Liyan Shen joined Birdy Grey as the chief financial officer to scale the business from a $50 million topline to a multi-billion-dollar business. “I was so drawn to the origin story of this business, our social missions and our kickass team,” said Shen. Two years later, the company has nearly doubled its topline in a very difficult DTC/startup environment, posted double-digit margins, and is on track to launch into some impressive product categories.
Birdy Grey is a direct-to-consumer bridal company focusing on affordable, on-trend bridesmaid dresses, gifts and accessories for the marrying generation. Since its inception, the company has become the No. 3 biggest pure play bridesmaids dress company.
As the chief financial officer, Shen oversees the day-to-day financial activities critical to the business while also providing oversight across other business units and processes to keep everyone on track and financially responsible.
“Liyan is a fantastic strategic thinker that flexes beyond core finance capabilities to add a lot of value and thought partnership for how our business evolves overall,” said her colleagues. “She goes above and beyond the strict financial call of duty and thinks like a true cross functional leader in our business, which is greatly appreciated by all departments.”
In her role, Shen has been instrumental in leading the company to do more than $100 million in revenues and double-digit EBITDA margins this year. “I make financial decisions every day with our social mission in mind,” said Shen. “I love that we are a majority female team with some awesome dudes, too, and I love the inclusivity aspect of our business where we provide products for all sizes and body shapes.”
Shen has also increased the bonus pool, elevated healthcare benefits, and started a 401k matching program for employees while increasing profit and cash flow. “I’m a true believer that if people are not happy then the business suffers,” said Shen. “I also strive to create creative solutions for all cross-functional problems by bringing people to the table.”
As a leader, Shen said she focuses on the long-term vision of the business and taking care of the firm’s people. “As a chief financial officer, we have a natural tendency to be laser-focused on numbers and outcomes, but it’s equally, if not more important, to make financial decisions that involve taking care of our people,” she said. “It is only when our people are happy, that business is set up to succeed in the long run.”
