Kryssi Benson, Operations Manager

Professional Summary

Hi, I'm Kryssi! I have been described as:

• organized

• curious

• determined

• imaginative

• decisive

• professional

• thoughtful

• wise

• outgoing

• detail-oriented

• energetic

• personable

• witty

• knowledgeable

• calm under pressure

• well-rounded

I am an ambitious Operations Manager with a dynamic background. Because of my passion for language and connection, I am confident and capable during face-to-face interactions, video chats, phone conversations, and written correspondence. With a peripheral education in sociology, psychology, mediation, and communication, as well as a lifelong dedication to etiquette and diplomacy, I'm an ideal fit for any company seeking a savvy, analytical, motivated “Jill of all trades”.

I began my administrative career at Evolve Fitness, where I worked as a Club Administrator. This general role covered everything from managing employee and class calendars, to billing and filing, to flawless customer service at the reception desk. I impressed a member of the gym so much that he offered me a position as the Administrative Assistant for his new company, Carrieri Home Improvement (now Innovus Building and Remodeling)! I worked there from 2011-2015 as his right-hand woman, helping him build his business from the ground up.

From there, I moved over to Austrian-based OMICRON electronics Corporation as an Administrative Assistant and Repairs Coordinator, acting as liaison between the company's engineers and their customers worldwide. Unfortunately OMICRON was not able to meet my salary requirements, so I took an opportunity at AOBiome as an Executive Assistant/Office Manager.

At AOBiome, I collaborated with multiple executives on travel arrangements, event planning, and extensive calendar management. I also managed the day-to-day operations of the office as it grew from 17 to 40 employees, overseeing the move to a larger space within the CIC building in Kendall Square. As it grew, the company split into two separate branches: AOBiome and MotherDirt. During the restructuring, the admin team was laid off and I found myself looking for a similar role in light of my newly-honed skillset.

I soon moved on to Glympse Bio, where I supported the President, CDO, CBO and CSO with scheduling, correspondence, staff and board meeting preparations, and travel—both international and domestic. As the fourth official employee hired by the small company, I helped organize the company database, put together policies and procedures, headed the website design team, and took on several additional ad hoc projects requested of me. At Glympse Bio’s original headquarters in LabCentral, I was also an active participant in the co-working space’s event planning, connecting employees of various companies to each other in order to facilitate idea-sharing and collaboration. My position was one of several cuts made by the company's first official CEO a few months after she was appointed. However I kept my chin up, in part thanks to my direct supervisors at Glympse, who remain valuable mentors to me to this day.

In my next role as Business Operations Manager for ElevateBio, I expanded my talents even further by serving as the backbone for the fast-growing start-up. As the company transitioned from their small office in Kendall Square to a 108,000 sq ft lab, manufacturing, and office space in the Post Building in Waltham, I was able to utilize my superior research skills and past experience to help implement systems and processes with an eye towards scaling for growth. It was here that I took on my first official managerial role, hiring and supervising a stellar Office Administrator who will tell you, "Kryssi is the best boss I've ever had! I looked forward to going into work every day because of her." During the global COVID-19 pandemic, ElevateBio reassessed their priorities and made the difficult decision to let several of their employees go, including me. As she delivered the news, my direct supervisor struggled to hold back tears. But by this point I was well aware that when one door closes, another one opens!

In May of 2020, I had begun volunteering with Boston CASA, the city-run guardian ad-litem program for court-involved children who have experienced abuse and neglect. After being laid off from ElevateBio, I was very grateful to realize that I was well-positioned to devote a substantial amount of time to working with the families assigned to me. While awaiting an end to the lockdowns, I decided to commit 40+ hours a week to my volunteer work. Normally a CASA volunteer takes on one case at a time, but I was able to dedicate myself to three families over the course of my "hiatus". As a member of CASA, it is my job to stay in regular contact with the providers of the families assigned to me; I use my superior organizational and leadership skills to coordinate meetings between attorneys, DCF workers, and therapists in order to assess, document, and report on the needs and progress of each family. Additionally, I spent much of my downtime during the pandemic learning the ins and outs of supply chain management via LinkedIn Learning classes, studying German with DuoLingo, teaching myself and my sister to ride motorcycles, and training my new puppy, Epona.

In October of 2021 it appeared as though the world was beginning the transition back to "normal". By then, two of my three CASA cases had been resolved and I was eager to go back to the daily routines of the office. As an extrovert I draw motivation from being around people and I find a great deal of satisfaction in making the transition from "relaxed" at home to "alert" in a co-working environment, so I began looking for full time work again. Almost immediately, I was placed in a newly-created role at Atlas Venture, a venture capital firm in Kendall Square that specializes in the custom building of biotech start-ups. It had been noted that several of their venture partners and entrepreneurs-in-residence (EIRs) had requested assistance with calendar management, meeting scheduling, and project coordination as their seed companies began to grow.
Initially I was assigned to two venture partners and one EIR, but I currently divide my time between three venture partners and three EIRs, supporting a total of nine seed companies--all in different stages of advancement. I report in directly to the President & CEO of Atlas Venture, Peter Barrett, who works with me to "make the job up as we go along"--meaning it is my responsibility to understand the needs of the entities I support, and to creatively and realistically divide my bandwidth in ways that provide the most value to each, while informing Peter and seeking his guidance at every step of the way.

In many aspects, this has been my most rewarding role, as it has allowed me to really test the limits of my knowledge, research skills, and relationship-building abilities. My proficiency for setting boundaries around my time has been extremely valuable in this position! The job has also been rather challenging, as I find myself becoming invested in each company and the people within it...and then eventually having to assist in finding and training a new full-time EA/OM to take over for me one a start-up has "left the nest". Two of the executives I support have already gone through this process since I've come on board, bringing their companies public and moving into larger off-site spaces--and both have appealed to my direct supervisor to take me with them! However, it is part of my contract that I am not "poachable", thus I am constantly pivoting to a new dynamic with a new person or group instead of staying on the usual track of growing with a company.
It has become clear to me, over the course of my short time here, that growing with a company is something that is very important to me. While this role keeps me on my toes, makes great use of my talents, and is never boring, in the long run it is still at its core, an executive assistant role. My goal is to continue along the path of operations management and begin to branch off into a more HR- or supply chain-related specialty. This is why I am currently exploring new options, and because I have the luxury of being able to take my time in this search, I plan to be very discerning: my next role must be one where not only am I a great fit for the company and culture, but they are a great fit me!

I am the candidate you can always rely on to get the job done. I am dedicated to a career in management, coordination, and operations, and I'm ready to make a strong impact from day one. I have fantastic references from all of my current and former supervisors.