Jennifer Barber is Controller at Elite Insurance Partners, bringing 18+ years of finance and accounting leadership to the organization. Originally from St. Petersburg, Florida, Jennifer now calls Tampa home. Throughout her career, she’s built financial infrastructure across healthcare, private equity-backed, and high-growth organizations—managing $135 million in budgets across 47 entities, leading a 42-person finance team, and delivering $35 million in enterprise-wide cost savings. Most recently serving as CFO at Champion Wellness Centers, Jennifer has a proven track record of streamlining operations (compressing month-end close from 10 days to 3 days), spearheading acquisitions, and implementing enterprise systems like NetSuite. Her educational background includes an MBA in Accounting from Saint Leo University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Grand Canyon University, both earned with Magna Cum Laude honors. She’s also pursuing advanced training in agentic AI through MIT Sloan School of Management, knowledge she’s eager to apply to financial automation and reporting infrastructure.
Jennifer’s drive comes from her time as a Finance Specialist in the U.S. Army National Guard, where she learned that accuracy in the numbers directly affects people’s lives. That foundational lesson shaped her belief that great finance isn’t just about getting the numbers right—it’s about building teams and people who can be trusted to get it right, together.
Outside of work, Jennifer stays active with regular gym sessions and is a devoted Tampa Bay Lightning fan. She enjoys soaking up beach days along Florida’s coast and exploring the area’s best new restaurants—a pursuit that keeps her connected to the community she serves.
| Hometown | St. Petersburg, FL |
|---|---|
| Resides In | Tampa, FL |
| Favorite Food | steak |
| Favorite Snack | reese peanut butter cups |
| Hobbies | Staying active with regular gym workoutsCheering on the Tampa Bay Lightning — from the couch or right at the ArenaSoaking up beach days (a perk of calling the Tampa Bay area home)Hunting down the area's best new restaurants, one menu at a time |
| Motivation | My why started in the U.S. Army National Guard, where I learned that accuracy and integrity in the numbers directly affect people's lives. That lesson has stayed with me through every role since — but over time, it's grown into something more personal: I care just as much about the people doing the work as I do about the work itself.I'm drawn to complexity — multi-entity organizations, rapid growth, acquisitions — because I love building order and clarity out of it. But what really drives me is watching a team grow alongside that complexity. Some of my proudest moments haven't been the close cycles I shortened or the savings I found — they've been watching someone I mentored step into a role they didn't think they were ready for, or building a 42-person finance organization where people held themselves to a high standard because they wanted to, not because they had to.I do this work because I believe great finance isn't just about getting the numbers right — it's about building teams and people who can be trusted to get it right, together. At Elite Insurance Partners, that's exactly the kind of controller I want to be: someone who brings the discipline, and helps build the team around me to carry it forward. |
| Military Service | veteran |
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