The Human Side of Finance: An Interview with Elizabeth Coles and Beth Borland-Spencer
In honor of Women’s History Month, we sat down with two inspiring leaders at TransPak, Elizabeth Coles and Beth Borland-Spencer, to hear about their journeys, the challenges they’ve overcome, and valuable advice for women pursuing careers in finance, especially within the dynamic world of global packaging and manufacturing.
Q: Can you introduce yourselves and share your role at TransPak?
Elizabeth (Liz) Coles:
I’m Liz Coles, Vice President of Accounting and Finance at TransPak. I lead our global accounting teams and have been with the company for 3½ years—this fall will be my fourth.
Beth Borland-Spencer:
I’m Beth Borland-Spencer, the Global Controller. I help support Liz in leading our accounting team, and I’ll be celebrating four years with TransPak this June.
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in finance, and how did that path lead you to TransPak?
Liz:
My path was very practical. I come from a family of accountants; my mom and a few uncles are in the field. I originally went to school for music but quickly realized that wasn’t the most sustainable career path, so I pivoted to business and accounting. I earned my MBA, became a CPA, and started in public accounting. After serving as CFO at a small public company, I was ready to return to a privately held business, and that’s when TransPak found me.
Beth:
I actually started with a degree in art and a minor in Asian art history. I worked at Estée Lauder after college, thinking I’d stay in the creative space, but I gravitated toward the business and operations side. I went back for some accounting coursework, and my career shifted from there. I spent several years in finance roles at publicly traded companies in logistics and manufacturing, which aligned perfectly when an opportunity presented itself at TransPak.
Q: Have you faced challenges as women in finance, and if so, how have you overcome them?
Liz:
Finance actually has a fair amount of female leadership, so I don’t think we face the same barriers as women in some other industries. That said, we’re often the only women in the room, which can be challenging. Our voices can easily be overlooked, especially when discussing complex financial topics. That’s why it’s important to communicate in a way others understand, to ensure we’re not just silent experts in the room.
Balancing work and motherhood has also been a personal challenge. I have two kids and a demanding job, so letting go of the idea that I have to do everything has been key. Having a supportive partner at home makes a huge difference.
Beth:
I agree. We’ve both worked in environments where women were well represented in finance, but moving up in more male-dominated industries like manufacturing can still come with limitations. What’s different about TransPak is the emphasis on internal growth and the building of relationships across the company. That kind of support is rare and valuable.
Q: How has TransPak’s culture, especially being woman- and family-owned, impacted your experience?
Liz:
It’s had a big impact. TransPak is very family-friendly, which makes a huge difference, especially for working parents. We’ve maintained flexible work-from-home policies that help create balance. More importantly, the culture here genuinely supports women and families. Arlene, our owner, was a mom when she took over the company, and that perspective has carried through the organization.
Beth:
That family-oriented mindset creates space for deeper relationships across the company. People know each other’s families and take time to connect. Coming from a public company background with constant pressure to meet deadlines and compliance, it’s refreshing to be in a place that prioritizes performance and people.
Q: What makes a global finance team like yours successful?
Liz:
Consistency, clear communication, and trust. Over the past few years, we’ve built strong relationships across regions by meeting more in person and setting clear expectations. We lead from a place of trust; we assume people are doing their jobs and trying to do the right thing.
Beth:
We also avoid ambiguity. We’re both pretty direct and ensure our expectations are clear. We want our team to feel comfortable coming to us when things aren’t working so we can course-correct together. It’s all about being approachable and building mutual respect.
Q: What advice would you give to young women starting their careers in finance?
Beth:
Be ambitious, and don’t be afraid to work towards what you want. It sounds simple but have that confidence within yourself to pursue your dreams and goals, whether it’s getting your CPA or reaching a certain level at your organization; know that you can achieve that.
Liz:
Trust your voice. I remember when I was younger, I was so much more afraid to speak up. I was told, and often still am, that I’m “too direct.”
If I could go back and tell my twenty-year-old self one thing, it would be this: Be yourself. That’s what will get you where you need to go. You won’t be the right fit everywhere, but you will be good enough somewhere. And that place will value you for exactly who you are.
Be authentic.
Conclusion
At TransPak, we are proud to celebrate the many women who lead with trust, and authenticity across our organization, not just during Women’s History Month, but every day.
Want to hear more stories about women at TransPak? Check out our latest article highlighting the incredible work of TransPak women in engineering and how they’re shaping the future of our industry.
