Conner Boillat, the chief financial and operating officer at The Sales Collective, a company that helps organizations build sustainable revenue, knew he wanted to pursue a career in finance since he was a child. With two parents working in business, it was a common dinner-table topic that ignited his interest. “Finance was in my blood, my mom and dad were both entrepreneurs and business-minded,” he said.

Early internship experiences at his mother’s wealth management firm sealed the deal. “My mom is a titan of finance, and I was blessed to have those opportunities and learn from her team,” Boillat said. While his mom served as an early career mentor, Boillat quickly emphasizes that he wasn’t given any special favors. “There was no nepotism, I assure you. I was in a closet at Smith Barney putting together binders for meetings,” he said, laughing.

His father also served as an early influence. “He taught me about work ethic and tenacity, and I learned a lot about the start-up space from him, as well.”

Set up for success

When it was time for college, the Rochester, New York, native naturally looked into business schools. The Robins School of Business caught his attention. “It’s hard not to fall in love,” he said about visiting the Richmond campus for the first time. 

He quickly found new mentors in professors Robert Dolan and Jerry Stevens, for whom he served as a research assistant for a year. “That was an incredible experience because I got to spend time with the top economics and finance professors, and those were my specialties within the business school,” he said.

Boillat, who graduated in 2014, credits the Robins School of Business with preparing him for success in his first post-graduation job, working in the dividend forecasting team at Bloomberg. “Thank goodness for that experience in college of taking real-world companies and analyzing them, because I was analyzing companies right off the bat, and I loved it,” he said.

UR also gave him an opportunity to keep working with Young Life, a global Christian organization that introduces youth to Christianity. Boillat spent two summers during college working at a Young Life camp in Colorado and participated in mission trips to El Salvador focused on nutrition and greenhouse projects. Mission trips remain a priority in his life. 

Not always a straight path

From work as an analyst to wealth management to startups, his career has taken a winding path within finance. When his dad passed away in 2020, he said, it was a significant inflection point that helped him realize what was important in his own life. He gravitated toward the startup space — which was always near and dear to his dad’s heart — and cofounded a company in the defense sector.

In his current position for the last two years, Boillat said, “I’m not your typical CFO, and no day is the same.” The company he works for helps businesses with their sales training, recruiting, and processes. “I love to operate businesses, and I understand finance and fundraising, but I also understand operations and sales.”

While the place he calls home will soon be changing — as he moves from Austin, Texas, to Chicago — one thing will stay the same. He’ll always challenge himself to aim for excellence.