Hollie Day, CPA

Vice President & Field Exam Supervisor, PNC Business Credit

40 Under 40 Category: External Field Exam

Hollie Day joined PNC Business Credit as a field exam analyst in 2015 and currently serves as a field exam supervisor. 

She is a founding member of the Dorchester Community Garden, a communal project offering fresh and free produce in an area of Chicago underserved by traditional grocery stores. 

Day received a bachelor degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she majored in literature. She also received a master degree in accounting and financial management from the Keller Graduate School of Management. Day obtained her CPA license in 2019. 

She resides in Forest Park, IL with her fiancé, Eric. They are expecting their first child in November 2021.

Did you change the way you approach work while working remotely during the pandemic? Have these habits stayed with you as we emerge from the crisis?

The biggest change for me was the inability to travel and visit the offices of our borrowers. This challenge often slowed communication, as I often would be waiting on emails or returned phone calls regarding issues I could normally raise in person. 

The structure of the field exams I led also became more fluid. While I typically completed the field work and wrote my exam report the following week, I found myself with down time as I waited for information from borrowers. I used that newfound down time to start writing my exam report earlier than usual, while finishing some of the field work during my traditional write up time. 

While our work looked different over the last year, I am very proud of myself and my colleagues for successfully adapting to a remote field exam function.

What advice do you give to the junior talent you mentor?

An excellent piece of advice I received – and continue to share with others – is to stop second guessing myself. Oftentimes, when you think you’re on the right track, you are. 

It’s also important to ask questions. If the answer isn’t satisfactory, ask another question. When someone comes to me with an inquiry, I often ask what he or she thinks the answer is – which ties back to not second-guessing yourself. I think that posing a question and being prepared with a possible answer shows the person that you’ve thought it through, but just need some guidance.

How would you encourage young professionals to become more involved in their community or volunteer? How have these activities outside of work helped shape your professional life?

I would encourage people to explore something they have been interested in before, even if they have little or no experience. Prior to establishing the Dorchester Community Garden, my experience consisted of planting tomatoes at home and sadly watching as they failed to grow. The community garden, however, has succeeded. The space now features on-site water and has grown from two beds and a hose running across the street to 32 raised beds and a greenhouse obtained through grant funding.

Keep in mind that every volunteer opportunity does not have to be so ambitious. The great thing about volunteering is you can invest as much or as little time as you like. In the past, the garden has partnered with corporations and schools to bring groups on-site to help with larger projects. We’ve also worked with Chicago Cares, an organization offering an extensive online calendar of many different types of local volunteer opportunities. I would encourage anyone interested in volunteering to find a similar resource in their area.