We are so FOURtunate to bring to you our “Four Inc. Meet the Team” blog series! We invite you to get to know our Four Inc. Family; the people that make this organization so great. This week we are excited to introduce our Director of Finance & Human Resources, Susan Anderson!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was born in Maryland but moved to Virginia when I was three years old. The majority of my childhood was spent in Centreville except for a few years when we moved cross-country to live in the Bay Area.

I graduated from Mary Washington College in 2007 with a B.S. in Mathematics. Upon graduation, I started a job at Legg Mason where I interned the two summers prior. After working in the financial services industry for three years, I took a leap of faith and joined Four Inc. co-founders, Greta and Jeff Nolan, working from their kitchen table in January of 2010.

I currently live in Leesburg with my husband Tim and our identical twin girls who just turned nine.

Why did you decide to join the Four Inc. Family?

I first met the Nolan’s when I was 15 years old working a prospective family’s event at Paul VI High school where I was representing the volleyball team. Jeff and Greta were looking at the school for their daughter, Lindsey, who was a rising freshman. That summer during volleyball camp, I was paired with Lindsey and we became fast friends. Over the years Jeff and Greta became my second set of parents; I love them like my own family.

In the winter of 2009, Jeff asked me how my job was going and I told him I wasn’t loving the environment. More importantly, I didn’t see my daily impact and was unsure of my career path. Later that week, he asked me to Sweetwater Tavern (where all original Four Inc. interviews took place) to see if I’d be interested in joining him, Greta and Matt Carullo. They had recently been granted 8(a) status by the SBA and they needed an extra set of hands while they chased this new line of business.

What is your Four Inc. Story?

When I was originally hired, I was doing much of what the operations team now handles: preparing quotes, sending purchase orders and tracking POEs in addition to sending invoices, collecting payments, handling payroll and working with our CPA firm. Over the years, as we have grown, I have handed off parts of my job to focus on accounting, finance, compliance and Human Resources.

I think my Four Inc. story is really about having a front row seat to the company’s evolution – from four of us at a kitchen table eating lunch together every day to us now having 38 employees doing 15X in revenue yet still maintaining our family feel.

What does a typical day as Director of Finance & Human Resources look like?

I love that my days are full of variety. I think that is largely in part because many of us at Four Inc. have multiple roles. I juggle between finance and HR but my typical day begins with checking bank balances, managing cash flows, preparing financial reports, meeting with my incredible accounting team and working on taxes/compliance related requirements.

What has been your biggest accomplishment since starting at Four Inc.?

This year I celebrated ten years with Four Inc. When I came to work that day I didn’t expect it to hit me as much as it did. The day was full of reflection – in how much has changed since December of 2010. I think my biggest accomplishment at Four Inc. is having a hand in the hiring of our incredible employees. As the HR Director, I’ve been in 95% of our interviews and over the years I have l come to understand exactly what Jeff and Greta are looking for in an employee. Hiring purposefully has created a culture that is like no other and one of the biggest reasons why so many people stay and celebrate career milestones.

Outside of work, what are your hobbies?

My silver lining of COVID is that I have taken up golf and my husband has never been happier J It has been so nice to be outside, doing something competitive and being able to see friends at a socially-acceptable distance.

Much of my free time is spent fundraising for JDRF, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. I joined JDRF’s Capital Chapter Board of Directors in June of 2017 in support of my daughters who were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when they were babies. Our family is very involved in volunteering and supporting JDRF’s mission to find a cure. Four Inc. has been integral in our fundraising and supporting our cause – from donating annually to the Hope Gala, to colleagues fundraising for the annual One Walk or simply checking in to see how my girls are doing.

What is your best piece of advice that you'd like to share?

Don’t rush to hire. If you take your time and hire a candidate for both fit and experience you will be much happier in the long run. As we all know, in life and in business, you will be thrown curves so you have to make sure you have the best team in place to navigate the ups and downs.

Here’s what Susan’s team has to say about her!

"Susan is that person on a team who can always be counted on. Regardless of how many things are happening in her life, she continues to be professional, prompt and proficient! As the Director of Finance she is a whiz with numbers any time I request a report I receive it in record time. Her ability to multi-task is a tremendous asset to the company and one that the COO and I rely on heavily. Additionally, she and I work closely on the Human Resources side of the company. Often HR related tasks are spur-of-the-moment and Susan always rises to the occasion with discretion and compassion. I truly admire the work she does with JDRF - a cause which is so close to her heart. Four Inc. would not be where it is without Susan’s hard work and perseverance!"

~ Greta Nolan, President

"When you take a look at Four Inc. as a company over the last 10 years, you can’t help but notice the success and the growth within that time period. And right at the center of all the accomplishments, all of the success, is Susan. As one of the original members of Four Inc., she is the foundation of this company. Every member here at Four Inc. starts their journey with Susan, and she has an incredible ability to make everyone feel welcome and appreciated. Her uplifting and positive attitude is an inspiration to everyone here at Four. Our President, Greta Nolan, has a quote that captures what it means to be a member of Four Inc. “Our biggest strength at Four Inc. is the employees we hire. We look for people with integrity, a strong work ethic, and amazing character along with the appropriate skill set.” There is a reason Four Inc. is such a wonderful place to work, and Susan is right at the center of it."

~ John Ralston, Senior Accounting Analyst

"Susan is the consummate professional colleague and friend. Over the past 10 years that I have worked with Susan, we have been through a lot together. We have tackled very complex projects together and I have seen her excel under pressure. She has the keen foresight to figure out solutions, as well as the razor-sharp intellect to implement them in the best way. She is one of the reasons that our company has risen to the level of success that it has. She will not give up and will give what it takes, every time, to do her very best in every situation. Susan handles a tremendous amount of responsibility both at home, and at work, and handles it all – with grace. She has the ability to manage many different, highly complicated, company-critical, tasks at one time - not an easy responsibility in a small business. Her ability to build relationships and trust among her colleagues illustrates that she also masters the people side of business and life. It has been a pleasure watching Susan blossom into a leader and a wonderful mother; it is no surprise that she continues to succeed every day."

~ Matt Carullo, Chief Financial Officer

This is what makes us Four Inc. If you’d like to join the Four Inc. Family, check out Four Inc. Careers to learn more about our open positions.