With more than 30 years of experience in the architecture and engineering industry, Cathy Britt is our Chief Financial Officer, leading our business with an eye for growth and transformation. She is a Florida native with an aptitude for complex math theories and a preference for clear, organized business structures. A trailblazer for women in leadership from the start, Cathy was the sole woman owner when she joined Page in 2007 and became the first woman Senior Principal / Board Member in 2019.
She knew architecture was the right industry for her when she joined CRSS Architects in Houston as a project accountant. It was early in her career and she had just passed the CPA exam in one sitting—when all four sections were given at the same time. Cathy was juggling a family at home and had recently moved from Ft. Lauderdale to Houston.
“It was in the day when you could try industries as a contract consultant. I knew I didn’t want to crunch numbers in a cubicle and quickly found out oil and gas companies were not the right fit for me,” she explains. “Then I found architecture and architects. I was immediately able to add value to the process and help the firm increase revenue. It was a great team and a great atmosphere. It was where I wanted to be.”
CRSS eventually became HOK and Cathy became part of HOK’s leadership team with ownership in the firm. In 2007, her former CRSS colleagues called Cathy to join the leaders at Page, then PageSoutherlandPage. Joining Page was exciting because Cathy saw potential.
“I am a firm believer in our Page One philosophy,” she says. “When I started, there were four individual offices running independently. A decade later, we have transformed into an international firm with nine collaborative offices and more than 650 employees.”
Cathy has consistently demonstrated thoughtful fiscal leadership; she immediately implemented a centralized accounting system and single project number structure and pushed for Page to join the AIA Large Firm Round Table. In 2013, she led the firm through its evolution from a limited liability partnership to a corporation. More recently, she led the committee that implemented the firm’s employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) and remains a program trustee.
"Finance is part of the business; it is fundamental to our growth,” she says. “But the best financial practices are not just about the bottom line.” She has steered the fiscal ship as revenue has grown from $77M to a projected $180M during her tenure, and the firm has evolved into a complex international company with numerous legal entities, over 20 state registrations and filings, joint ventures and complicated tax issues.
Outside of the office Cathy dedicates time to numerous community and professional organizations. She has been on the board of Fort Bend Regional Council of Substance Abuse for four years and serving as its acting treasurer for two years. She is a member of Greater Houston Partnership and its Executive Women's Partnership. She is also one of the longest serving members of the CFO AIA Round Table.
Regarding her role as a Senior Principal on the Page board, Cathy notes she is proud that today the firm has 70 owners and that during her time here she has seen a net gain of 46 owners, of which 37% are women.
“As the nation and world economies continue to change, I look forward to positioning our firm in the best financial condition,” she says. “I will continue to promote healthy growth balanced by sound financial management.”
