McGladrey & JA believe it's never too early to learn about business

Entrepreneurship and basic business concepts were the topic of discussion in a series of special classes taught by McGladrey volunteers at Bishop Woods School in New Haven, Conn., as part of  the local Junior Achievement Chapter's "JA in a Day" event. Everything from revenue, expenses, supply chain and other aspects of business were taught through a serious of age-appropriate activities for children in grades 3-6, according to marketing manager and volunteer Amy Fischer. "It was a fantastic experience to work with the students and see their enthusiasm around small business," said Amy.

Sr. manager Susan Martinelli, a member of the JA New Haven Volunteer Council along with supervisor Kevin Kiss, said McGladrey has been a part of this event for about five years, with a consistently strong showing with at least 10 to as many as 25 volunteers. "We also participate in networking events with JA frequently to increase participation in their activities and to educate others about the program," said Susan. Twelve volunteers from the New Haven and Stamford offices taught the classes individually or in pairs.

Partner Larry Carboni serves on the board of the JA New Haven Chapter and couldn't be more pleased about the active involvement of the McGladrey employees to help give back to the community in this special way. "As a member of the JA board in New Haven, I am very proud of all the people who participated in our JA in a Day event at Bishop Woods School in New Haven. Each team took valuable time from their busy schedules to prepare for and deliver multiple JA sessions that are typically presented over multiple days. The JA staff said that everyone did a great job and the day was a huge success," said Larry.

Meet McGladrey's Working Father of the Year

If you need moving boxes or advice on building a career in assurance, Joe Lee’s your guy. The trick will be finding an open slot on the calendar of McGladrey’s first-ever Working Father of the Year. 
 
Joe started as an assurance associate with McGladrey in 2005 shortly after graduating from Illinois State University. He and wife, Kristen, married the same year and their family grew nearly as quickly as his career. The couple’s first set of twins arrived in 2009, another pair came along three years later and they welcomed a fifth child this summer. Now an assurance senior manager, Joe uses his audit and accounting skills to stay on track, at home and at work. 

A planner at heart and a whiz with his Outlook calendar, Joe diligently blocks time for clients, kids, church and band practice. Despite traveling a lot for work and serving as career advisor to eight advisees, Joe works from home occasionally so he’s able to spend more time with his kids.

Regardless of where he is, Joe stays connected to staff and clients to meet their needs. Mark Tomaw, who was Joe’s career advisor and who nominated him for this award, says that Joe’s clients think highly of him and his exceptional client service. “He has been a good example for our staff showing that we can successfully manage both work and family lives,” Mark noted of Joe in his nomination. “In my 38 years with the firm, I’m not sure I’ve seen anyone do a better job at being a high producer at work without totally sacrificing his personal life. He always seems find a good balance.”

Joe is honored to have been named McGladrey’s first Working Father of the Year. “To me it means that McGladrey recognizes there’s more to life than work,” he says. “We work in a fast-paced industry and this award is confirmation that I can have a successful career here and not sacrifice my family to attain it. I don’t have to consider a different path elsewhere.” 

Joe says his No. 1 tip for working parents is maintaining a low stress level. “If I can’t control it, I don’t let it bother me.” He also leans on humor, a positive outlook and an equally organized wife. 

He’s given all of them a workout lately. Joe and his family have been busy relocating from Springfield, Illinois, to Des Moines, Iowa, so Joe can further his interest in insurance industry auditing. They should be unpacked soon and will probably share any moving boxes that haven’t been turned into forts or castles.

McGladrey Named to 2014 Working Mother 100 Best Companies List

McGladrey is excited to announce that we were recently named by Working Mother magazine as one of the publication’s 2014 Working Mother 100 Best Companies. 

Working Mother recognized companies for outstanding leadership in establishing policies, programs and corporate culture that supports working moms, including child care, flexible work arrangements, paid parental leave and advancement of women. Companies are also measured on access to and use of family-friendly programs. 

“We are honored to receive this recognition for the eighth year,” said Richard Caturano, McGladrey’s national leader of culture, diversity and inclusion. “At McGladrey, we understand not only our clients’ needs, but also the needs of our employees – those who work so hard to help our clients meet and exceed their goals. Work-life balance and employee engagement have always been integral components of McGladrey’s commitment to creating a strong culture. In our most recent McGladrey People Survey, we saw a 16-percent increase from the previous year in our employees’ satisfaction. These statistics, and recognitions such as this one from Working Mother, recognize the commitment we have to our employees, and the fact that we continuously look for ways to enhance the value of the flexibility and benefits we provide.” 

“The Working Mother 100 Best Companies are the leaders in the advancement of women by supporting the need to integrate family and work successfully,” said Carol Evans, president at Working Mother Media. “We are thrilled to honor the U.S. companies that put words into action and build family-friendly cultures on the foundation of thoughtful policies and effective programs. Women make up 50 percent of our workforce. We need to make sure they have the support to be outstanding moms as well as great employees.”

“In its 29th year, the Working Mother 100 Best Companies are a powerful reminder of how great companies can and do create supportive work places for their employees,” said Jennifer Owens, editorial director of Working Mother Media. “All employers would do well to follow their lead if they want to attract and retain top talent.” 

The complete list of the 2014 Working Mother 100 Best Companies can be found here . All 2014 winners will be recognized at the Working Mother 100 Best Companies Gala Dinner on October 15, 2014 at the Marriott Marquis in NYC, as part of the Work Life Congress annual conference. 

