Sain's Leadership Team

Celebrating Vann Rutledge’s 20th Sain Anniversary

This month marks a significant milestone for us at Sain Associates as we celebrate our Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Vann Rutledge’s, 20th anniversary. With more than 28 years of experience in accounting, Vann not only manages our corporate finances and works closely with external clients but also is the Corporate Secretary for Sain and serves on the Executive Committee.

Joining us initially as controller, Vann’s role evolved, leading to his appointment as Sain CFO in 2010.

We sat down with him for a Q & A where he talked about how his role at Sain has changed over the years:

Q. Can you walk us through your journey at Sain, from when you first started to where you are today?

I was first hired as Sain’s controller. In that role, my duties mostly consisted of day-to-day accounting tasks, managing a department of four employees, working with external auditors and fielding financial reporting requests from Sain’s owners.

The IT department was assigned to me after my first year. In addition, at that time, Sain didn’t have a Human Resources department, so those duties were scattered between accounting and other administrative staff. Eventually, my position evolved, and I was appointed as Sain’s Chief Financial Officer at the end of 2010.

Q. How has the role of CFO evolved over the years, and how have you adapted to these changes?

In the early years of taking on the role of CFO, I was tasked with managing costs. Now my role and responsibilities focus more on the growth of the company and investing in the future.

Q. What motivates and inspires you to continue excelling in your position after two decades?

The company has grown from 30 employees in 2010 to 65 full-time employees today. We also have added three new offices located in Huntsville, Auburn and Mobile. After witnessing the company’s growth over the past 20 years, I can only imagine what the future holds for Sain. 

Q. How do you maintain a work-life balance and avoid burnout in such a demanding role?

I spend most of my time outside of work with my family. Whatever my two teenagers are involved in, I am going to make it a priority. I am ”all-in” when supporting them and their success.

Q. Can you describe a challenging situation you faced as CFO and how you overcame it?

The biggest challenge was becoming CFO during the recession. It was very challenging managing internal costs with so many external forces (banking, interest rates, and the economy) that were beyond my control. As Sain’s controller, I had some input into what cost-cutting measures to implement; however, as CFO I have a more direct responsibility for all corporate decisions as we navigated out of the recession.

Q. Lastly, what message would you like to share with your accounting team and the company as you mark this significant milestone in your career?

Having a great Accounting and IT team makes it easy to come to work. Their willingness to take on tasks, work hard, and follow through with assignments makes my job easier. 

We are so fortunate and blessed to have Vann serving on our executive team here at Sain. His dedication, expertise and hard work have put us on an upward trajectory for continued growth.