Acting Chief Accountant, Office of the Chief Accountant, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Why did you decide to come to Leeds?
I was exploring PhD programs and found that Leeds accounting faculty had research interests and experience aligned with what I wanted to pursue during my PhD program.
What is one thing you learned at Leeds that you will never forget?
A critical component of any professional is a willingness to be a life-long learner. What is expected of an accounting professional today is far different from the expectations from when I was entering the profession. Without a willingness to invest in life-long learning (including both formal and informal learning), I would not have had the same level of career success.
Tell us about a particular professor or mentor that influenced you while you were at Leeds.
There were two in particular who influenced me: John Tracy and Rudy Schattke. Both were extremely accomplished and professional, but in very different ways. What they taught me is that I needed to be my own person -- but do that in a constructive way that worked within the expectations of whatever organization I was part of.
Where has life taken you since you graduated Leeds?
It has been a long and unpredictable journey. When I left Leeds with my PhD, I joined the faculty of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX. There, I was promoted from assistant to associate to full professor, and, probably more importantly, I met my wife. After about 10 years, I had an opportunity to join the faculty at the University of Miami and serve as department chair. Later, I joined KPMG's audit practice in Virginia and Kansas City. After a return to the University of Miami, I had an opportunity to serve as academic fellow at the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, DC. That experience took me to KPMG's national office in New York and London, where I spent about 15 years. I retired from KPMG and had the opportunity to rejoin the SEC first as Deputy Chief Accountant and now as Acting Chief Accountant.
What is one piece of advice/best practice that has stuck with you throughout your career?
Surround yourself with really smart and hard-working people who are willing to give you good advice rather than telling you what they think you want to hear.
What advice would you give to anyone interested in pursuing a career in your professional field?
First and foremost, it is critical to understand that accounting is a profession -- it's not just a job and its certainly not an industry. As a profession, there are responsibilities; in particular there is a public interest calling to being a professional accountant and CPA. Lastly, it is important to keep in mind that what accountants do every day is critical to the functioning of capital markets and capital formation (both public and private), and therefore has a direct bearing on the financial well-being of the global economy and all of the individuals who participate in that economy.
What do you miss most about Boulder?
Having four seasons each year and Buff football at Folsom Field.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
All I can say is that I am extremely blessed to be at this point in my life and my career and still be in a position to have a meaningful impact on the quality of financial information and audit quality that supports capital formation and capital allocation and that Leeds has been a critical part of that journey throughout my professional career.