Penrod Blog

Leadership Series: Laura Teschendorf, Chief Financial Officer

For most of us, it’s hard to imagine being proficient at work with numbers, people skills, leadership, big picture, and details, all while maintaining a full and fulfilling life outside of work. We’re sweating just thinking about it. Imagine having this much badassery in one person, and you’ve got our Chief Financial Officer: Laura Teschendorf.

We (virtually) sat down with Laura to chat about what exactly it is that she does.

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“I lead the finance, legal, and IT departments at Penrod. I oversee the financial reports, create financial forecasts, and together with the executive team make strategic decisions to assist in Penrod’s rapid growth. I am ‘KPI-obsessed,’ meaning I make sure our strategic decisions make financial sense!”

She also works alongside our internal and external teams to ensure Penrod is compliant from an IT and legal perspective with our clients and various regulations (we’re all about dat Healthcare, so think HIPAA). She reviews and negotiates the contracts we sign with partners, vendors, and clients with our outside counsel.

Laura has also had the chance to work on some projects she’s very passionate about. “One of my favorite projects I have worked on is finalizing our Budget and Forecast process. It is still a work in progress but it involves analysis, strategic thinking, and really makes me excited about where the company is going!”

AKA, she’s a big deal. She makes sure our various types of security are airtight, and knows just what to do with the moolah we earn. And trust us when we say this woman is qualified.

When we asked her what led her to pursuing her current role at Penrod, she said, “I went to UW-Madison and graduated with a degree in Finance, Investments, and Banking, then took a role as a financial analyst for a while where I assisted with financial analysis, planning, and accounting for a large corporation. Then, I worked at my father’s real estate company as the operations manager where I focused on operations, financials, and growth strategy. I came to Penrod as an Engagement Manager looking for a change; what I really wanted was a company that would challenge me every day, one that pushed me to learn a ton, and that had a great culture. Since the day I started, that has been true. I moved from the EM role to the Director of Project Delivery to the Finance Lead role, and all of the positions have challenged me every day and allowed me to learn countless lessons. I feel so blessed to work at Penrod every day with the most brilliant, kind, and passionate people!”

In Laura’s eyes, the people at Penrod are the best part of her job. She raved about her team (heyo, Shelley and Chase!) and said it’s pretty darn cool how much a team of three can accomplish. She enjoys the freedom in her role to analyze what she deems important, and loves problem-solving each day.

When she hangs up her hat after work, Laura enjoys biking with her husband, so much so that they even join an annual ride with hundreds of other bikers in Door County, Wisconsin.

She also has a fur baby named Bella Bean she loves dearly (one of the many quarantine adoptions at Penrod!), and THREE new nieces and nephews born in the last five months to adore.

Speaking of quarantine, when it’s all over, you can catch Laura traveling. One of her favorite trips she ever took was with her friends to Amsterdam and Munich, where they attended Oktoberfest with their friends from Germany. Maybe the best part? As pictured, it looks like Penrod traveled with her, too. Can’t beat that type of Penrod love!

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