About Working Mother Media
Working Mother Media, a division of Bonnier Corporation, is the publisher of Working Mother magazine (WMM) and its companion website workingmother.com, and is home to the Working Mother Research Institute. The National Association for Female Executives and Diversity Best Practices are also units within WMM. Working Mother Media’s mission is to serve as a champion of culture change. Working Mother magazine is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

ALPFA Exposed

by Nelly Montoya, Assurance Senior Associate, San Francisco
and Michael Gerlach, Assurance Director, Chicago

The 2014 installment of the Annual ALPFA Convention was held August 2-6 in Lake Buena Vista, FL. Under the direction of Rich Caturano, McGladrey leadership chose approximately 25 professionals to represent the firm at the convention to learn more about the importance of diversity and inclusion, increase the familiarity of McGladrey in the professional and educational environments, and get to know the professionals and students attending. We were two of the lucky attendees that got to experience what ALPFA is all about and we’d like to share a little of that with you. But first, some background on ALPFA and the convention:

ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting) was established in 1972 and currently has over 23,000 professional and student members. The organization is the successor of the American Association of Hispanic Certified Public Accountants and was one of the first national associations of Latino professionals in the United States. With such rich history, it is no surprise that McGladrey has chosen ALPFA as one of the organizations to partner with in connection with its Culture Diversity and Inclusion initiative.

Every year, ALPFA hosts a national convention that brings together over 3,000 of the top Latino and other minority students and professionals from some of the biggest and best firms and companies (McGladrey, Big 4 firms, Merrill Lynch, Charles Schwab, BNY Mellon, Walmart, Disney, State Street, Johnson & Johnson, etc.) for a few days in order to focus on professional development, networking and leadership. The sponsors of the convention host both technical and soft-skill workshops for professionals and students, women of ALPFA events, a scholarship luncheon, a career fair and a closing black-tie gala, which all allow convention attendees the opportunity to tailor their convention experience. Additionally, the local chapter of the host city for the convention hosts several after-hours social events that really allow convention attendees to build lasting professional and personal relationships.

Having no idea of what to expect from the convention, we were completely blown away by the energy and excitement every single attendee exhibited throughout the entire five days. For us, it was truly an eye opening experience and by far one of the best professional conventions we have attended. The opportunity to introduce McGladrey to hundreds of students via the Jenga challenge workshop we hosted and the YouTube “Personalities Wanted” challenge were truly inspiring. (Plus, Michael being able to say his team won the Jenga challenge was exciting for him!) The tremendous feedback we received from the students highlighted how McGladrey made one of the biggest impressions of many of the companies in attendance. The excerpts from emails we received from students across the country, which we have included below, exemplify the energy McGladrey professionals put forth in taking a vested interest in each student. As a result of the conference, many students we met have since been through the McGladrey interview process and will be joining McGladrey in the next few months. In addition to meeting professionals and students outside of McGladrey, we also had an opportunity to meet other passionate McGladrey professionals committed to career development and to building a pipeline of talent to better serve McGladrey’s middle market clients. Words cannot express what a wonderful experience we had and we encourage all professionals to become involved.

Student excerpts:

I wanted to thank you for your time and effort that you took out of your busy schedule to come to the convention. It was a pleasure talking to you about what McGladrey has to offer and especially the social responsibility initiatives that have been initiated. I am glad to have shared my campus experiences and especially the non-profit MADE microfinance. I was interested and amazed about the community service initiatives that you and your team have taken.
-Student at Robert H. Smith School of Business, University Of Maryland College Park

It was a pleasure to be able to meet you at the ALPFA convention. Thanks again for inviting Marcela, Melissa, and me to sit with you and the other McGladrey professionals at the gala. It certainly shows how much McGladrey values students and wanted to get to know us on a more personal level. It was truly an honor and that definitely set McGladrey apart.
-Student at Florida International University

I would like to thank you for taking the time to speak with me about the Audit Summer 2015 Internship at McGladrey. It was a great pleasure meeting with you, I learned a lot about the culture, leadership philosophy, core values at McGladrey. Most importantly, I had the opportunity of getting to know you personally and professionally. I am very enthusiastic about the possibility of a career with McGladrey and working under your guidance.
​-Student at University of California, Riverside

It was a pleasure meeting you at the ALPFA National Convention and having you as an adviser for our team in the Jenga Structure Challenge! I really enjoyed this interactive workshop as it provided insight on my leadership style and the dynamics of a team in the public accounting profession. It was also interesting to hear about your experience and how you transitioned into your current role in Financial Services at McGladrey. Your story helped emphasize the fact that there is no set path that one needs to take to end up in public accounting. This is refreshing to hear, especially for me, as I prepare to decide where I will begin my career and how I can achieve my career goals.
-Student at Robert H. Smith School of Business

McGladrey Presence at the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA)

McGladrey helped NABA celebrate bright young stars and future personalities of the profession during it’s annual Conference. Rich Caturano, McGladrey partner and leader of the National Culture Diversity and Inclusion initiative spoke at the NABA Leadership Breakfast. Rich gave compelling remarks on what leadership means using real world examples which delighted the accomplished and emerging leaders in attendance. McGladrey principal, Tyrone Beasley led a the Opening Forum Discussion to an audience of hundreds of attendees on Discovering and Nurturing Top Talent. And McGladrey employees of all staff levels came from across the nation to support the effort and to be ambassadors for McGladrey among the interested young candidates and experienced professionals.

