SuCo Spotlight April ’25 – Lauren Dotson
This month SuCo wants to spotlight the mastermind behind our numbers, our very own Controller, Lauren Dotson. Lauren is a force of positivity and perseverance, combining a tireless work ethic with the rare ability to bring people together through clear, compassionate communication. When the team lost three key members, Lauren didn’t just step up, she rose above. With fewer resources and the same demanding workload, she stayed focused, organized, and solution-oriented, ensuring nothing slipped through the cracks. Her can-do attitude and steady leadership kept everything moving forward, earning the trust and respect of everyone around her. We are lucky to have Lauren as a key part of our team. Simply put, she keeps us balanced, in every way possible! Take a minute to learn a little more about Lauren…
What inspired you to pursue a career in finance/accounting?
I always loved numbers. There’s just something comforting about a clean equation and having an answer for everything. Growing up, my parents owned a business and I was thrown in the filing room at a young age to match invoices to payments then file them accordingly (child labor laws don’t apply when it’s family, right?). So, I learned early on that while accounting wasn’t glamorous, I could make a career out of being obsessively organized.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career so far?
I’ve learned that you don’t have to know all the answers, you just need to know how to find them. Accounting is ever changing and there’s always something new to learn. When an Excel formula breaks or an accounting rule changes, Google has your back. Ask questions, stay flexible, and when all else fails, try turning the spreadsheet off and on again.
What’s the most challenging part of being a Controller, and how do you tackle it?
Keeping all the moving parts in sync while making sure nothing slips through the cracks, all while doing it behind the scenes. There’s a lot to coordinate, a lot to anticipate, and a lot to fix quietly before anyone notices. Strong organization and constant communication are key. And a little sarcasm and fun doesn’t hurt either – no one is saving lives in Accounting (hopefully).
If finance had a mascot, what would it be and why?
15 years ago, I would have said a calculator. But now I’d say Excel personified – think Clippy from back in the day, but in spreadsheet form and a little more passive aggressive. It’s always there, ready to handle your data, and if you mess up, it quietly judges you with that little error message. We spend a lot of quality time together and (nerd alert) how exciting is it to learn a new shortcut?? Don’t think I don’t whip my calculator out though. No one is taking that from me.
What’s your go-to “brain break” during a long day of crunching numbers?
Definitely a toss-up between diving into a good book or losing myself in the drama of a Bravo show. Books let me pretend I’m expanding my mind when I’m actually just reading about fictional people making bad decisions. But then there’s Bravo, which is the ultimate escape, because let’s face it, no Excel sheet ever threw a wine glass in someone’s face. Both give my brain a break – one feeds the soul, the other feeds my love of drama to my otherwise quiet life.
