Meet Claire Reininger, the numbers-driven powerhouse. As Financial Controller, she brings precision, curiosity, and a collaborative spirit to everything she does, proving finance is anything but behind the scenes. Outside of work, she is always thinking up her next adventure, ideally one that includes exploring iconic national parks.

• Role: Controller
• Team: Finance
• How long you’ve been at Cognitiv: 8 months 

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Inside The Office

What does a typical day in your role really look like? 

Every day is honestly different, but I spend a lot of time working with numbers in Excel and collaborating with Kathleen, our SVP of Finance, and our rockstar Senior Staff Accountant, Nick.

What’s the part of your job you love most (that might surprise people)? 

There is a stereotype that accountants are quiet, but that is not true. Chatting and collaborating with other teams to understand what they do is my favorite part. It helps me learn more about Cognitiv’s products and technology, as well as the adtech industry as a whole, since I am new to it. Everyone at Cognitiv is smart, genuine, and interesting, so I learn something new every day.

Can you share a moment when your work really made an impact?  

Our monthly revenue volume has grown, so I have taken over and streamlined our monthly revenue billing process. I am currently working on the next level of revenue automation alongside our Engineering, Strategy, and RevOps teams as we optimize and fully automate our entire revenue calculation and invoicing process.

What advice would you give someone joining #TeamCognitiv? 

Meet people outside your team, have fun in the house competitions, and sing at least one karaoke song at all-hands. Cognitiv’s culture is truly one of a kind. It may sound cliché, but it is the people here who make it such a fun place to work!

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Outside The Office

‍What’s one unusual thing about you that might surprise coworkers? 

When I was 9, I had a pet chicken that turned out to be a rooster, so he had to “go to the farm.” But he actually did go to someone’s farm and lived a long, free-roaming life.

‍If you could have any superpower for a day, what would it be? 

Teleportation. I would travel all over the world, moving from east to west so I could experience 24 hours of daylight.

What’s your go-to comfort food or guilty pleasure snack? 

Cookies! I have rarely met one I did not like. If it has chocolate, that is a bonus. Or, more specifically, Thin Mints.

‍What hobby or skill would you love to pick up if time weren’t an issue? 

Sewing my own clothes, taking piano lessons again, or learning to speak fluent Spanish.

If you could take a year off to do anything, what would you do? 

Basic, high-level answer…travel. But more specifically, it would be so awe-inspiring to be a traveling national park ranger, working in iconic parks like Yellowstone, Banff, Glacier Bay in Alaska, Yosemite, the Great Smoky Mountains, and more.

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Rapid-Fire Fun

• Sweet or savory? Sweet, always. Specifically, chocolates and caramels.
• Early bird or night owl? Night owl, to a fault.
• Favorite childhood TV show or movie? The Wizard of Oz and Scooby-Doo.
• Last song you listened to? “The Catalyst” by Núria Graham.‍
• Beach, mountains, or city for a vacation? Mountains.

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Team Shoutouts

“Claire started at Cognitiv last July, only two months before I joined, and has been an incredible manager and mentor from the very beginning. Her knowledge, leadership, and collaboration have been instrumental to our growing finance team. She leads with an extremely positive attitude and a team-first mindset that makes us very appreciative to have her.” —Nick Pettegrew, Senior Staff Accountant

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