Katherine Sullivan
Katherine’s experiences in big four public accounting, industry, consulting, start-up executive roles, and small business ownership have equipped her to successfully navigate unique and challenging situations across multiple industries and entities.
Katherine values building relationships and providing accurate, timely, and honest insights. She developed a strong understanding of the manufacturing industry by serving as the Corporate Finance Business Partner and Shared Services Manager at Moog, a multi-national aerospace and industrial products manufacturer. In 2018, she left Moog to acquire a small business in the childcare industry which she grew to a successful exit.
Throughout Katherine’s career as an integrity-driven, empathetic leader, she has helped both public and private companies grow significantly by establishing excellence in operations, financial policies, accounting, human resources, controls, process improvement, acquisitions, financial transactions, investor relations, board management, diligence, business partnering, project management, and relationship building. Additionally, she has helped companies raise over $50M in capital, complete an initial public offering, and transition ownership.
Katherine went to Canisius University for Accounting, Accounting Information Systems & Finance. She spent several years in Washington DC and Raleigh, NC before returning home to Buffalo, NY where she lives with her husband and their five children.
Brian Sullivan
Brian has over a decade of experience as a creative problem solver in a diverse set of roles. A Western New York native, he earned his B.A in Economics and Math from Canisius University. Brian started his career with Bates White, an economic litigation consulting firm in Washington DC. While attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he worked for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on the Urban Reproductive Health Initiative. Upon graduating with an M.S in Applied Economics, Brian returned to Western New York to serve as a Vice President on M&T Bank's Corporate Treasury team, where he specialized in strategic planning, financial modeling, risk management, process automation, and data analytics. Brian is a Certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM).
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Brian has extensive experience with operations, strategic planning, financial modeling, and automation. He has also started, purchased, and exited a small business.
The Golden Bird Logo
Golden Bird LLC's logo of a bird reaching backwards to take an egg off of its back symbolizes the Ghanaian proverb, 'learn from the past to provide for a strong future.' Katie and Brian founded Golden Bird LLC to pursue their dream of owning and operating a small business. In close analogy to the proverb, they are focused on learning from an owner-operator's prior experiences to understand the value of their business and ensure its long-term success.
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Brian and Katie are mission driven entrepreneurs who want to create sustainable value for one company. They are passionate about contributing to the energy of small business owners that the Western New York region thrives on. Brian and Katie hold themselves to high standards of integrity, professionalism and accountability. They reside in Orchard Park with their four children and are active in the local community.
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