Mentoring and Supporting The Team Growth

Krystal Amos is the Finance Director for Lakeside Industries, which is one of Washington and Oregon’s largest and most respected Asphalt Contractors. Krystal graduated from Purdue Global University with a Master’s of Science in Accounting with an emphasis in Auditing. She has worked in the construction industry for over 15-years in many areas including residential, commercial, and has spent the last 6-years in asphalt.

Krystal prides herself in learning and growing in the construction industry as a thoughtful and passionate leader and by mentoring her team so that they can grow and be successful in their careers. “One of my biggest goals is to elevate Women in construction and show them that they CAN be successful in a male dominated industry, whether that be in the office or out in the field.” Krystal credits her perseverance in the industry to her parents who raised her to believe that she can overcome the obstacles in front of her with patience, grit, and a little moxie! 

As the Director of Finance at Lakeside Industries, could you provide an overview of your role and responsibilities within the company?

My core responsibilities are focused on leadership for my team, both directly and indirectly as well as overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Finance, Contracting, and Payroll departments.

In my leadership I focus on building and supporting the team by being their mentor, cheerleader, and expert in the department. I like to know everyone on the team on a personal level – I want to know about your kids; I want to know about the funny thing your dog did last week; I want to know about the hardships you go through. At Lakeside our culture is FAMILY so if we act like strangers, we can’t really be a family. I believe that a family culture where you can rely on one another for support and help is important for employees to feel appreciated.

Outside of the leadership aspect, I am also responsible for overseeing the various departments that fall under Finance. I review weekly reports for payables; I keep a close eye on who is on our outstanding AR list; review and approve financials, review project contracts and insurance, work with the unions for our field workers, and work directly with the other company directors to collaborate on big picture ideas and projects for the company. I am also one of the main points of contact for our relationships with CPA’s, Banking representatives, Insurance partners, and technology partners/vendors.

What are some of the key challenges you face?

One of the biggest challenges as a Leader in any industry right now is the “new normal” with hybrid and remote work, but in the construction industry that’s an even bigger challenge as we can’t pave a road from home. In the office setting the flexibility is more manageable but I do feel like there is less sense of comradery because the entire team is usually not in the office all at once. My big focus this year is to “rally the troops” to come into the office at least once a week on the same day, and so far, this has been a great success. I can walk down the halls and hear the sounds of people talking to each other and working together instead of the silence when no one is here. It has helped us to bring back our family atmosphere and made people feel at home again instead of being email robots.

What would you say are some of the futuristic trends that will have an impact in the next 18-24 months?

One of the futuristic trends that I believe will have a big impact, and an exciting impact, in the next 18-24 months is the advancement of AI Technology. Over the last few decades AI has just been a lot of talk but now that we have finally been able to build AI platforms, we can start to see just how many great things AI can do for us. In our office, we are working together to automate processes using AI from accounts payable to report writing. We are taking a step back to look at the big picture and seeing how we can incorporate AI into our office to allow for more time savings on manual tasks, leaving less room for human error, and streamlining report writing and processing in real time. I, for one, am very excited to see what the future of AI looks like!

What advice would you give to young professionals who are interested in pursuing a similar career, and what qualities do you think are essential for success in this field?

Be passionate about being a leader. Not a boss, but someone who is inspired and wants to help people grow and really lead a team. Being in a Director role in a large company is a big responsibility – and pretty intimidating at times, but it is very rewarding to watch your team learn and grow!

Make sure you do the work! Love the accounting aspect of the job and really learn it. Continue your education after college though different programs and organizations. Get a mentor!!! That is probably my biggest piece of advice. I wish I had found one earlier in my career as they are invaluable partners! Learn to love change and embrace the hard parts because it’s the hard parts that force you to grow! To be good in a role like this you have to be adaptable as things are ever changing!