Humbly Prosperous With Ruth Engle
Ruth Engle
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Scottsdale, AZ
Q: When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up and please explain if there was a story around that.
A: When I was young, I wanted to be a teacher. I was a competitive and intellectually curious child encouraged by both of my parents who were educators (and athletes). I love puzzles and logic and gravitated toward mathematics, following in my father’s footsteps. At Lafayette College, I majored in Mathematics with a minor in Education and fully intended to teach high school upon graduation. My path diverted when I took several elective finance and accounting classes. I enjoyed the application of mathematical principles and problem solving within a business environment. This resulted in the launch of my professional career with what is now PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
Q: Tell us about the experience in co-authoring the book: Small Business Survival Guide to Debits, Credits and Cash: What Every Growing Business Needs to Know About Accounting and Finance. Would you ever write another book?
A: While at PWC, I was offered the unique opportunity to marry my love of education and my passion for business and accepted a position at my alma mater, Lafayette College, as a tenure- track Assistant Professor of Economics and Business. Within the world of academia, it is expected that professors conduct independent research and publish in the form of books or journal articles. To be completely honest, I didn’t enjoy the publication process. Penning with a co-author (who is a very good friend and colleague) was challenging as we need to marry writing styles and the post submittal process was arduous. I may write a book in retirement but if I do, I am fairly certain it will be a mystery novel maybe centered around golf!
Q: What was one takeaway from your experience at Honeywell that you took with you into your experience or perspective at Troon?
A: At Honeywell, I held several CFO and other leadership positions across different industries with varying business models. It was at Honeywell that I became a true operational CFO under the tutelage of some incredible leaders. To be strategic and provide value as a leader, it is imperative to develop business acumen. That means not only having the commensurate depth of knowledge in your chosen field, but understanding the broader picture of the enterprise, including the market and environment in which it operates, and what constitutes success. You need to have a good working knowledge of all the business processes and a better understanding of those processes that impact and/or interface with your function or vice versa, and have a passion for customer, process and productivity. The second takeaway (since I don’t follow directions well), was that your personal success is driven largely by the team you have around you. As a leader, a disproportionate amount of your time should be spent selecting, developing, motivating, and managing/directing your team. Choose team members that challenge you and exhibit successful behaviors, not just those that are technically competent and “fit the suit”.
Q: What do you do in your daily job or life to inspire other women or minorities to get them interested in the accounting/finance business or as a career at Troon?
A: Over the years I have had a number of informal and formal mentorship relationships and have participated in a variety of networking and sponsor organizations that promote diversity. Functionally, we are fortunate to have some wonderful diverse finance and functional leadership at Troon. Diversity of background and thought isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s good business. You can look forward to some exciting new opportunities and initiatives to be announced in the near term. Stay tuned.
Q: On 2018, you were awarded the Arizona CFO of the Year, what did that mean to you?
A: It’s certainly humbling, validating and rewarding to be recognized for your contributions and accomplishments on a broader scale. That said, as a leader later in my career, I am not driven by accolades and awards. I get the most satisfaction from contributing every day to the trajectory and success of Troon and developing the next generation of leadership.
Q: What is an interesting fact about you that not many people know (and that you don’t mind sharing)?
A: I am not really sure I have a lot of interesting unknown facts to share. I am an open book for the most part. Probably, that I still hold my HS discus record and I have an unhealthy addiction to General Hospital.
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