Getting to know the team - Meet Clare

As Folklore continues to support founders' big ideas, we’re excited to welcome Clare Power to the team as CFO to manage the firm's financial operations during our next stage of growth.

Clare joins the team with 25 years of experience at listed financial institutions, having worked in the US, UK, South Africa, and most recently Australia. With a resume of accounting roles at Deloitte, PwC, Deutsche Bank and BT; Clare most recently held the role of CFO at fixed income investment group Income Asset Management (ASX:IAM) for almost 4 years, leading the scaling of financial operations. 

On a personal level, Clare is a marathon trail runner who believes “we are what we repeatedly do.” Although, don’t let this fool you, as she never runs so fast she can’t enjoy the journey (and take photos) along the way. 

‍What drew you to Folklore? ‍

“A few things:

• The chance to be involved with a business that nurtures, promotes, and scales founders’ big ideas.
• Ownership over the continued development of the finance and operating functions.
• The people I met with during my early interactions at Folklore were exactly the calibre of people that I wanted to work and grow with, and learn from.”

How has your background prepared you for this role?‍

“My prior experience running finance functions in scale-ups and in funds management organisations like Deutsche Bank and BT meant I could come at the role with new perspectives, and with a lot of excitement about making a difference and helping to build a great firm. 

In particular, my experience is concentrated around the management and operations of funds on the institutional side, and I have changed countries and environments enough to know that a change presents new challenges and new opportunities to do things better. As I met the team we saw common goals for the journey ahead, and collectively we saw where my experience would be able to support Folklore and our LP's beyond the great work that's already been done.”

‍How do you spend your spare time

“My daily relaxation happens when I’m out running - ideally on the trails through the beautiful bush around my home, but also on the roads. My family knows that I need to get my run in and they’re very accommodating. I’ve done a couple of ultra’s in the Blue Mountains and one road marathon, along with a number of half marathons over the years.

This year I’m aiming to complete the triple challenge, which is three runs over 3 months totalling 88 km. I’m mainly doing it for the bragging rights and the free hoodie! Seriously - I just needed a motivator to get back into competitive runs. 

Besides my own running, I’m the manager for a number of sports teams for my two teenage children, covering the basketball and soccer circuits, so you’ll see me standing beside the court/field checking my phone at the start of games, trying to make sure all the back end game admin is in place.”

‍What are some learnings you can take from endurance marathon preparation?‍

“Preparation, planning, pushing through the hard times and injuries, not giving up on the goal even if it takes longer to achieve than you’d hoped. Also knowing when it’s time for a rest to allow you to continue moving forward.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Will Durant’s interpretation of Aristotle’s, “These virtues are formed in man by his doing the actions.”

‍What’s your superpower? ‍

“I’m a good listener and have great attention to detail. Often catching family members doing things they aren’t supposed to be doing.”

‍What are you reading/listening to at the moment? ‍

• “The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga - almost completed this one, which is an interesting outline of Adlerian psychology, highlighting that we are all in control of ourselves and have the power to become our ‘best and truest’ selves, regardless of our past and the expectations of those around us. It also highlights - in a way that seems very relevant for someone with teenagers in the house - that we do not need others to like us, in order to be happy or in order to like ourselves.
• I’m about to start reading Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahnemann - I’m looking forward to exploring the way we make decisions and the assumptions we hold around how rational those decisions are. 
• I’ve also dipped into a re-read of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - reading that one with my son."

‍What’s something you believe to be true, that others often think is false. ‍

“A sleep-in is very seldom worth the time you spend languishing under the covers. I’ve never regretted getting up early, but almost always wish I’d got up earlier if I miss my early morning routine.”

‍If you could sit next to anyone at a dinner party…‍

“Nelson Mandela - he was a person of courage, integrity, forgiveness, vision and leadership. What a privilege it would have been to meet him.”

‍Discuss all of this and more, by connecting with Clare via LinkedIn. Speaking on behalf of the team, we’re excited to continue to support the next generation of founders from first cheque to forever. A mission only strengthened by Clare joining the team.