About

FINANCE EXECUTIVE CONSULTING

I grew up in Finance & Accounting not content to be “just a beancounter” staff accountant. I made a name for myself within the firm as I took on projects to build new programs, teams and processes.  I loved recruiting a new diverse team and develop them to successful careers. I relished in the uncertainty of every challenge and day.  Being able to add a bit of spice to my day to day to accompany the standard month end close process kept it exciting.  I was then recruited to a startup Investment firm formed from Private Equity Managed Buy Out (MBO) and had the opportunity to build out the Operations functions for a new company.  I was employee #16 and a department of one reporting to the CSuite team in London.  I was remote before it was a thing.   No two days were the same – I was managing Finance, HR, Facilities, Global Travel and also fetching snacks for the kitchen.  There was no job description, I was able to craft my story and build an agile function that could grow and change as the company did.

HUMAN RESOURCES

It’s rare to find a Finance person who is leading an HR function and yet that’s what I did.  Where Finance was a black & white numbers job, HR required me to see the world in shades of grey with pops of purple.  Creating a rewarding culture, employee engagement programs and a pleasant working environment was awesome trial by fire.  Payroll introduced me to Global Mobility and Shadow Payrolls with Tax Equalization.  Building a college intern program allowed me to continue to provide opportunity to the next generation of finance professionals.  The best ones succeeded while others found their passions outside of finance.  My finance background provided me insight to building HR Operations & HR Strategy to become a HR business partner to the internal teams and help them with recruiting, retention and succession planning.

TRAVEL

In my early 20’s, I took a fated trip at Valentine’s Day to Paris with a (former) friend and emerged a solo traveler.  I learned how to figure things out, be on my own and navigate a world of travel before the internet.  Since then, I’ve traveled to 50 countries personally, worked for a London based asset management firm and most recently on a global travel tax project for a global bank.  As a traveler with an MBA in Finance, I feel that my unique experiences give me a different view of business travel to ensure everyone is happy in the process. My passport is already ready to go! If you are ready to discuss your travel needs, let me know how I can help. Contact me at suzanne@ardenroadtravel.com to begin the journey.

Global Business Travel Manager

My career path started in Accounting and my passion for travel seeped through when I created a Global Business Travel Manager role to explore savings and efficiencies for the investment firm.  I was writing T&E policy, talking to road warriors about what they needed, talking to budget owners on how to save money and looking at the program from beginning to end.  Corporate Business Travel has so many touch points that it’s often overlooked or reduced to a cost only program. As a traveler, I was able to advocate for the travelers while also maintaining perspective on the corporate goals and strategy. In my opinion, a good T&E program is traveler centric and still saves money, reduces stress and is compliant with all regulations.

Buying travel is not a lowest priced exercise, it’s often a thankless job where everyone thinks they know better than you and constantly challenge T&E policy, process and programs.  It’s often very misunderstood by business leaders, travelers and the TMC and I try to get everyone on the same page to move forward.   You might think the TMC can do it all (they can’t) or that procurement can capture all T&E costs (they can’t) or that your travelers are keen to submit all of their expenses and receipts (they aren’t) so you need someone like me to put all the pieces of the travel puzzle together.

I’ve configured Concur T&E, Ariba, SAP and managed American Express corporate card program.   I’ve also been quoted in various publications – 30 Seconds to Fly, USAToday, FastCompany, Refinery29 and Readers’ Digest.

Solo Luxury Travel Blogger

For years after my abandonment in Paris, I was helping people travel to Philadelphia, London, Paris and around the world sharing detailed itineraries and information by email. After trips to Africa and Easter Island using points (air & hotel), I started PhilaTravelGirl – Flying by the Seat of My Points to share my experiences traveling solo to over 40+ countries (closing in on 50 countries!) with more than my family & friends. I write about my crazy travel experiences (chased by Hippos, round the world award trip and meeting Oprah!) while also sharing detailed hotel, cruise, airline and tour reviews.  I continue to search for adventure, chocolate and wine and unique experiences.

Travel Blogger Network

Since starting the travel blog, PhilaTravelGirl, I’ve met a fantastic group of international travel writers/bloggers around the world who are in country to provide recommendations.  These niche travel bloggers have unique voices that help me see the world differently.  If you are interested in sponsoring a press tour of US based travel bloggers, contact me to discuss. If you are interested in international travel bloggers, I can help connect you.

Travel Photos for Sale, License and Single Use

Lastly, for those who have asked to buy my travel photos, I now offer that opportunity for a variety of destinations. If you are interested in purchasing, licensing or single use of a travel photo,  please contact me at suzanne@ardenroadtravel.com to discuss destination and type of photo required.  With travel to fifty countries, I have a plethora of photos by destination, subject and color.