It was only last October that the world witnessed SpaceX catching its super-heavy rocket booster as it emitted fiery bursts from the booster’s underside. Among those watching perhaps more attentively than ever was this episode’s CFO guest, Brian Registe, who today oversees the finance function of Questek—a company whose materials-by-design technologies are enabling SpaceX and other companies to advance the material performance of their offerings.
Brian Registe shared insights into his career journey, which spans from his origins in Dominica to roles in Alaska’s telecom sector and eight years in the US Army focusing on finance, accounting, and procurement. He also spent a decade with Heartland Alliance in the nonprofit sector before moving to Midhouse Engineering in Chicago. Currently, at Questek, Registe manages the finance operations and contributes to the company’s strategic direction.
Questek, according to Registe, has maintained a debt-free status over its 25-year history, relying on internally generated capital. Recently, the company has shifted towards digital innovation by launching their SaaS offering, ICMD. Registe tells us that this software packages Questek’s extensive know-how and technology, aiming to democratize material science. The goal is to empower multiple commercial partners to utilize their advanced material design technologies independently, while continuing project-based work for clients like SpaceX.
Surround yourself with mentors (for example, past CFOs, board members, etc.). Get to know your board, especially someone like the chair of the finance committee, if one exists. Cultivate relationships across all levels of the company. It is important that the young CFO stop being an “accountant” and start thinking as a strategic operations leader. Building a strong network within your company will make it easier to collaborate, for sure, but also provide you with invaluable insights that numbers alone can’t reveal. –Brian Registe, CFO, QuesTek
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CFOTL: “Tell us about QuesTek. What does this company do, and what are its offerings today?
Registe: QuesTek is probably one of the most fascinating companies that I have had the opportunity to work with. In many ways, (its) nexus to the military really attracted me to this position and the work that we’ve done and continue to do in the defense space. We like to say that QuesTek is both the pioneer and current leader in what we call integrated computational material design (ICMD).
We help industry and government design new technology using physics as the basis for our work. We develop new, novel materials, and we believe the development of those materials saves companies time and costs.
Of course, QuesTek continues to be that pioneer leader with the full cycle of novel design in production, certification, and flight operation in proprietary materials. Some of our work, you might see, in many ways, has helped advance technologies seen in the iPhone, the Apple Watch, and space. We’re very proud of the work we’ve done with SpaceX as an example, and we continue to work with industries across Europe, Asia, and here in the US.
QuesTek | www.questek.com | Evanston, IL