Getting to know the Folklore team - Meet Allyson

Our team Q&As give you an inside look at the people behind Folklore.

As part of Folklore’s finance team, Allyson works closely with our CFO to maintain our financial and operational hygiene, as well as streamline our processes so that we can continue to invest in legendary companies across Australia and New Zealand. 

What was your experience before Folklore? 

I am from Singapore and worked for Toyota and Lexus Singapore in the Business Development and Service Marketing team for 5 years before I made the move to Australia to pursue further studies. It was exciting yet also challenging to try to get back to studying again.

After graduating with a bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance, I landed my first role in a small accounting firm before moving on to Westpac for the next eight years. At Westpac, I was in the Unit Trust Tax and Accounting Services team for five years, performing fund administration tasks such as daily inter-fund trading, unit pricing, as well as preparing quarterly and annual distributions. 

During that time, I also continued my professional education and attained my certification as a Chartered Accountant. I moved to the Insurance Finance team, where my key roles were management accounting, budgeting/forecasting and providing insights into how the business was performing.

I then had my son in 2021 and was on parental leave, experiencing all the joys and challenges of motherhood just prior to joining Folklore.

What brought you here?

I worked with Duncan, our CFO, previously at Westpac. He was the one who approached me and told me about this incredible job opportunity at Folklore. I was intrigued by the role, and Duncan had also spoken so passionately about Folklore and the team, making it even more of a compelling case to pursue this opportunity. 

What drew you to the role?

Apart from the team, who I got to meet during the interview process, what drew me to Folklore was the opportunity to learn and grow. I also value the flexibility the firm has given me by allowing me to work remotely from Singapore whilst visiting my family and introducing them to my son for the first time. It really helped me balance my work-life and navigate my journey as a first time mum.

What excites you about working in VC?

Learning about the firm and how the VC world operates – from fundraising and investing to understanding founders, their passion and business ideas. 

Tell us about a day in the life of an accountant at a VC firm.

Every day is different, which keeps things interesting and there is always something new to learn. There are lots of opportunities to be involved in different projects, which is certainly not your average accounting role experience!

Being in a smaller company also means that the changes and decisions we make have a deeper impact and can be extremely rewarding. 

Where can we find you outside of work?

These days, a lot of my time is spent with my son. Otherwise, you might also find me with a camera on nature walks with my attempts at wildlife photography. I also scuba dive and try to go whenever I can.