Meet the Aries Team Blog: Ellen McIntrye, Billing and Contract Administrator

Tell us a little about yourself – how long have you been working for Aries? What did you do before joining Aries?

I joined Aries in March of 2022 and will soon be celebrating my one-year anniversary. My educational background is in Finance and Economics however, I was fortunate to spent most of my time raising my three sons. During that time, I also worked in a family contract furniture manufacturing business as well as several volunteer roles. My last position was at Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), one of Aries’ close integration partners, as a Senior Credit Analyst before joining Aries as a Billing and Contract Administrator last year.

How have your previous roles helped you in your current position?

Working at CCC enabled me to understand the terminology of the publishing industry. I also worked closely with the RightsLink for Scientific Communications product team to provide input on Open Access Charges billing and invoicing needs. These insights are relevant to what we do here at Aries, especially as CCC’s RighsLink is integrated with Aries’ Editorial Manager and ProduXion Manager solutions!

I also was a Member of the North Andover Zoning Board of Appeals for 26 years, holding the title of Chair and Vice Chair. During that time, I chaired several 40B meetings, the state statute, which enables local Zoning Boards of Appeals to approve affordable housing developments, as well as other large projects in the Town of North Andover. My tenure on the board granted me the ability to understand large and complicated government contracts.  

How do you stay up-to-date with customer needs and industry trends?

The Aries Client Services (CS) team meets on a weekly basis and is a great platform to discuss changes, ideas, and challenges that affect our customers, partners, and the scholarly publishing community. I also attend webinars related to industry trends as well as follow groups on LinkedIn.

Tell me about your department and the people you work most closely with.

Several of the departments at Aries have sub-squads with our own team names. As part of the larger Aries Client Services department, the billing and contract personnel form Team Genesis. We work closely with our customer support colleagues to ensure our client’s billing needs are meet in a timely manner. We also work closely with the Aries Sales department during contract negotiations.

Describe your typical workday.

The most interesting part of this job is that there is no ‘typical’ day. My day starts off early to accommodate our international offices and clients. I check my emails and the calendar and try to make plans and prepare for any upcoming meetings. Team Genesis meets in the early afternoon each day to discuss our current sprints.

What do you most enjoy about your job? What do you enjoy most about working for Aries?

My job is always changing and evolving, every day is different. My role was a new position recently created and my manager allows me to be innovative. However, the best part of my job is the people I work with. We all have a voice and there is a genuine spirit of cooperation and shared goals.

What are you currently reading, listening to, or watching?

Currently I am reading The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune with the Aries Book Club, but my all-time favorite book is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. It was a book I used to read to my sons and now I can read it to my grandchildren. I am a secret fan of reality TV, Big Brother, Survivor, The Amazing Race, The Challenge, Real Housewives (all franchises), BRAVO, 90 Day Fiancé, etc… oh and of course the Hallmark Channel during the holiday season!

Tell me about some of your hobbies/interests outside of work.

I enjoy cooking, especially Italian and spending time with my family. I also try to keep physically fit by boxing at Title Boxing Club with my husband. When the New England weather allows, I enjoy hiking and the going to the beach.