All felt that the highlight of the Career Fair at events such as NABA has been the McGladrey “Personalities Wanted” Contest. The group of NABA attendees which fall in the Millennial’s category are promising young students who love their smart phones, YouTube and video chatting and happen also to be talented accounting and finance majors and/or recent graduates. These in demand attendees were drawn to the McGladrey booth in droves and the opportunity to record their own personal, unscripted, 1-minute commercial in which they convey 1) their “Passion” for the profession, 2) their “Purpose” in choosing accounting and finance as a career and 3) their unique “Personality” traits as to why they bring special value to both the NABA organization and to potential employers. The participants got to take their video away on a thumb drive, so they had their own keepsake from the experience. The winning video, selected from the hundreds recorded, received a $1000 award at the event dinner , presented by Rich Caturano and Tracey Walker, McGladrey Director of Government Relations. They also played the winning video for the entire dinner audience to see, to cheers and laughter in support of great young talent.

The link below is of the 2014 NABA video winner. The video has not been edited but is provided in edited form for the event presentation. At the gala, this video and presentation of the $1000 was the highlight of the gala evening as the young person references what truly inspires them and how they intend to make a difference in their careers. This is aligned with the mission of the organization and serves as an inspirational highlight to all who support NABA.

2014 McGladrey NABA Personalities Wanted Video – Sample "Winner Teonna Lonon"

McGladrey is a proud triple platinum sponsor of NABA as this and other Diverse Trade organizations enrich the lives of McGladrey professionals through CPE, industry insights and professional development. It also provides a national platform to promote the firm and recruit top diverse talent.

McGladrey kicks off Birdies Fore Love

By Teresa Carlin
National Leader of McGladrey’s Birdies Fore Love program

Teresa Carlin

I have played golf since I was 5 years old and have been around the game my whole life. Most of my family vacations have centered around either playing or watching golf, from the junior and collegiate levels to the pros. One of the things that I have always witnessed as a theme of the sport is philanthropy. 

The McGladrey Classic was one of my very first and strong attractions to McGladrey as a company. Not only does the tournament provide a terrific platform for playing and watching a game I love, but it too promotes the values of philanthropy and giving back to your community. Therefore, I was ecstatic to be selected as this year’s Birdies Fore Love National Leader. I have the opportunity to combine values and interests I have and share with so many other McGladrey employees.

Birdies Fore Love is a program started by the Davis Love Foundation which McGladrey has come to support as a community as well. Each of our offices selects a charity in their local community which supports children in need and their families. They then have a good-spirited competition to see who can raise the most money in support of those charities. Last year, we had overwhelming success with the program and I think the whole community was blown away by our efforts. I was fortunate enough to work with one of the charities we supported, and I can say that they were truly grateful for our support.

It is extremely humbling and gratifying to see the community which you spend almost every day come together for such a worthy cause. I can’t say enough how proud I am of the McGladrey community, and can’t wait to see what we can accomplish this year. I hope that we can make a big splash like the “ALS Ice Bucket Challenge” has in the past few weeks. To learn more about Birdies Fore Love, please visit http://www.mcgladreyclassic.com/charities/birdiesforelove/. 

International Tax Intern's Summer Video Blog

Vikas Tailor is an International Tax Intern in McGladrey's Schaumburg office this summer. Learn about the details of his internships and his four tips for future interns.

Irvine Assurance Intern's Video Blog

Alex Gao interned at McGladey this summer in our Irvine office. Check out how his summer went and his tips for future interns (and some of the awesome views!).

Kansas City Assurance Intern's Video Blog

Henry Cargill was an assurance intern this summer at McGladrey's Kansas City office. Check out his video below summarizing what his did this summer at McGladrey.

NY Assurance Intern's Video Blog

Patrick Geraghty was recently an assurance summer intern at McGladrey's New York office. Check out his "Real World McGladrey" video blog and hear what him and the other New York interns were up to this summer.

McGladrey Junior Achievement Big Bowl Event

Recently, the Minneapolis office was able to support Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest through our McGladrey JA BigBowl event. By participating in this event, we were able to raise close to $12,000 through online donations, casual day stickers, and an online auction. By supporting JA, we will help provide students in Minnesota, western Wisconsin and North Dakota with the skills they need to succeed in school and beyond. JA's financial literacy, college and career readiness and entrepreneurship programs provide students with real world opportunities that help them make a connection between what they learn in school and how it can be applied in the real world. We want to thank everyone that played a role in this very successful event!

Interview with Minneapolis Office Managing Partner, Mike Nelson

Learn more about McGladrey's Minneapolis office from our interview with Office Managing Partner, Mike Nelson.

What is the makeup of the Minneapolis office?

McGladrey Plaza

Minneapolis has assurance, tax and consulting professionals; all three Lines of Business. We are a hub for consulting, serving the needs of a large portion of our Central Region. Our size gives us the ability to specialize both functionally and with respect to industry, which is valuable to our clients. For example, we have many International Tax specialists, Business Valuation Specialists and strong industry groups. Also unique to the Minneapolis office is the large amount of firm wide employees that sit here including HR, IT, Marketing, and Learning & Professional Development. We are also the only office where the building we sit in is named after McGladrey (McGladrey Plaza).

