Ricky Philatre recently joined BrightHouse as our first Global Finance Manager. Now that we have offices around the globe, we have a lot to think about. Things like, “Are we growing at the right pace? Do we have the right people to help get us where we want to be? How much does a croissant cost in France versus the U.S.?” (That last one was just for fun.)
These financial questions are ones Ricky helps us to evaluate each day across all of our offices. Ricky first joined BCG in 2015 as a Senior Financial Analyst and eventually worked on BrightHouse’s integration with BCG’s finance systems. It was during this time that BrightHouse knew it would need someone with a background like Ricky’s to help us as we expanded. Who better than someone who had known us for years?
And so now we have Ricky who, along with his wife and his 10-month-old son, Silas, joined us from Boston a few months ago. Did we mention his sister also lives in Atlanta? She is very pleased as well.
We feel incredibly lucky to have him on our team. Here’s five questions to get to know him better:
You were previously in finance at BCG, what made you decide to join BrightHouse?
I worked in BCG Finance since 2015 and was looking for my next challenge. I had some exposure to BrightHouse because I supported their integration onto BCG’s finance systems. I knew working at BrightHouse would be quite different from my previous BCG experiences but was looking forward to the opportunity to apply what I’ve learned thus far at BCG. This new role was also a promotion that would come with enough exciting challenges and opportunities to keep me engaged for many years to come.
BrightHouse creates a lasting impact for our clients that makes me proud to work here. When I describe BrightHouse to people, the response is always “are they hiring?!”
Which of BrightHouse’s values is your favorite and why?
“Family is Everything.” Friends come and go, but family is forever to me. My wife and I recently had our first son. It’s been quite a new journey for us, especially with the sleepless nights, but we love being parents. BrightHouse’s focus on supporting work-life balance has been essential to me being a present father and husband. My wife loves Work from Home Wednesdays more than I do! I feel empowered to do what needs to be done for my family without sacrificing my work.
You moved from Boston to Atlanta for this role, what’s that transition been like?
I was born and raised just outside of Boston and with the exception of living in upstate New York during college, I’ve spent all of my life there. My wife is from Southern California and came to Boston for graduate school but has never been glued to the city. She loves to travel and was always open to living in different places, so moving to Atlanta was a somewhat easy decision for her.
The actual move process to Atlanta went pretty smoothly. Everything arrived rather quickly, and we had minimal damage to our furniture aside from a few scuffs. The warm weather has been one of the biggest transitions, as Boston doesn’t really warm up until June. Also, as crazy as Boston drivers are, Atlanta drivers are crazier! I’ve reasoned that its due to the combination of so many different driving styles all coming together along with a strangely designed highway system that forces people to merge and change lanes aggressively lest they miss their exit.
It’s been great to see your family in the office, what kinds of family fun have you discovered in Atlanta?
It feels like there are so many more family friendly activities in Atlanta. Part of that might be because events are just more accessible. Parking is challenging and expensive in Boston, making a lot of city events difficult to access. So far, we haven’t experienced that at all in Atlanta.
We’ve gone to the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Grant Park, Piedmont Park, the Jazz Festival, and several local festivals (Kirkwood, Dogwood, Renaissance, Inman Park). We’ve done more in 3 months here than we would have done in the entire year in Boston. My wife has also found many baby-friendly activities, like swim class, music class, and story time at the library.
What’s one fact that no one would guess about you?
At 6’8”, I think folks would never guess that I hit my head less often than the average person. I’m always told to “watch my head” when passing through doorways, as if it’s the first time I’ve walked anywhere. Little do they know I’ve developed a sixth sense that keeps my head safe!
