As CFO of one of the Top 25 largest independent ad agencies in the country, Kris Best has more than proven she has what it takes to rise to the top.
Editor’s note: This story first appeared in the spring 2023 edition of Hearts Together. a publication of Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor.
As CFO of one of the Top 25 largest independent ad agencies in the country, Kris Best has more than proven she has what it takes to rise to the top. How did she get there? She’ll tell you it has everything to do with diverse experiences.
At CUW, for example, Best studied accounting, competed in volleyball and softball, and played the pipe organ (under the legendary Dr. John Behnke). In other words, she was preparing for a career in advertising. “My life is full circle,” she says. “At BVK, I’m surrounded by creative and competitive people who feed my love of music and the arts, and who team up to bring something different and unexpected to our clients.”
Agency life is tough because it’s creating and creating again for multiple clients at once. And there’s always the potential for rejection. In Best’s experience, former student-athletes have tended to thrive because they produce under pressure, know the importance of every position, and accept wins and losses with humility.
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Kris is a generous donor and volunteer of CUWAA. She currently serves on the university’s Foundation Board and is a donor to the Concordia Fund. The Concordia Fund is a yearly giving opportunity that provides critical operational revenue for the university. Concordia uses your gifts in the year they are given. This allows the university to offer Concordia student the increased quality and excellence they deserve while offsetting the cost of tuition.
The spring 2023 Hearts Together magazine hit mailboxes in April. View a PDF version of the magazine here. If you are not on our mailing list, but are interested in receiving a free copy, email Jennifer.Hackmann@cuaa.edu.