How long have you been with the firm? How did your career with McGladrey begin? 
I’ve been with McGladrey for 32 years. I came to the firm for a specialized tax opportunity and have since had a variety of opportunities in State & Local Tax and Estate & Gift Planning among others. I’ve also had the opportunity to work in McGladrey offices in Stillwater, MN and St. Paul, MN, both of which merged into the Minneapolis office several years ago.

What makes the Minneapolis office unique?
Minneapolis St. Paul MSA is pretty unique. There are many Fortune 500 companies here – we are #2 per capita for Fortune 500 company headquarters and 330 of the Fortune 500 have operations here. There is a very robust culture here – Minneapolis is above the National average in education, income, and health; we have all four major sports teams; the most theater seats per capita outside of NYC; and of course many outdoor activity opportunities. We are also in the heart of McGladrey country. We’re well recognized in this market and our office here is larger than some of the Big 4 Firms’ Minneapolis offices. We have a broad diversity of clients in many industries.  

What do you think was the best event the Minneapolis office held over the last year?
Our annual Halloween party. It’s a chance to be someone else. And it’s also fun to get a reaction out of people. We have a big Halloween party every year at the Minneapolis office which includes a costume contest. (Mike was Obi Wan Kenobi in 2013)

What are you looking forward to at McGladrey and in Minneapolis?
I’m looking forward to growing, and working hard to find great people to grow with us. Minnesota’s population grows less than 1% each year and with baby boomers retiring, we can’t find people fast enough. I’m also looking forward to our Friends of McGladrey golf outing in September. Chris DiMarco is attending and this will be a great event for clients and other “Friends.” And I’m looking forward to Halloween, of course. 

What are the biggest growth opportunities in Minneapolis?
Consulting and especially IT Consulting is basically on fire. Target’s headquarters is right across the street from us in Minneapolis, and what happened with them has a lot of people concerned. Additionally, companies are going to the cloud and looking at different IT solutions. Tax is really poised to grow too because of increases in tax rates at the federal and Minnesota state levels. These are big expenses for companies and we can help control that, which brings a lot of value to our clients. 

Why should someone join the McGladrey team?
Join the McGladrey team if you like the people and like the clients. If you want to work with middle market clients this is the best firm to be at. 

How can someone get to know McGladrey better?
Talk to any of our people to get to know us better. If you are a student, look at internships and our Pathways (externship) Program. When we are on campus, we visit with accounting clubs – join those clubs and meet us!

How does the Minneapolis office use flexibility?
We have a very flexible environment here. Many of our consultants are only in the office a couple days a month. Even when they are not at a client site, they may work from home or from their car. A recent change in our tax software has allowed our Tax team to work more flexibly too. I like to say, “I don’t care when you get your work done, just get it done.” Whether you like to get started at 6am like me or work best at 10pm at home. Email and IM make it easy to stay in touch. And using the old fashioned phone every now and then! Flexibility works great. 

What advice do you have for someone in our industry to own their career?
My advice is to seek out variety in what you do and be open to accepting different challenges. Be open to exploring new technical skills and also new business opportunities. Variety will give you a good background for any future. Every once in a while you have a take a risk. McGladrey has lots of opportunities to do something boldly different, like a secondment to Germany or Australia!

View all Minneapolis job openings here: http://jobs.mcgladrey.com/search/?q=&q2=&title=&location=minneapolis&date=

If you don't Own Your Future... Who Will?

By Ken Bansemer
National Talent Acquisition & Talent Management Leader
Denver, CO

When presenting to an audience, one of the best ways to capture attention and help others retain information is to tell stories. Using a single image that your audience can relate to, and then weave a good tale around it can help you avoid “death by PowerPoint.”  

I was fortunate to be able to speak to a group of students recently, and share through stories, some guiding principles around Owning Your Future and career success. The stated agenda for my time with the group was as follows:

· Kindergarten
· School Buses
· Sports
· Beer
· Facebook
· Risk and The Game of Life

Since nearly everyone can relate to one or more of these topics – we were off and running! While the stories were fun to share and allowed for audience engagement, they don’t translate as well in a written format. However, the principles for Owning Your Future are what I hope the group retained and will be able to apply as they begin their careers.

· Basics go a long way – remember what you learned in kindergarten. Treat others with respect. Say hello, please, thank you. Ask how their day or weekend was. Be prompt. Be responsive. Have a positive attitude. And live by your core values – don’t change who you are for the sake of your organization. When you think about sending of your child for their first day of school, what attributes do you want your child to display? Chances are you already know – you learned it years ago when you went to kindergarten. 

· Back of the bus principle – find ways to be seen and to direct your own career, rather than being driven around by others, possibly in the wrong direction. At the front of the bus you can see what’s coming and discuss where you are going. At the back of the bus, you only see what’s passed you by, and more often than not will find yourself saying “what did I miss?”

· Become the crowd favorite - Bring your unique skills, characteristics and personality to work each day – be the genuine you that makes you the right person to go to in a crunch. Like a player coming off the bench for a sports team, a bit of hustle, an inquisitive nature, a yes attitude, being open to feedback, and a willingness to pitch in when needed to help your team succeed will go a long way to becoming the crowd favorite.

