Caserta makes firm’s finances everyone’s business

MAKING IT COUNT: Atrion Chief Financial Officer Marianne Caserta doesn't work in isolation; instead, she works to improve financial awareness throughout the company. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY
MAKING IT COUNT: Atrion Chief Financial Officer Marianne Caserta doesn't work in isolation; instead, she works to improve financial awareness throughout the company. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Paul Cronin, a senior vice president at IT services firm Atrion Networking Corp., sums up Marianne Caserta, the company’s chief financial officer, in two words: “silent giant.”

“She doesn’t have to say, ‘I know more than you,’ but you want to engage with her because you know you’re going to learn something from her,” Cronin said.

Caserta herself is somewhat more demure about her accomplishments, but Atrion’s growth speaks volumes about her sound financial leadership. From 2012 to 2014, the company’s revenue increased from $73 million to nearly $95 million, while the number of employees grew from 198 to 281. Caserta said that the company and its mid-Atlantic office in Flemington, N.J., are projected to bring in $145 million in revenue this year.

Caserta joined the company in 1997 as the controller, but she was really a jack of all trades. She directed Atrion’s accounting and treasury functions while also taking on many operations, human resources and legal duties.

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Caserta went on to earn her CPA certification, and was eventually promoted to CFO in 2006. “We were $4 million in revenue and 22 employees when I started,” Caserta said. “These days we’re much larger.”

Her fellow employees know that she’s a big reason the company has reached this “much-larger” status. “When you’re small, every dollar is guessed and second-guessed,” Cronin said. “You’re trying to balance growth with cash flow; it’s very difficult when you’re moving from a startup into the ramp-up phase. Marianne was very conscious of that.”

Part of her financial leadership has involved shepherding the firm through important mergers and acquisitions. In 2008, the company acquired a Web-development firm, expanding from a product-based business to one that builds websites and applications. “That has evolved into our applications and information practice, which is one of the most cutting-edge things we do at Atrion,” Caserta said.

Then in 2010, Caserta led the creation of the Atrion Networking SMB, partnering with another technology business that provides on-demand IT support. Caserta provides the firm with financial guidance – and it’s paid off big. “They’re probably in the $5 million range of revenue and that’s starting somewhat from scratch in 2010.”

Just this year, Caserta helped the company merge with its sister organization in New Jersey, integrating them into Atrion’s financial systems, setting up a budget and sorting out insurance programs, legal issues and other operational items. The New Jersey company – now Atrion’s mid-Atlantic office – focuses on data-storage technology and products.

Caserta’s reach goes way beyond the finance department. Unlike many CFOs, who oftentimes operate in silos, Caserta aims to improve financial awareness throughout the company.

“She’s educated us, breaking down financial statements, giving us homework and talking about why something is important,” Cronin said. “She could have just been the gatekeeper and said, ‘This is the statement.’ Instead, she said ‘I want to educate you so you can educate your people, so that everything you do that day has meaningful impact on the financial statement.”

Financial management, to Caserta, also involves building a collaborative environment. And those opportunities can certainly take place outside the office. Caserta manages a financial team of about 16 people. According to Cronin, she regularly leads team lunches and organizes field trips to bowling alleys and even the shooting range.

“She’s got this special thing that she does,” Cronin said. “It builds consistency on the team and gets people excited to work on finance.”

Caserta also brings her leadership abilities beyond Atrion’s walls. She has served as mentor and tutor to college students, taking accounting classes and has volunteered with organizations like the Special Olympics and Junior Achievement.

Moving forward, Caserta hopes to up the company’s game even further. Atrion’s five-year plan is to nearly triple in size, reaching $350 million in revenue. Caserta aims to achieve those lofty goals through rigorous financial management and innovative strategy.

“We’ve been working to get money to the company in a more significant way to really grow it – to take that next step of growth for the company,” she said.

If the past is any indication, Caserta is just the person to make that happen. •

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