MEET APRIL ALUM OF THE MONTH: ANDREA “CASEY” HAMMOND ’04

  • AMHS

After graduating from AMHS in 2004, Casey attended Washington State University where she received her degree in Finance. She has built a successful career in finance working previously at Amazon.com as a Financial Analyst and now at Boeing in (previously) Procurement Finance and (currently) Cash Management. She lives in Seattle and in her free time enjoys traveling, whether it be a big trip to Spain (which she just got back from!) or little weekends to cabins around the PNW with friends. She bought a camera a year ago and has been trying to dabble in amateur photography!

After graduating from AMHS in 2004, Casey attended Washington State University where she received her degree in Finance. She has built a successful career in finance working previously at Amazon.com as a Financial Analyst and now at Boeing in (previously) Procurement Finance and (currently) Cash Management. She lives in Seattle and in her free time enjoys traveling, whether it be a big trip to Spain (which she just got back from!) or little weekends to cabins around the PNW with friends. She bought a camera a year ago and has been trying to dabble in amateur photography!

Would you tell us about your career in finance – your path getting there and the different jobs you’ve had?
I went to Washington State University where I graduated with a BA in Finance in 2008. During college, I worked in Accounts Payable for the WSU Food Services office and also worked at Coastal Community Bank as a customer services representative when I was home from school.

Once I graduated I worked in Accounts Payable as a Financial Analyst for Amazon.com for 6 years prior to moving to Boeing, where I have been for almost 5 years now. At Boeing I have worked in Procurement Finance where I negotiated the pricing airplane parts for systems and structures for top tier suppliers. I have recently moved into a new position in Cash Management as a Regional Customer Account Manager for the Latin America region (soon to move to Europe region) where I work with the sales teams and the airline customers ensuring timely and accurate receivables.
 
What do you love about your career?
Getting the opportunity to travel internationally with my current and past roles.  I love getting to work with different cultures and see new places. My favorite trip was to Puglia, Italy for a negotiation. The team I went with worked hard but also had a lot of fun together. It hopefully didn’t ruin all future business trips for me! :/
 
What is something you would tell your younger self after being in the industry for over 10 years?
If you feel comfortable, then it is time to try something new. It is ok to feel uncomfortable, that means you are growing.
 
Can you tell us about the biggest hurdle you’ve faced during your career? What about the greatest joy?
Biggest Hurdle- Making the decision to leave the tech industry for aerospace. Being able to realize that trading more money for more personal time is worth it!

Greatest Joy- Settling a $1B contract while in a car driving from southern Italy to Rome (we had to drive 5 hours to Rome because the airline we were supposed to fly was on strike).
 
What has been your proudest moment since high school?
Buying my Condo when I was 24.
 
What experience has changed your life and/or helped you grow?
When I worked at Amazon I had the opportunity of leading a team in India and visiting them. Being able to work with a diverse group and seeing/understanding a different culture from my own helped me grow and understand how diversity is important in the workplace and that different cultures, backgrounds, or sexes can impact the success of a team. India has roughly one-third of the world’s poverty and I was humbled seeing how happy people were with so little. It made me realize how lucky we are to live where we do. 
 

What advice do you have for graduating alums? 
Earn your place. If you aren’t getting promoted, you probably didn’t earn it. If you think you earned it, then get a new job. And also, your career doesn’t have to be a ladder to get to the top, it can be a jungle gym where you make lateral moves and learn different areas of the business.

Congrats Casey, we are proud to call you a Wildcat!