· Work for the high moments – Very few people can remember what they have done on specific days of a given month or year. But they do remember key moments that produced an outstanding outcome. While navigating a long career, where energy and focus can peak and wane, you aren’t always going to like what you do. Rather than react in the moment and make snap decisions, keep your eye on the long term, because a special moment may be just around the corner. In the meantime, draw upon past experiences to carry you through until that time. Those moments become the stories you will tell others. 

· Put yourself in the game – to have a successful career, you have to rely on good preparation and a bit of luck. This means taking appropriate Risks that will put you in control of your destiny. And if you intend to win in the Game of Life, you have to play the game hard and play it well. You may have detours and setbacks, and you may not always succeed, but at least you know you tried by putting yourself in the game to begin with.

 In the end, you need to Own Your Future. If you don’t, who will?

Working abroad in the Cayman Islands

By Melissa K. Barker
Assurance Senior
Phoenix, AZ

In January 2014, an email came into my Outlook requesting the assistance of two McGladrey seniors in the RSM Cayman office for a two and a half month period over the upcoming summer. As soon as I read the email, I jumped at the opportunity. I applied and found out within a couple weeks that I had been selected for one of the positions. I could not have been more ecstatic. 

I am now 6 weeks into my secondment with RSM Cayman and I can confidently say it has exceeded all of my expectations. To start with, since I joined McGladrey about 4 years ago my background has been primarily in the healthcare industry. However, my experience with RSM Cayman thus far has been entirely within the insurance industry. The first few weeks were a bit of a struggle. It reminded me of how it felt to be a first year staff! Now that I’ve gotten the hang of things, I’ve begun to really appreciate how much learning a new industry broadens your perspective on auditing overall. 

Melissa swimming with sting rays

And while the RSM Cayman office has had no trouble keeping me busy, one of the obvious benefits of a secondment like this is to get to experience the sights and culture of a different country. Some of the highlights I’ve experienced while not in the office include swimming with stingrays, yacht excursions along both the west and east coasts of the island, holding baby sea turtles at the Cayman turtle farm, parasailing and stand up paddle boarding. I’m also an avid runner and my daily runs along the beach just outside my condo have been an incredible perk! 

The culture in Grand Cayman has also made this experience incredibly unique. While I didn’t know this prior to coming to the island, there is a huge population of expats from all around the globe. As a result, the culture in Cayman is incredibly welcoming and friendly. I have made friends from all around the world that I will undoubtedly stay in touch with when I leave. I feel especially fortunate for this aspect of my secondment. 

As for the remaining month I have on the island, I have plenty planned to fill up any free time I get. In just a week, I have a weekend trip to Honduras planned with my fellow McGladrey secondee (Kelli Hall from the Kansas City office) and one of the managers from the RSM Cayman office. We have white water rafting and zip lining on the agenda once we arrive. Another item on my to-do list is to get my diving certification, as Grand Cayman is known for its world class diving. I cannot express enough how much I have gained from this experience, both professionally and personally. I would recommend a secondment to anyone! You won’t regret it!

Atlanta office teams with Easter Seals to bring joy to children

On May 16, the McGladrey Atlanta office brought a carnival of fun to the Premier Academy, a day care operated by Easter Seals of North Georgia for underprivileged children ages five and under. The event was part of McGladrey’s Volunteer Day program. 

About 20 McGladrey employees descended upon the center to provide a day of entertainment. About 60 children between the ages of 2-5 years participated in the carnival including games, face painting, arts and crafts, story time, ring toss, bubbles, basketball and many other engaging activities for young children. Even SpongeBob Squarepants and his sidekick Patrick (played by McGladrey employees!) were on hand to entertain the kids. 

Renee said the firm donated $400 for supplies and then Easter Seals purchased the supplies and set up the stations for the carnival. The event was brought indoors due to flooding in the outdoor area, but the children enjoyed it just the same. “The kids had a great time,” Renee said. 

View the slide show prepared by the Easter Seals as a thank you to McGladrey: http://animoto.com/play/RxnnDR8bR3tLo1rGq8FvHg

McGladrey marathoners run to support worthy charities

Last week, four McGladrey employees ran the Boston Marathon with support from their colleagues and The McGladrey Boston Foundation.

Jenna Flattery and Louis McDavid

Manager Louis McDavid and Senior Associate Jenna Flattery, both from the Boston office and sponsored by The McGladrey Boston Foundation, completed the marathon with running times of 4:21:35 and 3:45:16, respectively. Louis and Jenna, together with The McGladrey Foundation raised more than $10,000 to support several non-profit charities.

Senior Associate Kyle Pochini and Associate Scott Tonkovich also ran in Monday’s historic race. Scott (running time of 5:29:11 with a hamstring injury) ran last year’s marathon but was unable to finish due to the tragic events of that day. “Last year, I ran for the South Boston Boys & Girls Club team and helped raise more than $5,000,” he says. “Because I didn’t finish last year, I ran this year as an honorary team member.”

Kyle (running time of 3:13:27) helped raise more than $7,000 for Boston Medical Center (BMC), which treated 23 victims of last year’s attack. “I chose BMC because of its mission to provide care to all comers—regardless of their ability to pay,” says Kyle.

“Participating in the 2014 Boston Marathon was a truly memorable experience,” says Jenna. “And I’m grateful for all the support that McGladrey has provided throughout the training and fundraising process.”

“What an amazing day to be a part of,” Louis says. “Many thanks to The McGladrey Foundation, fundraising volunteers and employees who supported us and these worthwhile charities. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent the firm and that so many teammates were out on the course to cheer us on.”

