Relationship Building: The Key to Career Success with Rachel Bell
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Episode Summary
In this episode of Tone from the Top, I sit down with Rachel Bell, former Head of Global Risk and Internal Audit at Airbnb, VP and Controller at Virgin America, and Managing Director at Protiviti. Rachel reflects on her diverse career, spanning consulting, the airline industry, and a global hospitality platform that’s transformed the way we travel.
A central theme throughout our conversation is the power of building relationships. From an unforgettable dance party with Richard Branson to leading IPO readiness and year-one SOX compliance, Rachel shares how strong connections paved the way for success. She also dives into her transition into Controllership, where she led the merger between Virgin America and Alaska Airlines, and later spearheaded Global Risk and Internal Audit at Airbnb during its IPO journey.
Tune in for Rachel’s insights on leadership, career transitions, and the importance of relationship-building in driving transformational change.
Chapters
00:00 The Virgin Experience: A Memorable Encounter with Richard Branson
02:51 Career Transitions: From Internal Audit to Controller
05:40 Navigating Complex Transactions: The Path to IPO
08:24 Building Trust: The Secrets of Successful Negotiations
11:34 The Merger Journey: Insights from Virgin America and Alaska Airlines
14:29 Reflections on Career Changes: Finding the Right Fit
17:23 The Impact of COVID-19: Challenges and Opportunities at Airbnb
20:17 Scaling Up: The Journey to Public Company Readiness
23:38 Data Mapping and Control Environments: A Complex Challenge
26:26 Change Management: Implementing SOX in a Tech Environment
29:35 Building Relationships: The Key to Successful Consulting Partnerships
32:19 Internal Relationships: The Importance of Networking
35:09 Leadership Style: Embracing Servant Leadership
38:27 Advice for Aspiring Leaders: Emphasizing Self-Reflection
41:08 Building Effective Teams for Scale: Co-Sourcing
46:09 Resource Planning in Hours
47:58 Start Building Your Relationships Now
54:39 Nurturing Internal Relationships
01:06:44 Team Building: The Importance of Connection
01:12:29 Building Teams at Virgin
01:17:38 Building Board Relationships
01:27:09 CFO Relationships
01:29:19 Advice for Leaders
01:37:18 What's Next
About Rachel Bell
Rachel H. Bell is a highly accomplished professional with a background in global risk, accounting, and internal audit. When she was the Head of Global Risk and Internal Audit at Airbnb, she was instrumental in establishing and leading the company's independent assurance and consulting function, reporting directly to the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee of the Board of Directors. Rachel made significant contributions to the company's enterprise risk program by leading the design and development of risk methodologies, tools, and reporting. She played a key role in fast-tracking and implementing Airbnb's Sarbanes-Oxley compliance program.
Prior to her tenure at Airbnb, Rachel served as the Vice President, Controller at Virgin America, where she led the Accounting and Tax department. She played a pivotal role in the company's initial public offering (IPO) and readiness activities to become a publicly traded company. She was also deeply involved with the due diligence and integration activities related to the acquisition of Virgin America by Alaska Airlines.
Rachel's professional journey includes leadership roles at global accounting and consulting firms. She holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Maryland and was a Certified Public Accountant with the Maryland State Board of Accountancy.
