Kelly Aydinian

Started working with the Chief of Staff to help prepare the Series B fundraising. A few months later, he became Head of Finance — and we basically built the finance function together. Handled forecasting, KPI dashboards, cash flow tracking, investor materials, internal reporting, and all the “urgent fires” that come with startup life. Learned how to communicate numbers to non-finance teams, how to be useful even when priorities change daily, and how to build structure where it didn’t exist yet.

Originally just needed a job before moving to Oxford. Ended up working on the Paris 2024 Olympics — probably the most unexpected experience of my life. Managed reconciliations, cash flow tracking, vendor payments, and expense monitoring. Learned how to work under real pressure, stay organised even when everything moved fast, and keep the financial side clean during one of the biggest events in the world.

Landed an internship at EY while I was doing interviews from Mexico with an 8-hour time difference — taking my laptop everywhere, just in case. Worked on the audit of large companies (€10bn+), analysed financial statements, reviewed internal controls, and contributed to valuations (EBITDA, working capital, debt). It taught me rigour, how to work under pressure, and how to speak “audit” fluently — even when the deadlines were not on my side.

Secured my first finance internship abroad at 19, with almost no connections. It was my first step into the world of accounting. Assisted with month-end closing, handled journal entries, performed bank reconciliations, and supported daily bookkeeping tasks. Learned the basics fast and realised I actually enjoyed bringing clarity to numbers.