Congrats to all participants!

The McGladrey Baltimore office: Experience the Excitement!

By Marty Brunk
Office Managing Partner - Baltimore

Visualize This: Situated in the robust Harbor East area of Baltimore with picturesque views of the waterfront. Surrounded by talented individuals striving to exceed client expectations. Working with many of the premier companies and their C-Level Executives. Serving the needs of the community with active involvement in charitable organizations and community efforts. You have just entered the McGladrey Baltimore Zone.

Conference Room in Baltimore

Our people enjoy a diverse work experience and are constantly challenged by the complexities of their engagements. Our intensive training programs, on the job learning, and interactions with other professionals provide the platform to deliver quality work. Each individual utilizes these learnings to pursue their passions whether it is a long term rewarding career in public accounting or the springboard for a successful career in industry.

Understanding that it is important to build lifetime relationships with your peers, we provide opportunities to interact through things such as golf lessons and outings, happy hours, sports activities, country club events and more. Here are a few of the great things happening at the Baltimore office right now:

• Golf lessons with a pro. Golf is a big part of the McGladrey culture and this is an excellent way for our local team to get involved. 
• Happy Hour- We just had a mid-season social event to celebrate the half way point in tax season. 
• In May the Baltimore’s community outreach team will be sponsoring a used book drive to benefit Baltimore Reads. 
• The 2nd annual Pursue your Passion program will kick off May 2014. This Baltimore program allows our staff to pursue a personal passion outside of the work place that aligns with McGladrey core values. Each year the winner is awarded $2,500 and 5 additional PTO days.

As a result of our success we continually look to build and grow our team of professionals. We are interested in developing a relationship with talented and motivated individuals. If you, or someone you know, would be a good addition to McGladrey Baltimore, please contact Sheree Ball or visit Baltimore Career Opportunities.

Enter the McGladrey Baltimore Zone, and experience the excitement for yourself.

Baltimore team volunteering.

The Final Stretch

By Matt Matula
Tax Intern
Chicago, IL

Interning at McGladrey has been quite the experience to say the least. I have made so many good friends and I learned more than I could possibly imagine in such a short time span. I feel as though I have become an integral part of a very close knit community of co-workers in my MWD department. Even though I still have so much more to learn, I definitely have noticed that I have become more helpful to the team rather than being the one who always needs help. However, this is to be expected after spending several weeks working 12 hours a day. Although 12 hours a day may seem daunting, you quickly get used to it, and there is a great deal of satisfaction when you complete a full day’s work. Despite how rewarding it is to complete a 200 page return, it is painful when you are asked to re-assemble the same return for the fourth time in a row. If you are planning on interning at any public accounting firm then heed my warning. You will make mistakes, and a lot of them. The goal is to learn from these mistakes, and not to let them bring you down. After all, we are accountants, and not surgeons. No one will die if we make a mistake, but people absolutely rely on the quality of our work, so it is important to not repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Anyways, I can probably keep writing all day about my experience here at McGladrey, but I am too busy with work. 

You can definitely feel a sense of urgency around the office as the looming 4/15 deadline approaches. Our MWD group has a tradition where we inflate 10 balloons that represent the last ten days of busy season. Each day we will gather around and together we will pop one balloon to show everyone we are one day closer to the end. It is a challenge, and everyone is working twice as hard to make sure we finish strong. One of the partners in my group gave me a great analogy to describe the end of busy season. He told me, “Busy season is like fitting an elephant through the eye of a needle. It seems impossible, yet we manage to do it every year.” I plan on using his inspiring words to help push myself through this final stretch of tax season. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to read my blog, and I hope it gave you some insight into the life of an intern at McGladrey.

Hard Work, Done Well, Feels Great

By Joshua Benson
Assurance Intern
Phoenix, AZ

As my assurance internship comes to an end, I am reminded of my old swim coach’s saying: “hard work, done well, feels great.” Those words have never meant as much to me as they do now. The last three months have flown by, and I can’t imagine feeling any better about the work that I have put in, the people I have been able to meet and work with, or the company that I have been privileged to work for and represent. My internship experience has only solidified my choice to pursue a career in assurance, and I am very eager to take the skills and knowledge that I have learned and apply them to my school work this upcoming fall. 

During my internship, I worked on clients in industries including manufacturing, real estate, insurance, and software development. I worked in different teams from the Phoenix office, and even a team comprised of people from the Omaha and Dallas offices. I learned how to audit cash, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and fixed assets. With new clients, new team members, new challenges, and new learning opportunities every week, it was hard not to look forward to Monday mornings.

The most rewarding part of my experience has been working alongside the people who I aspire to be someday. While working at clients, I was able to pick the brains of first and second year staff about how to prepare for one’s first few years of public accounting. When managers, directors, or partners came out to clients, it allowed me to observe what it takes to be successful. Everyone I have worked with has not only been an excellent teacher regarding the technical side of accounting, but they have also been willing to share their insight into developing a fulfilling career in public accounting. I have been incredibly inspired by the people I have worked with over the last three months, and I anxiously look forward to working with likeminded motivated individuals here at McGladrey.

For anyone who is thinking about doing an internship with McGladrey, I encourage you to do so. Be prepared to know nothing, be opened minded and teachable, treat every day like an interview, and take pride in your work. The time will fly by quickly, but the knowledge you gain, the lessons you learn, and the personal growth you will have will last a lifetime. Stay positive, and always remember, “hard work, done well, feels great.”

