Every good company needs a person focused on the numbers; here it’s Jake Brannan, Chief Financial Officer. While Jake is the CFO, his role takes on a unique perspective of working for a company that plays the Great Game of Business.
“Before I started working here, I had read the first Great Game book and really enjoyed it. Going into a company that had actually implemented and played the Game was eye-opening. To see all the benefits provided and what it takes to truly keep that Gameplay going and keep associates motivated and invested was impressive,” says Jake.
The way playing the Great Game changes everyone’s understanding of the financials is something unique to Jenner Ag, Jake says. “I have a story I love to tell about how one day a member of our maintenance team came to me and said, ‘We have an invoice that we should have capitalized and depreciated, and I took a look and said, ‘Wow, he’s right,’” he says. “I have never worked for a company where someone from another department could come to me and say they have been keeping an eye on how invoices are being paid and how we can better process one. So that was a first for me, and it was awesome.”
Jake says to him that understanding is huge. He views it as a real advantage to have the whole team looking at the dollars and cents the company is operating on and says it can have a real impact. “It makes my job in a way easier, but I also know it’s not just about the numbers for me; it’s about the details too,” Jake explains. “I’m here to really pay attention to the details and make sure we are generating correct numbers the first time.”
He views his role as the link between different segments of the company. “I’m the person asking those questions and making sure departments are communicating with each other,” he explains. “I help make sure everyone is following all the necessary processes. Being part of a team that thinks like owners, whose decisions impact every part of the business, I see how engaged every associate is.”