Interview with Priscilla Chen - Nautilus Corporate Controller

Priscilla loves solving complex problems, especially when it involves working with a strong team of collaborators. It’s why she spends much of her free time honing her strategy board game skills with friends, and also why she was originally drawn to the field of accounting. When interviewing with Nautilus, she became intrigued by the company’s ambitious mission to advance human health by democratizing access to the proteome. Never one to back down from a challenge, she joined Nautilus in the role of Corporate Controller and is currently helping the company to realize its vision.

How did you hear about Nautilus and what made you want to apply here?

I was moving to Seattle, so a close colleague of mine—who knew I’d spent most of my career supporting clients in pharma and life sciences—introduced me to Nautilus. As I was doing research, I quickly realized my experience made me a strong fit. During the interview process, I was impressed and inspired by the leadership team. Both Sujal and Parag had exuded an infectious passion and I was quickly sold on the importance of the mission to expand access to proteomics. I knew the job would be extremely challenging, but I felt confident Nautilus CFO Anna Mowry would be a great mentor who could help me broaden my accounting and finance knowledge and build an in-house accounting program from the ground up. While I enjoy accounting work, in the past I’ve found much deeper satisfaction working for life science organizations that have extremely compelling purposes, and this is what attracted me to Nautilus. 

What excites you about working at Nautilus?

I am excited by the promise of Nautilus’ technology to improve human health by better diagnosing illnesses and enabling therapeutic development. Simply put, the size of the potential opportunity and possible impact on people are massive. I also really enjoy working alongside my teammates who continually challenge me with the projects we undertake and encourage me to experiment with new ideas. Finally, I’m proud that Nautilus is focused on helping society not only through its products, but also through various company initiatives. As I continue my journey here, I’d like to incorporate more community involvement into my work and hope to develop new community-giving initiatives at Nautilus. 

When did you first get interested in accounting and finance?

It’s funny. One of my earliest memories is playing with my siblings pretending to be shopping. I always insisted on being the cashier—so I think I was destined to be an accountant — but my first real exposure to the field was in high school, which offered an accounting class. In that class, I realized that my natural sense of order, love of puzzles and problem solving, as well as enthusiasm for mathematics, set me up well for a career as an accountant. I continued my studies as an undergrad and, after graduating, worked at a big-four accounting firm for over 10 years. In this position, I lived and worked in different countries (including 2 years in Belgium), met some lifelong friends, and learned a lot. 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years, I hope to be as close with my family as I am now. I also hope to be a more seasoned, well-rounded accounting and finance leader, having learned a lot from the challenging and exciting experiences I’ve had at Nautilus. I also hope to still be in Seattle — I’ve really enjoyed living in this beautiful city.