Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Oliver.
Hi Kristen, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up in Springfield, Ohio, and began my career as a costing analyst at an Owens Corning roofing facility. It was not the most glamorous introduction to finance, but it gave me an invaluable foundation. I learned how products are made, how operational decisions affect profitability, and why understanding the story behind the numbers matters just as much as reporting them.
That first job brought me to Portland, where I eventually joined Nike. From there, my career became more global than I ever could have imagined. Over more than 20 years with Nike and adidas, I had the opportunity to live and work in the United States, Europe, and Asia. I held leadership roles across finance, costing, sourcing, and strategic planning, ultimately leading large teams and helping guide financial decisions for multibillion-dollar businesses. Each move required me to adapt to a new country, culture, organization, and way of working. Those experiences taught me to listen carefully, remain curious, and become comfortable navigating situations where I did not have every answer.
After 15 years with adidas, I found myself at an unexpected turning point. Rather than immediately pursuing another traditional corporate role, I decided to build something of my own. In 2026, I founded Endurance Margin Advisory, where I provide fractional and interim CFO leadership, strategic finance support, and margin optimization for consumer product companies.
Starting a business after spending most of my career inside large global organizations has been both humbling and energizing. I have had to become comfortable introducing myself in a completely new way, building relationships from the ground up, and trusting that the experience I accumulated throughout my career can create meaningful value for growing companies.
At the same time, I am raising my two children, Leona and Everett. They are a constant reminder that courage does not necessarily mean feeling completely confident. Sometimes it simply means taking the next step while you are still figuring things out. In my free time, I love distance running, checking out all the amazing local restaurants we have, and exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
My story has not followed one carefully mapped path. It has been shaped by taking opportunities, moving across the world, learning from unfamiliar environments, and being willing to begin again. Today, I am building a business that brings together the parts of my career I have valued most: solving complex problems, helping leaders make clearer decisions, developing people, and turning financial insight into action. I am still building this next chapter, which is part of what makes it so exciting.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. Some of the most meaningful chapters of my life have required me to start over in unfamiliar circumstances.
Professionally, moving between countries, cultures, and leadership roles brought incredible opportunities, but it also required constant adaptation. Each move meant rebuilding my community, learning a new organization, and proving myself in a different environment. I was often one of relatively few women in senior finance leadership, and I had to learn how to trust my perspective, use my voice, and lead authentically rather than trying to fit someone else’s definition of leadership.
More recently, I went through a divorce while also leaving adidas after 15 years and stepping away from the structure and security of a long corporate career. I suddenly found myself rebuilding both my personal and professional life while raising two children. Starting my own advisory business meant moving from a world where my title and company were immediately recognizable to one where I had to define my own value, create new relationships, and generate opportunities from the ground up.
That transition has tested my confidence and patience. There are days when building something new feels exciting and days when the uncertainty feels overwhelming. I have learned that fear and excitement are often two sides of the same coin. The presence of fear does not necessarily mean you are making the wrong decision; sometimes it means you are doing something that requires real courage.
The struggles along the way have taught me that resilience is not about handling everything perfectly. It is about continuing to move forward, asking for help when you need it, and allowing yourself to change direction when the life you built no longer fits the person you have become. I am proud not because every step has been easy, but because I have continued to build a life and career that feel increasingly aligned with who I am.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Endurance Margin Advisory provides fractional and interim CFO leadership, strategic finance support, and margin optimization for consumer product companies. I work with founders, executives, and finance teams that need experienced financial leadership but may not need, or may not yet be ready for, a full-time CFO.
My work sits at the intersection of finance, product, and operations. I help companies move beyond simply reporting what happened and use financial information to make better decisions about what happens next. That can include strengthening forecasting and financial planning, improving reporting and close processes, evaluating profitability, managing inventory and working capital, clarifying organizational responsibilities, or helping leaders understand where they should invest, reduce spending, or change direction.
I specialize in footwear, apparel, and consumer products because I understand the entire product journey, from sourcing, costing, and development through pricing, inventory, sales, and margin. Having worked inside Nike and adidas across North America, Europe, and Asia, I understand both the creative and commercial sides of the industry. I have seen how decisions made early in the product process can ultimately affect profitability, cash flow, and the consumer experience.
What sets me apart is my ability to connect financial strategy with operational reality. I do not believe finance should operate at a distance from the business or simply present numbers after decisions have already been made. The best finance leaders ask thoughtful questions, translate complexity into clear choices, and work alongside the business to implement solutions. I bring the discipline and perspective developed inside large global organizations, but I adapt it to the scale, resources, and priorities of each company. The goal is not to create unnecessary complexity. It is to help leaders gain clarity and build practical systems that allow the business to perform more effectively.
I am especially proud that the Endurance Margin brand reflects both what I do and how I work. “Margin” represents the commercial discipline at the center of my expertise, while “endurance” reflects my belief that strong businesses are built for sustainable performance rather than short-term results. It also speaks to the persistence required to build a company, lead through change, and continue moving forward when the path is not perfectly clear.
Ultimately, I want people to know that financial leadership is not only for very large companies. Growing businesses deserve access to experienced, strategic financial thinking as well. My role is to meet leaders where they are, understand what is keeping them up at night, and help turn financial information into decisions and action. I am proud to be building a firm that combines rigorous financial expertise with curiosity, collaboration, and a genuine investment in the success of the people and businesses I support.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Nothing I have accomplished has happened entirely on my own. Throughout my career at Nike and adidas, I benefited from managers who challenged me, colleagues who shared their expertise, teams who trusted me to lead, and people around the world who helped shape the finance leader I became.
As I began considering a future outside the corporate world, my former colleague and friend Pascha Cain showed me what it could look like to take that leap and build something independently. Pascha left the corporate environment and is now a successful real estate agent in the Portland metropolitan area. Watching that transition helped me see that it was possible to take the skills, relationships, and experience developed during a corporate career and apply them in an entirely new way.
Kim Parker has also played an incredibly meaningful role in the early stages of Endurance Margin Advisory. A mutual connection introduced us because Kim had similarly left the corporate environment and was building her own business. From the beginning, she was extraordinarily generous with her time, advice, and network. She made introductions and helped open doors for me, and one of those introductions ultimately led to my first consulting engagement. Her willingness to help without expecting anything in return has shown me the power of women actively supporting other women.
My partner, Bogdan, has been one of my strongest supporters. Leaving the familiarity and security of a corporate career required courage, and his encouragement helped give me the confidence to take that step. He has believed in what I am building and cheered me on through every stage, including the moments when the path forward felt uncertain.
My children, Leona and Everett, also give me perspective and motivation. They have watched me navigate significant change and begin building something new. I hope they see that success does not require following one perfect, predetermined path. We can make courageous choices, begin again, and continue creating a life that is meaningful and true to who we are becoming.
I am deeply grateful to Pascha, Kim, Bogdan, my children, my former teammates, and the early clients who trusted me. Each has played a different role, but together they have reminded me that while starting a business may feel deeply personal, it is never truly a solo journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://endurancemargin.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenoliver/