Memorable Experience

By Morgan Quesinberry
Assurance Intern
Orlando, FL

Throughout my internship I have learned more than I ever could have imagined. I have learned about the people that make up McGladrey and the amazing opportunities McGladrey gives their interns. The perk of interning during busy season is you get to see everything! After my audit internship, there is no workpaper I can’t tackle. Within the internship I was able to work on several different types of clients and industries. With each client, you learn the ins and outs of the company. It was very interesting to see how different industries are audited. 

My favorite part of the McGladrey audit internship was interacting with the clients McGladrey serves. Every few weeks I was scheduled on a new client. For the most part, the team would go out to the client site and work with the client. With all the experience I received, I was able to complete my work and take my knowledge of what I have learned and apply it in other areas. The amount of knowledge I have gained from my internship will carry on in my future education. It was a great experience and peek into what public accounting is all about.

My McGladrey internship was an amazing experience for more reasons that I can write about. I enjoyed the fact that I was given associate work to complete as an intern. It was a challenge. Even if I had problems or didn’t understand something, my senior associates were there to train and teach me how to perform certain tasks. 

If I had to give a new intern any advice, it would be to learn and absorb as much as possible. When you are working on something, you have to ask questions if you have an issue. It is easy to get wrapped up in an issue and become determined to figure it out yourself. In reality, you’re in-charge has seen this problem before and can help fix it in less time than you can. Also, you need to be open to comments and take criticism well. The only way you’re going to learn is by taking what your in-charge says and improve next time. 


Morgan and co-workers at Color Me Rad 5k

An aspect I love about McGladrey is that there is always something to participate in. In the length of my internship, I participated in a bowling charity event and attended a Solar Bears game. In addition, this past weekend, a few of the McGladrey interns and employees ran in the Color Me Rad 5k in Orlando. It was a blast! There was colored powdered all over us and after the race it was practically a big party. We all went to brunch after and had a great time. This experience was something that I will always remember because I shared it with my McGladrey co-workers. The Corporate 5k is coming up in a few weeks and I can’t wait to participate. This event is supposed to be one of the largest runs in Orlando. It will be nice to see the large amount of McGladrey employees that participate.  

Overall, as you can see, my experience as a McGladrey intern was a great one. I am so happy I decided to begin my career in public accounting with McGladrey. The opportunities the firm is able to give their employees is vast, and the people and clients that make up McGladrey make the experience even better.

Did that really just happen?

By Precious Dannug
Assurance Intern
Chicago, IL

All of this learning, all of this hard work, all of this knowledge, all of this food —in a matter of 11 weeks?! My mind has been blown in the best way possible. McGladrey has provided me with an internship experience beyond my expectations and I wouldn’t go back to change a second of it. 

Saying that I learned a lot is an understatement. Sometimes you just have to dive into the water head first. To me, busy season was a huge body of water that was the complete unknown. But, with McGladrey, I nervously dove in head first, and came out being able to successfully backstroke to the other side. My biggest leap took place on my third audit engagement. My supervisor trusted me with completing four different sections of the audit file. After freaking out for a substantial amount of time, I dove right in to the work papers and gave it my best shot. Of course, I came across frustrations and being lost, but I can honestly say that I learned the most from that engagement. When challenged, I can really end up surprising myself. So, for future interns out there, when you are given responsibility for something that is completely unfamiliar at first, just know that: 1) It’ll be okay, and 2) The leap is worth it.

The variety of knowledgeable people I was fortunate enough to work with at McGladrey made all of the difference. From all of the people I worked with, I was able to observe and grasp some of their best professional skills and begin to develop my own way of work. Some of the most important areas of work that I learned from others were organizational skills, communication skills, and teamwork. After learning these skills from others, I was able to appropriately use them on my own in my subsequent engagements.

To answer my question up at the title, yes. All of this busy, yet rewarding, time during my internship at McGladrey really did just happen. It was a phenomenal experience that certainly taught me more than a full class schedule could. With my internship at a close, not only am I grateful for the experience, but that I can walk into my Advanced Auditing class next week knowing a thing or two about substantive analytics.

Wrapping up the Season

By Jamie Jacobs
Tax Intern
Cedar Rapids, IA

It’s hard to believe we are only a few weeks away from April 15th. Man, did time fly by! It feels like just yesterday I was in orientation preparing myself for what I thought would be a long three months. In the short amount of time as a tax intern, I was able to obtain a broad knowledge on a variety of business financials and was also able to see how everything I learned in my business classes link together. This internship has been a great learning experience and it will definitely help me excel not only in my classes but in my future career. 

Cedar Rapids office

On the first week back from training, I was really nervous to start preparing business returns. They seemed complicated and I felt like I was asking questions every minute. I wasn’t sure how this internship would go as the first returns were a struggle, but within a week I was able to catch on and everything seemed to click from there. Once we hit March 15th I found it challenging to switch over to individual returns as I grew to enjoy preparing business returns.

It’s going to be weird going back to a “normal” lifestyle of working 40 hours a week. I’m not going to say I will miss working 60-70 hours a week, but overall it really wasn’t as bad as I imagined. It helped that our office is filled with a great group of people at all levels. They never made me feel like I was at the bottom of the pyramid and were always there to give me advice. I think that is one major benefit of working in a smaller office. 

