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CFO Michelle Grassa
As a recent Business Management graduate from Oakland University in 1984, I was initially hired to run the Chrysler Employee Vanpool Program. It was a great opportunity for me to see the “other side” of the business. Having come from the banking industry with an education background in both accounting and marketing, the marketing side made me clearly aware it wasn’t always the dollars that were important; it was listening to the customers, understanding their needs and being creative to meet their needs while accomplishing the company’s objectives. Little did I know how valuable that knowledge would become as my career continued with VPSI.
After spending a couple of years in that capacity, I started to move through the company holding various positions in both operations and accounting. I spent time in Used Vehicle Sales, Customer Invoicing, Insurance, Collections, Contract Billing, Finance/Pricing and Budgeting. It was a great experience because it allowed me to gain a greater understanding of the unique aspects of each department, the issues they confront and how they relate – both within the company and with the customer. The entire experience gave me a great foundation from which my career with VPSI would continue to grow.
In 1992, I was offered the Controller’s position. I became responsible for all finance, accounting and technology aspects of VPSI. The company continued to expand its presence and its product offering – both domestically and internationally. And in 1998 I had the pleasure of being part of a team that brought VPSI together with our Dutch counterparts, VIPRE BV. Learning and sharing new ideas and solutions with our European associates continues to be the wonderful result of our union with VIPRE. As a result we've expanded our product offering to become more than just a van provider. We offer a host of services and technological solutions that meet the needs of our worldwide customer base.
In 2005 I became the Chief Financial Officer. While I've been nicknamed the “the finance chick” by some of my colleagues, my role has expanded to more than the fiduciary responsibilities of the company. Not only is my job to ensure stakeholders that VPSI financial controls, treasury operations, tax planning and strategic planning meet the highest standards for integrity and credibility; but my role also touches on every facet of the corporation to ensure VPSI continues to improve productivity and implements efficient business processes, all while meeting and surpassing customer and stakeholder’s expectations. My history with VPSI – going back to the early days of the Chrysler Employee Vanpool Program - has given me the platform from which to meet this task.
The best part of our company is the continuing change. We're not afraid to look ahead at what the market will require and to make the changes necessary to meet that demand. Some ideas have worked and some haven't, but we always learn from each experience. I look forward to my next 25 years with VPSI and the ideas that are yet to come.
