Alison Flinn is the chief of staff, development at Amherst. She draws on her deep expertise in supply chain operations consulting to support the substantial growth and scalability of Amherst’s single-family rental (SFR) business. Flinn ensures cross-functional alignment and oversight of the firm’s acquisition volume. Flinn expanded her team of one into a 15-person team, supporting Amherst’s strategy and operations. 

Flinn oversees operations for Amherst’s Merchant Bank and SFR Development teams, including strategy, analytics, financial planning and technology product development. Flinn works closely with her teams to understand how any changes in price may impact acquisitions, and she works to effectively structure her teams to manage any change in volume. She plays an active role in navigating new market opportunities, overseeing talent strategy and working with cross-functional teams to design solutions to meet Amherst’s business needs. Flinn exemplifies exceptional leadership skills through her focus on creative problem-solving and firmwide collaboration. She serves as a leader and mentor to her team, encouraging mentees to ask questions that prompt them to reach their own solutions. Her pragmatic, hands-on approach encourages junior team members to speak up and voice their ideas, fostering a culture of innovation and big-picture thinking.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

Never assume you know the answer. Listen, ask good questions and encourage the most junior person on your team to share their ideas.

Name:

Alison Flinn

Age:

38

Title:

Chief of Staff, Development

Company Name:

Amherst

Industry

Real Estate