CPA Profiles

Tony Jordan, CPA

Company: StoneTurn Group
Title: Partner

What does your company/organization do?

At my company we perform forensic accounting and dispute consulting services. On the forensic accounting side we perform accounting investigations into financial statement fraud or occupational fraud, typically done on behalf of the board of directors of the company in question. On the dispute consulting side we assist attorneys in any type of matter where they need to understand the accounting, financial or economic side of a matter. These matters range from interpreting the accounting behind a dispute, to performing an analysis of the damages due a party based on another party’s actions. Oftentimes, this includes testifying as an expert at trial.

How have you made a difference by being a CPA?

I’ve tried to make a difference while being a CPA by letting high school and college students know of the many opportunities that are available to CPA's and by trying to correct the improper accounting and fraudulent issues I’ve seen throughout my career. One of the things I’m proudest of was the work I did with the government. As part of my career I worked at the SEC, where I worked on enforcement cases involving financial fraud issues where people violated the securities laws. Using the skills I gained in practice I was able to work on numerous enforcement cases in order to protect investor interests.

When you're not at work, what are you likely to be doing?

When I’m not at work I enjoy doing as many things as possible with my wife and our two children. You can often find us boating, biking, fishing or hiking during the warmer months and skiing in the winter. When I’m not with the family or my kids I like to play basketball, exercise or play golf.

What is your most meaningful volunteer experience?

I’m involved in a number of volunteer opportunities, but the one I feel has been the most meaningful is assisting the members of a community in Ghana to gain experience-using computers and to educate them on basic business skills. The project itself has been ongoing for 6 years and I’ve been to Ghana myself 3 times. The most rewarding piece of doing this is the appreciation that the people in the community express for what they’re receiving. It’s both amazing and refreshing to go to another part of the world and understand some of the basic things we take for granted each and every day and how much of an impact we can have on people thousands of miles away.

Does Tony look familiar?

Check out our Roadtrip- Destination CPA

Hear from more CPAs in every industry, from entertainment and music to government and public service -one thing they all share is a passion for what they do www.startheregoplaces.com

Hillary Burr, CPA

Company: Wolf & Company, P.C.
Title: Tax Supervisor

Are people surprised to learn you're a CPA? Why or why not?

I don’t know if they are as surprised to learn that I am a CPA as much as that I enjoy what I do. The CPA title carries weight when I talk to clients and anyone about my career but what makes an impact is someone actually liking what they do and being proud of their hard work.

What does your job entail?

The majority of my job is reviewing tax returns. At this point I would say 80% of the clients I work on are individuals. I still work on a few partnerships and corporations but enjoy the individual clients the most.

The busiest times of year for me are before April 15th and October 15th (the extended deadline). We definitely have enough to do all year long though with quarterly estimates, planning, non-calendar year end clients and any other events or transactions that arise during the year.

Do you think you have you made a difference by being a CPA?

Absolutely. This July I went to New Orleans with 14 CPAs from Massachusetts, North Carolina and Illinois. We worked with Operation Hope to provide pro-bono services to small businesses in and around New Orleans and Houma, LA. This was an experience unlike any I have had before. We were helping these individuals learn how to better take care of their business and as a result, their families and their futures. Everything they wanted to know was already in our heads or a few minutes worth of research away. That one-week we saw over 150 clients between presentations and one on one time with them. We absolutely made a difference and I would do it over in a heartbeat.

What advice do you have for someone who is thinking about joining the profession?

Do an internship. If possible, do two or find one that lets you experience both the tax and audit sides of the profession. Ask questions. Use the events at your school where people from the profession come and ask anything and everything you want. If you aren’t comfortable doing that, go and get their business card and then email your questions. Also feel free to ask the person speaking for the name of a staff person that you can contact with your questions so that you can get the views of someone that just started out.

Learn more about Hillary's Gulf Coast Relief Trip by viewing the video recap.

