Voices of Experience: Rachel Glaser, COO/CFO at Reunion.com

by Natalie Sabia (New York City)

Her journey started immediately after business school when she landed a much-coveted job at Disney. Over twenty years, she worked her way up in the company, holding various leadership positions in finance, operations and technology with studio entertainment, as well as corporate and consumer products divisions.

The imminent birth of her first child was a turning point. About to go on maternity leave with her first child, she was debating whether to take time off to be a stay-at-home mother. Her boss at the time talked her into coming back to work part-time. She was concerned, not sure how to manage the competing demands of work and motherhood. “I was nervous for the change, but I tried not to second guess my decision,” Glaser said. “If he hadn’t invited me back, I would never be in the position I am now.” By accepting the offer, she was able to raise her kids but also keep her foot in the door.

Glaser continued to happily climb the ladder at Disney while working part-time. Then, out of the blue, she received a call from a recruiter at Yahoo.com. “The timing was perfect. It was time for a change and I had just coincidentally made a target list of companies to pursue. Yahoo was on that list. ” Glaser said, “I was excited for a fresh opportunity in a new industry.”

Glaser’s excitement for Yahoo had a lot to do with a woman named Sue Decker, who was CFO of Yahoo and became Rachel’s boss, mentor and friend. . She, had recognized that Glaser’s varied skill set was exactly what Yahoo needed. “She was looking for different skills and thought deep enough to figure out where I [would] fit in,” said Glaser, “Sue is a fantastic person.”

Glaser became the Senior Vice President of Finance where she headed up a Global Finance Team of over 200 professionals, responsible for worldwide forecasting, planning and analysis. With her diverse background, Glaser was able to dive in and begin the work of creating an operational finance organization and transform its business processes “Yahoo is a young company who has been highly acquisitive.” Glaser said. “There was a lot of work to do to align processes, systems and people.”

Although it seemed to be the perfect situation, it was also a strenuous workweek. A mother of three kids with a home in the Los Angeles area, Glaser was spending her week in Northern California at the Yahoo headquarters. “The commute became challenging; I was beginning to think it would be a good time for a break,” Glaser said.

However, once again, just as she was about to set aside the corporate world, she received another phone call from a recruiter. This time, it was the opportunity at Reunion.com.

“My first thought was that it’s too small of a company for me to be of any use, but I really connected with the company’s founder and CEO Jeff Tinsley and knew this would be a great opportunity,” Glaser said. She joined the 100-person company in April of this year.

Glaser now oversees all aspects of the company’s financial, accounting, strategic planning and investor relations as CFO; she is in charge of corporate development and business operations as COO.

She’s enjoying working for a smaller company after spending the majority of her career at the giant, multi-division corporations. She mentioned that one major benefit of working in a smaller organization is the closer connection she can have to each different department within Reunion, as well as a better understanding of how each department functions.

She noted that working for large global companies has benefited her greatly. Although often challenging, she emphasized that it was a great training ground as she was able to experience so many different areas of business while working for the same company. “If you prove yourself, people are willing to give you chances,” Glaser said. “

Although Glaser has had many years experience with great companies, there is always a sense of excitement and challenge when starting something new. So far, she’s thrilled with the rapid growth of Reunion.com, which has earned a ranking of #80 on comScore Media Metrix’s list of Top 100 U.S. Web sites. “I’m on the results side of the business and I’m ready for the challenge,” Glaser said. “This has been a great experience so far.”

Glaser shared some advice for other women striving for the top. “As a working mother, you will surely experience ambivalence with the choices you make. Don’t question them because every which way you go, there is a trade off. Pick a path and feel good about it. If you stay in the workforce in any way you can, opportunity will create itself.”