Q&A with Andre Hinojosa, Director of Accounting

Meet Andre Hinojosa, Director of Accounting at Apex!

Andre holds a BS from UC Irvine and brings over 9 years of accounting experience to Apex, including 4+ years of leadership in finance operations at ABL. In his current role, Andre is focused on building scalable accounting systems that support Apex’s rapid growth and enable seamless tracking and reporting from supply chain to people operations.

Learn more about Andre below:

Q: What excites you the most about working at a company like Apex?  

The opportunity to be a part of a company building and creating technologies that will change the future. 

Q: Why are you excited about space?  

Space is directly tied to our quality of life here on Earth. Not only does the development of future technologies excite me (like those needed to colonize other planets), but improving connectivity, understanding climate change, and national security all rely on space access. It touches nearly every aspect of our lives. 

Q: What’s something you learned in your most recent role that you’re bringing to Apex? 

Two of the biggest factors of a scaling company are people and process. As we grow, I am constantly evaluating our systems, processes, and how teams interact with them. What works at under 50 employees doesn’t work at 200, 300, and so on.

We have to implement enough controls to keep things on schedule and within budget while giving our teams the autonomy they need to move fast. My team is deeply involved here as we build out an ERP system that supports all functions.

Q: How do you see the role of accounting here at Apex, and how is it supporting the mass-manufacturing of Apex’s satellite platforms?

Accounting touches every part of the business. My role involves working with Supply Chain from procurement to inventory management. I work with Engineering on project budgeting and asset development, with FP&A on budgeting, reporting, and revenue forecasting, and with BD and Mission Services teams on cost, price, and margin analysis.

Accounting is ultimately responsible for keeping the company’s financial engine running smoothly and giving our fast-moving teams the space to stay focused on execution. Given how Apex is revolutionizing satellite manufacturing, we have a unique opportunity to write the book on this new business model and find efficiencies that streamline the whole company.

Q: What has surprised you the most coming up on one year at Apex?  

The speed at which we operate and execute continues to impress me. I have worked at high-growth companies in the past, and Apex is achieving timelines on initiatives that took several years at other companies. It is definitely a motivating factor for me here. 

Q: Tell us a bit about what you do in your free time. 

Being a SoCal native means I love spending time outside, whether it’s playing golf or going for beach walks with my wife and our dog, Cash. I also love a good happy hour (and finding new spots).