Maria Pitol, last year’s recipient of the Rising Star Award at the Business Journal’s 15th annual CFO of the Year Awards, is always thinking of ways to challenge herself.
“If you’re not learning, you’re not growing,” Pitol told the Business Journal.
That mindset is in part why Pitol decided to leave her role as senior vice president and corporate controller for Montrose Environmental Group Inc. (NYSE: MEG) in October to join Anaheim-based WorkCare, a provider of occupational health services.
The job marks the first chief financial officer role for Pitol, and is the fourth industry change for the São Paulo native since her career started.
“I like to go to new industries and work to understand them deeply,” Pitol said.
It wasn’t just the draw of a new learning curve that caused Pitol to join WorkCare. She liked the vision of the firm, which started in 1984 by Dr. Peter Greaney.
“He’s still the sole owner almost 40 years later, and the company has a lot of momentum, both organically and on the acquisition market front,” Pitol said.
The firm, which today counts more than 1,000 clients across the U.S. and overseas, works with employers to increase employee health and safety, from injury prevention to COVID-19 care, or working to facilitate leaves of absence.
A fast-growing business line is manufacturing and utilities companies, where WorkCare “treats employees like athletes to prevent injuries and keep safety top of mind,” Pitol said.
The commute is a faster one for Pitol, who lives in Orange and works out of WorkCare’s Anaheim office on Harbor Boulevard three to five days a week. She oversees a team of about 20 professionals; WorkCare counts 700 employees in total.
“My day-to-day has shifted to be a bit more strategic, in which I’m not just involved in granular financial operations, but I’m also invested in the future of the company,” Pitol said.
Pitol got her start as a consultant at Deloitte in Brazil before working for aerospace firm C&D Zodiac where she ultimately transferred to Orange County. She joined Montrose Environmental in 2015 where she oversaw 55 acquisitions to help the company become one of the largest environmental services firms in the country.
“Overall, it’s really great to still be an OC-based professional,” Pitol said. “I love this community.”
