"Chime® is the first company I've worked at that is truly mission-driven, and it's a mission I can relate to very personally," says Amine Asmerom. "When my parents moved to the U.S. in the late nineties and tried to buy a home, they were asked about their credit — something they just didn't think about. Credit cards weren't really used at that time, so even though my parents had worked hard and saved money, they didn't have the tools to unlock that next step of progress."
On his own financial journey, Amine jokingly remembers debating whether to get guacamole on his Chipotle bowls while he was in college. "On a serious note, I would balance my checkbooks to see how much cash I had in my accounts before deciding on any non-essential purchases," he says. "I was very cautious and to never get charged overdraft fees. When I first heard of Chime, I knew the company was onto something — and providing for a very real need."
Today, Amine is Chime's Chief Accounting Officer. Here's a look at his career journey, his team at Chime, and how he helps them succeed while staying curious, working hard, and being kind.
Finding his way to—and staying in—accounting
Amine grew up in Africa before moving to the U.S. at age seventeen, where he pursued a career in accounting. "The short answer to why I'm an accountant is that my dad is one," he says. "When I was figuring out what to do in my studies, my dad was a great sounding board and an example to me of what a successful career looked like. It was the most practical, natural progression for me."
While his dad may have been the reason Amine pursued a career in accounting, there are many more reasons he's stayed in the field, including how his roles have kept him creatively challenged. "Accounting is accounting," he says. "The rules are the same, but how you apply them could differ from Company to Company. While most of my work is straightforward, I relish the gray area, especially when dealing with ambiguity and lack of structure."
Amine also enjoys the pivotal role accounting plays in helping companies grow. He's joined startups across various industries, implementing processes, infrastructure, and teams necessary to scale responsibly and effectively. During that time, he also discovered how much he enjoys investing in his teams: "Having been a manager for the past fifteen years, I love helping people grow both in their careers and personally."
His journey to Chime
When Amine joined Chime, his role was to help put the necessary infrastructure into place to support the growing team and company. "I helped a couple of start-ups through a similar journey and was excited to bring what I learned to help Chime scale," he says. "There were so many systems and processes that our team has put into place since then, and we've grown from four to about thirty." In addition to growing the team in size, Amine has helped the group progress from being a mighty four of individual generalists to running six specific business groups.
Today, those teams include controllership, procurement, equity, tax, payroll, and internal audit. "The team has a large scope of influence, from reporting our monthly and quarterly performance to strategic sourcing, negotiating deals, to our bi-monthly payroll, issuing equity, filing our corporate tax returns, and implementing SOX process, just to name a few," Amine says. "It's a lot of the back office work that doesn't get much limelight, but is vital to continuing Chime's growth towards a mature company."
Amine's teams work far and wide across the organization, collaborating with other teams to bring their work to life. Being embedded across the organization in this way is no mistake — his teams help drive decisions that ensure Chime operates more efficiently as a business. "If there is friction involved, it's created to make sure we're intentional about the decisions we make including how we're spending money," he says.
Measuring success — and helping his team find it
For Amine, success comes down to how his team is doing. "To me, the best way to judge success as a leader is to look at the team's growth — both personally and professionally," he says. He works hard to mentor his team and create a workplace that helps them grow, feel excited about their work, and feel supported.
So it's no surprise that Amine would describe his management philosophy as one based on being there for his team and maintaining open communication. "Some folks can be shy about reaching out, so I try to be intentional when it comes to keeping in touch with my team members — I touch base often to see how things are going," he says. "In my experience, when my managers have been there for me and stayed honest, it has bred trust — so I try to take that approach to supporting my team, too. Because when people can speak freely, leaders can better understand where they're coming from and help them succeed, which is what I measure myself on."
"I'm committed to helping my team grow, which I believe requires mentorship across all facets of their lives, both personal and professional."
Working hard, being curious, and not being afraid to fail
"Three adages that I try to live by are: work hard, be curious, and don't be afraid to fail," Amine says. "When I look at the past few years, our team has grown, but we still work hard. We are curious and always trying to learn. We are not afraid to fail, and we learn from our mistakes, both as individuals and as a team. And, through it all, we are kind — not just to each other, but to all of our partners across the organization. We have come a long way and learned a lot as we've grown, but we're only just beginning. I'm excited to continue growing my team and to take Chime into a more mature business environment with enduring growth."
Growth abounds at home for Amine, too, as he recently became a dad. "My son is growing by leaps and bounds, so I'm seeing him grow and enjoying the perks of being a first-time dad," he says. "This year, I'll continue to work hard, be curious, and won't be afraid to fail — both as a dad and a CAO."