Zachary Taylor succeeds Dave Lewis as FEI treasurer

Zach Taylor, CFA, senior financial analyst on the Family Allergy & Asthma finance team, joins FEI Louisville's board as treasurer, succeeding long-time director Dave Lewis.

Dave, who served as CFO for Humana Military, is retiring from the FEI Louisville board to concentrate on assisting Active Heroes, a non-profit established to support military veterans and their families through programs that facilitate community connections and camaraderie.

Dave says Zach "brings youth, enthusiasm and abundant technical skills to the (treasurer) position."

Zach, a 2021 University of Louisville finance and accounting graduate, is    an FEI Scholar, interned with BKD (now ForvisMazars) and studied financial modeling and international business in Spain.  Active in ACG Kentucky and a board member of CFA Society Louisville, Zach provided answers to our profile questions so that our chapter community can get to know him better.

"IN HIS WORDS"

Tell us about your background

I grew up and currently reside in Mount Washington – a little south of Louisville. I went to school at UofL where I graduated with two degrees in Accounting and Finance. Following that, I completed my Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Exams. 

I serve on the CFA Society Louisville Board. Additionally, I mentor undergraduate and graduate business students. Occasionally, you can find me on university guest panels.

Professionally, I am currently a Senior Financial Analyst at Family Allergy & Asthma – a middle market healthcare firm headquartered in Louisville. I lead FP&A while supporting Corporate Development and Operations:

• Financial Due Diligence and Valuations – Comps/LBOs

• Consolidated and Regional Forecasts/Budgets

• Implemented standardization of metrics and KPIs across +100 locations

• Trained +20 director-level employees on financial and operational analysis

• SOFR/LIBOR Futures – Asset and Liability Management

What led you to finance?

Besides the cliché “that numbers just make sense” – a mix between golf, family, and education courses piqued my interest in business:

• Golfing: since the age of two, I have had thousands of conversations with business professionals

• Family: my grandfather helped build a business from 50 to +2,000 employees and most of my close friends’ parents owned lower market businesses

• Educational courses: in high school, I led an FDIC-insured bank with 30 student employees

What are a few of your greatest accomplishments?

There have been a few I would like to share:

• Sports-wise: my first ace and a 63 in the same round

• Personal: living and studying abroad in Europe

• Professional: passing all three levels of the CFA in one year while helping expand the company from 60 to +100 locations in the same time period

How did you get involved with FEI?

My first exposure to FEI was when I was recognized as an outstanding graduate of finance. So, I would like to thank Bill Stout, Vernon Foster, Matt Monteiro, Terry McWilliams, and others for the introduction.

Since then, I would say engaging conversations, events, and conferences have kept me involved. Additionally, I appreciate the insight from fellow members and content provided.

What is the largest challenge facing CFOs today?

Preparation and positioning. I like to ask, “Based on our preparation, can the team/organization be positioned to benefit from Event A or mitigate downside if Event B happens?” Each of us faces challenges with limited resources and constant change given the increasing flow of information – regardless of the industry.

How do you handle adversity?

Grit and adaptability paired with time, effort, and urgency. Additionally, if the situation warrants, it helps to have a few trusted advisors.

Favorite leisure activity or hobby?

When I am not in Excel – I enjoy golf, travel, fishing, and restoration projects.

Any life wisdom can you share with fellow FEI members?

New Environment = New Ideas; a good source to generate new ideas is visiting new places.

Zach Taylor can be reached by email at zachary.taylor.5@outlook.com.