Kelly Lakenburger
CONTROLLER ADVISOR
PROFILE
As a Controller advisor, Kelly thrives in helping companies to streamline processes, develop and implement policies and procedures, and generally make their businesses run better. She takes tremendous pride in providing the accurate, comprehensive financial information that helps leaders make the right decisions for their businesses. Kelly’s 13+ years of accounting and finance experience include 5+ years as a Controller and 8+ years as an Accountant. She has served both public and private companies, bringing particularly deep experience in serving manufacturing companies.
Humble, hard-working, detail-oriented, and eminently dependable, Kelly will always do what it takes to meet a deadline or get a problem resolved. Clients and colleagues appreciate her friendly, genuine, down-to-earth demeanor, positive attitude, flexibility, and commitment to doing the high-quality work that helps her become ever more valuable to her clients’ businesses. Kelly doesn’t micromanage, giving her teams space to excel on their own — and timely support when help is needed. She also strives to make work fun, understanding that everyone would rather enjoy their workdays.
Humble, hard-working, detail-oriented, and eminently dependable, Kelly will always do what it takes to meet a deadline or get a problem resolved. Clients and colleagues appreciate her friendly, genuine, down-to-earth demeanor, positive attitude, flexibility, and commitment to doing the high-quality work that helps her become ever more valuable to her clients’ businesses. Kelly doesn’t micromanage, giving her teams space to excel on their own — and timely support when help is needed. She also strives to make work fun, understanding that everyone would rather enjoy their workdays.
EDUCATION
Kelly earned her MBA and BS in Business Administration (major in Accounting) from Southeast Missouri State University.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Kelly was immediately drawn to accounting. She liked the idea of a highly structured environment in which everything could balance out, and most variables could be viewed in black-and-white. Kelly also appreciated that accounting offered a clear path into the heart of business and finance operations, which had always intrigued her. She began an internship at a local CPA firm while finishing her BS in Accounting, and spent another year and a half at the firm post-graduation performing public accounting, tax, and audit work for a range of clients. But Kelly soon realized that she didn’t love the work. In 2011, she made the switch to private accounting, which proved to be a much better fit.
Kelly worked at a regional milling organization specializing in providing ingredients to national and global food and beverage companies, starting as a Staff Accountant and quickly progressing to Grain Accountant. In these roles, Kelly prepared daily bank and inventory analysis reconciliations; prepared and processed grain settlements in accordance with state and federal laws; managed producer contracts; provided customer service, quoting, and pricing to grain producers; and assisted the Controller with month-end procedures and year-end audit workpapers. By 2016, Kelly was promoted to Senior Accountant; only two years later, she became the company’s Controller, serving on the executive team. She managed accounting department staff; prepared monthly financial statements, ensuring timely, accurate, and useful financial reporting; developed annual budgets; maintained the fixed-asset system; managed workpaper preparation for the annual audit; managed risk position controls in the commodities market; and ensured the accuracy of grain accounting processes. As part of the executive team, she also provided strategic direction, oversight, and management. Following her 11-year tenure at the milling organization, Kelly accepted a Controller role at a regional provider of power, water treatment, plumbing, and air purification solutions. She maintained the fixed-asset system, reconciled monthly balance sheet accounts, managed the purchasing card system and corresponding reconciliations, and assisted the CFO as needed. Ultimately, however, Kelly wasn’t finding the challenges she sought. Kelly had previously worked with Level10 CFO’s Jennifer Westrich while at the milling organization, and when Jennifer reached out with the opportunity to assist a range of growing companies as a fractional Controller, it felt like an ideal fit. Kelly joined Level10 CFO in 2022.
Kelly worked at a regional milling organization specializing in providing ingredients to national and global food and beverage companies, starting as a Staff Accountant and quickly progressing to Grain Accountant. In these roles, Kelly prepared daily bank and inventory analysis reconciliations; prepared and processed grain settlements in accordance with state and federal laws; managed producer contracts; provided customer service, quoting, and pricing to grain producers; and assisted the Controller with month-end procedures and year-end audit workpapers. By 2016, Kelly was promoted to Senior Accountant; only two years later, she became the company’s Controller, serving on the executive team. She managed accounting department staff; prepared monthly financial statements, ensuring timely, accurate, and useful financial reporting; developed annual budgets; maintained the fixed-asset system; managed workpaper preparation for the annual audit; managed risk position controls in the commodities market; and ensured the accuracy of grain accounting processes. As part of the executive team, she also provided strategic direction, oversight, and management. Following her 11-year tenure at the milling organization, Kelly accepted a Controller role at a regional provider of power, water treatment, plumbing, and air purification solutions. She maintained the fixed-asset system, reconciled monthly balance sheet accounts, managed the purchasing card system and corresponding reconciliations, and assisted the CFO as needed. Ultimately, however, Kelly wasn’t finding the challenges she sought. Kelly had previously worked with Level10 CFO’s Jennifer Westrich while at the milling organization, and when Jennifer reached out with the opportunity to assist a range of growing companies as a fractional Controller, it felt like an ideal fit. Kelly joined Level10 CFO in 2022.
MORE INFORMATION
Kelly grew up in Leopold, Missouri, a no-stoplight town so tiny you may not even find it on a map. She and her family lived out in the country, and there were only 14 kids in her graduating class. Today, Kelly continues to enjoy country living — but ~30 miles east, on the outskirts of Cape Girardeau, a mid-sized city located on the banks of the Mississippi River. Kelly used to have hobbies. Now, she has a toddler. She nevertheless enjoys camping, gardening, attending live country concerts, traveling, and skiing, time- and toddler-permitting. In addition, Kelly’s husband has a side business selling side-by-side ATVs; she and her husband enjoy exploring the countryside on rides with friends.