Emily Finley ’06 has always loved to read. As a child, her favorite author was Diana Wynne Jones, creator of the Chrestomanci series. She has vivid recollections of English classes at Parker’s Upper School that furthered her love for the written word, including Jared D’Onofrio’s Great Books course. At Stanford, she majored in English and felt like she was working towards something she really believed in.
It’s little surprise then that 12 years after her graduation from Parker, her career has taken her to the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations: Goodreads.
In her six years at the company, Emily’s role has grown exponentially in scope. Originally in customer support, she now works as Director of Operations, managing a 50-person international team for the website that serves 80 million members worldwide. She has found working in the tech industry to be rewarding and energizing, and was happy to discover that there is less of a hierarchy than in more traditional industries.
With team members as far spread as Cape Town, South Africa, Emily works to help her employees develop their strengths and grow their careers within the company. When asked what has helped shape her own career, Emily cites two main resources: her liberal arts education, where she gained important critical thinking skills, and good mentors, who have helped her to grow as a professional and to trust her own decision-making.
Emily is thrilled to work for a company of fellow readers, where everyone cares about books and knowledge, which builds the foundation for the company’s success. Her favorite book as an adult? Black Swan Green by David Mitchell.
Want to recommend an alumnus/na to be profiled in an upcoming issue? Email suggestions to [email protected].
