.

For Amy, the shift to the consulting lifestyle has been “significantly superior.”

Despite the remote arrangement, Amy still feels connected and supported: “Sarah, who’s basically our engagement manager, has done a fantastic job of keeping everybody connected … CCN has been great with community get-togethers. It’s been very easy to stay connected even though I’m not necessarily in the thick of everybody.”

“I’m more hesitant to consider a full-time position at this point. I don’t think you can replace the quality of life if you are willing to deal with a little downtime between engagements… and if that’s well planned for, it’s not even an issue. CCN has done an outstanding job.”

Amy Byron, CCN Consultant