SEATTLE, WA.- The Seattle Art Museum announced today that Cindy Bolton has joined its executive team as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). This newly created position will oversee finance, human resources, legal, and the volunteer program at the museum.
“Cindy is a seasoned executive who brings to SAM an impressive and varied background in finance and operations management with start-ups and corporations,” says Kimerly Rorschach, Illsley Ball Nordstrom Director and CEO. “As SAM’s new CFO, Cindy’s expertise will help the museum develop and achieve its financial goals, including our real estate commitments. In addition, her genuine passion for the visual arts make her an ideal partner in our ongoing mission to enrich lives and engage diverse communities through art.”
Prior to SAM, Bolton held Head of Finance positions in two Seattle startups, buuteeq (acquired by Priceline) and TINYpulse, where she expanded her finance position to also include HR, sales operations, legal, real estate, and facilities.
Bolton also worked at Microsoft for 10 years, where she last served as the Senior Finance Director for the US Enterprise & Partner Group, the largest sales subsidiary segment in Microsoft’s global sales and marketing organization. Before that assignment, Cindy held a series of senior finance positions in the Server & Tools business group, responsible for financial planning and analysis, strategic planning, business model development, M&A, and controllership for Microsoft’s enterprise software products.
Before Microsoft, Cindy was a Senior Finance Manager at Unilever (maker of Dove soap, Lipton tea and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, among other products) where she helped shape strategy and drive profitability in the highly competitive and razor-thin profit margin environment of the consumer products industry.
Prior to Unilever, Cindy was a Senior Consultant at Marakon Associates, a boutique management consulting firm in New York City, where she led projects in the high tech, consumer products, and financial services industries and advised clients on issues ranging from new market entry, product portfolio allocation, and investment strategy to optimal organizational structure and operating configuration. Cindy also consulted for 4 years at Accenture in their System Integration practice, specializing in developing billing and customer care systems for utilities and telecom clients.
Outside of work Cindy enjoys spending time with her family, travel, music, and the arts. She holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BA in Economics from the Ohio State University. As a former Air Force brat, Cindy can swap stories of her many hometowns through the years, and she has happily added Seattle to this list.
