From Accounting to Consulting: Hear From 4 TBG Employees Who Made an Internal Switch
The start of the new year is a time for fresh starts, goal setting, and often, career changes.
People switch careers for a number of reasons. A recent study by Flexjobs found that some of the top reasons for people leaving their jobs include toxic company culture, poor management, and lack of flexibility. However, these issues don’t always play a role – especially if you’re with a great firm. What if you do like your company, but don’t necessarily feel that your role is the right fit? It may be worth looking within your company for a potential change.
Oftentimes, internal position changes allow an individual to explore new skill sets, hone in on areas of interest, and permit further career growth without having to start over at a new company. At TBG, we realize there are vast opportunities within the accounting industry, and we support exploring alternate career paths for our dedicated employees.
Bonadio Advisory
Our dedicated consulting practice, Bonadio Advisory, has grown immensely over the past few years. Our consultants provide services to entities ranging from Fortune 500 companies to emerging Cannabis businesses. The primary goal of all our consulting services is to collaborate with our clients to improve their operational performance. TBG offers consulting services within investment banking, compliance solutions, fraud/forensics, information risk management, business valuation and succession planning, and more.
We spoke with four of our People who switched from traditional accounting roles into consulting roles to learn why they made the switch, how the firm supported this transition, and more.
John Rogers
Senior Accountant, Investment Banking Transaction Advisory
John started his career at TBG in the commercial audit practice where he interned and then accepted a full-time position as an assistant accountant in December 2017. John transitioned to the Investment Banking and Transaction Advisory (IBTA) practice in June of 2022. In his current role, John advises clients in various aspects of M&A transactions including sell-side investment banking projects. He also writes articles about different M&A related topics, reaches out to private equity groups, attends networking events, and more.
While John enjoyed his time working with and learning from the commercial team, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to help build the IBTA practice. “The idea of building/helping build a business (or in this case a branch of a business) always fascinated me, so when this offer arose, I had to jump on it. This, paired with two fantastic mentors [Dave Dinolfo and Jeff Lewis], which really excited me,” said John.
John recalls the transition to be very easy. “I had various discussions with Dave Dinolfo and Jeff Lewis as well as Mike Parrinello and Tammy Gamble regarding the switch,” said John. He furthered, “while change can be scary at times, these individuals always supported me throughout the transition, which speaks to the culture created here at Bonadio and is very much appreciated.”
James (Jamie) Normand
Analyst, FoxPointe Solutions
Jamie started at TBG in January 2021 as an assistant accountant in the Rochester tax department. This past May, he switched over to become an analyst with FoxPointe Solutions, TBG’s information risk management division, where he primarily works within the SOC and IT audit spaces.
“I have always been interested in computers and technology. I recently made the decision to start working towards a M.S degree in computer science and I wanted to make a career switch that aligned with this pursuit.”
Jamie began the process of his career transition by reaching out to his Partner mentor, Jeff Wexler, for advice and before long, he was on his way to working as an analyst at FoxPointe Solutions. “Throughout the process, I felt supported by my Partner mentor, as well as the folks on the FoxPointe, and Rochester tax teams.”
Although he won’t be directly applying his tax technical training in his new role, he shared “I will be applying the work ethic, problem solving techniques, and the engagement management skills I learned from my friends in the tax department.”
In his new role, Jamie enjoys working with and learning from his new team members. “Everyone is very open to helping others and the leadership team is exceptionally welcoming to new ideas. I truly feel that I have the room and support necessary to make a fruitful career here at Bonadio and with FoxPointe.”
Ashley Santo
Analyst, Bonadio Strategic Advisory
Ashley transitioned from staff accountant within TBG’s Healthcare Tax Exempt (HCTE) practice to analyst in Bonadio Strategic Advisory (BSA). In her new role, she researches various standards and practices for different industries and clients, interviews employees, investigates fraud, and more.
“I was inspired to make this career change because I have been interested in fraud and forensics since I was a kid. I would watch crime shows growing up and at least one of them had a forensic accountant, so when I learned more about accounting in high school, I knew this would be my dream job,” said Ashley.
Ashley explained, “when I initially researched Bonadio and met Tim Ball during college recruiting, it became a major goal of mine to gain some experience here and to be able to eventually make that switch.” She furthered, “I simply brought up wanting to try out a fraud job to a Partner during my first evaluation meeting and he immediately put me in touch with Tim.” From there she was able to gradually get involved with projects until a position eventually opened up in BSA.
“I am so grateful that Bonadio is flexible and encourages their employees to grow here. There is so much opportunity and you never have to feel stuck. I loved audit but I knew I wanted to stay true to myself and go for a challenge to get me out of my comfort zone; and I’m so thankful that I was supported every step of the way.”
Grace Walker
Director, FoxPointe Solutions
Grace transitioned from healthcare audit manager to director at FoxPointe Solutions. Her specific focus is within the SOC audit space. She leads projects from client acquisition to final project delivery, oversees the efforts of client service teams on multiple audit client engagements, and more.
After exploring some opportunities externally, Grace knew she wasn’t ready to leave the firm. She heard about the director role from a Partner that she used to work for in her previous position at Bonadio in the HCTE sector.
“He strongly encouraged me to learn more about the opportunity, helped facilitate the process, and graciously provided FoxPointe with a great review and recommendation about my skills, experience, and future potential at the firm.” With the support of her team members, Grace had a very smooth transition into her current role.
She furthered, “I am excited about the opportunities to learn and grow in a new industry, advance my career and work in an environment and on a team that is open to innovative change, growth, and excellence.”
If you’re interested in learning more about a career at TBG, don’t hesitate to reach out or check out our open positions here.