Hear from more CPAs in every industry, from entertainment and music to government and public service -one thing they all share is a passion for what they do www.startheregoplaces.com

Scott P. Morency

Company: PricewaterhouseCoopers
Title: Assurance Associate

What made you decide to go into the accounting profession?

Accounting is often referred to as "the language of business." What better way to learn what makes a business tick than by understanding the ways in which that business is measured?

I must tell you that in my first two years out of school, I never expected to be meeting with Chief Financial Officers (CFO) and Chief Administrative Officers (CAO). But as an auditor, that is exactly the experience that my position affords me. Simply put, I learn something new every single day.

What does your job entail?

Learning. I consider that my job is to learn. Everything else falls into place. Whether I am fresh out of school and just learning how to audit or whether I am an experienced associate trying to grasp SOP 97-2, my job is to learn. I am constantly facing new challenges that require me to learn.

To be honest, I do not go to work each morning to get through tasks, I go to work to learn. I use each opportunity as a chance to learn and to become better at my profession.

What obstacles, if any, did you have to overcome to get to where you are today?

After high school, I decided to take an additional year off to find direction for my life. I spent a year as a landlord, not even sure that I would go to college. After having been exposed to accounting for a summer job that year, I realized that I was ready for a new challenge.

What advice do you have for someone who is thinking about joining the profession?

You will need only one thing. That is, you must honestly get up each morning, thirsty. Thirsty for knowledge, you've got to want to learn and have a positive attitude about it. All the rest will fall into place.

Hear about Scott's volunteer experience with his teambuilding program 2+2=5

Hear from more CPAs in every industry, from entertainment and music to government and public service -one thing they all share is a passion for what they do www.startheregoplaces.com

Joanna Bonventre

Company: Pricewaterhouse Coopers
Title: Senior Associate, Assurance

What made you decide to go into the accounting profession?

During my undergraduate years, I studied chemical engineering, with a focus on biomedical engineering. During senior year, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to work on the "business side of things" instead of at the lab bench, so I took a job at a healthcare and high technology consulting firm.

Consulting was a great experience and exposed me to a number of different companies . . . but not a lot about any one thing. I wanted to have a very specific skill that would keep me in demand in a tough economy, but allow me the flexibility to work in a number of different industries. When I came across the accounting profession, I was hooked. I took a night class at BC while working and knew after the first session that this career was for me. Since graduating, I have worked at PwC in Boston, where my clients consist mainly of life science companies and large research institutions. Clients are usually impressed to hear their auditor knows what a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) machine is when I walk through their lab.

What makes your job interesting/challenging/fun?

When I took my first job after college, my father would routinely ask me, "How's work? Are you learning anything?" The day I said, "No," to the latter question was the day I knew consulting was not the career for me. Accounting has provided me with unlimited opportunities. I can apply my CPA expertise to any industry, any company, and any subject. So far I have worked on biotech, software, financial service, and university industry audit clients, and dealt with SEC filings, large fraud investigations, and the roll-out of $150M IT systems. I get to spend my days interacting personally with my clients, instead of sitting in a cube staring at a computer. The opportunities for advancement and fun, exciting projects at my company are endless.

What obstacles, if any, did you have to overcome to get to where you are today?

The most significant obstacle was switching careers. As a non-accounting major, I worried whether I would have sufficient knowledge and background compared with my colleagues who studied accounting in college. Northeastern's graduate program prepared me incredibly, however, and I found out that my undergraduate studies ended up bringing a science expertise to the table for my life science clients that most accountants do not have.

What is your most meaningful volunteer experience?

This past spring, PwC participated in the Relay for Life across the US. I was part of the team that participated in the Medford, MA relay. As a 28-year-old cancer survivor, it took my breath away to show up to a relay like that with 120 people from one company. I really felt like my company and I made a difference. We raised thousands of dollars and virtually took the place over. Seeing the impact you can make with such a big company behind you makes you only want to work harder.