I am happy with my decision to take a semester off of college because I now see that having work experience helps piece together everything I learned in classes. I am also grateful for this internship because I was able to make a lot of new friends and get out of my comfort zone. Moving to another town and having to start a new job was scary, but well worth it! It’s been a great few months and I am truly going to miss working for McGladrey.

Busy Season in Boston

By Hannah Lynch
Tax Intern
Boston, MA

It is unbelievable how fast time has gone by from the first blog post that I wrote back in January. Since then things around the office have picked up a lot. With the start of February came busier hours and more challenging work. From the first day I started I had work to do, but didn’t anticipate how much I would be exposed to throughout the coming months. During the past two months here at McGladrey I have been given opportunities to work on various types of returns, as well as an on-site client review with a senior associate for three days. I have gotten the chance to prepare individual, trust, partnership and s-corporation returns for a wide range of client types. With this came the chance to learn about different industries and types of clients that McGladrey serves. There have been some that I was able to complete in one day. However, there are engagements that I have been scheduled on since the week I began. One thing that I particularly enjoy about the wide range of work opportunities I have been given is the chance to work with different people in the office of all different levels. Regardless of their busy schedules, all the seniors and managers seem to find time to answer my questions and help me through any problems with returns I might be having. Working with people who want me to learn, rather than just fixing my mistakes for me, is one of the best parts about the job. 

As I am still finishing undergrad at Northeastern University, it is amazing to me how much more I feel that I have learned from this internship than I have in the past three years of college courses. Although classes are lucrative to understanding the basics of accounting, there is nothing quite like getting the real experience to learn. Getting the chance to do on-site work for a client was one of the more interesting experiences I’ve had here so far because it provided the opportunity to actually go out and be able to further understand the needs and thought processes of the clients. Though it makes for a busier week, I enjoyed the chance to get out of the office. 

Overall my experience has been nothing but positive so far, and with only two weeks left of busy season I can’t imagine that changing. Having other interns and first year associates around to help answer questions and make the long days go by just that much faster also makes the job much more fun, while helping me feel more comfortable. A welcoming environment such as McGladrey which encourages learning and asking questions is a place that I could definitely envision myself beginning my professional career after finishing school.  

Busy Season - Work and Entertainment

By Darina Veleva
Tax Intern
Chicago, IL

It is well known that tax season is the “most wonderful” time of the year for tax accountants all over the country. We have all heard stories about people working in public accounting who have worked 40 hour shifts and have slept at the office. As an intern in the Financial Services tax group, I can say that the crazy stories we all have heard are an extremely uncommon occurrence in McGladrey’s Financial Services Tax Group, let’s just say they do not take place at all. Although it is very busy and we work on weekends and late nights, it is also fun because you get to connect with the people around you, and you are also always learning no matter if you are an intern, manager or partner. Also, the company hosts events for employees, which allow us to take a break from work, unwind and enjoy some great food and company. We enjoyed two great events recently, one of which was an intern appreciation event hosted by HR. The intern appreciation event was held at the Little Goat in downtown Chicago and it was a great mid week break for all interns. The other FS interns and I did not plan on going, since it was a very busy week for us, but two of our partners urged us to attend and to allow ourselves a break from work. The event ended up being a great way to recharge and continue working at full speed over the weekend. 

The intern appreciation event was on a Thursday night on the second floor of the restaurant which was reserved for McGladrey. The room had an open floor plan and the kitchen was visible, which was great because we got to see the chef prepare our meals. The atmosphere was very casual and relaxed and the food was delicious. We had a variety of interesting appetizers such as goat empanadas, fried pickles and raw tuna with pumpkin seeds and squash. It was very nice to see friends from training and to learn more about their experience in the different groups and practices. Everyone seemed very satisfied with their work and shared some great stories about their experience at McGladrey. I am grateful for having the opportunity to have met and worked with the professionals at the Financial Services group.

My fellow interns and I have shared some very entertaining moments while working together and have bonded through this experience. We help each other out constantly and also laugh and make jokes very often which makes busy season seem a lot less stressful. It is really nice sharing a room because we can share all the things we have learned, and thus expand our knowledge. We have also become close with many of the associates who give us great advice. I have enjoyed this journey and have learned an immense amount not only about the life of a public accountant and the tax preparation process but also about the importance of communication and relationship building at the workplace. My fellow interns and I all hope to work here in the future and to be able to grow as professionals at McGladrey.

Puppies give Boston employees a break from busy season

Always willing to try something new, the McGladrey Boston office added a new animal to its busy season stress relief strategy – puppies. Every Wednesday, from February 19-March 26, Last Hope K9 Rescue brought in adorable puppies to give employees a break from busy season for “puppy stress reduction sessions.” Employees were encouraged to drop in to spend time playing and cuddling with these lively creatures. Several employees have even taken the next step to adopt some of the puppies, giving them a permanent home and lots of love.

Puppy Wednesday is a hit with Boston employees

Puppy Wednesday is the brainchild of the Boston Social Club and Alex Monahan, a consulting supervisor, who has served as the treasurer of the Last Hope K9 Rescue since November 2012. Alex said the idea evolved after he initiated an information booth in the Boston office, a common occurrence to raise awareness of charitable causes, to encourage donations, volunteerism and, most importantly, adoptions of the rescued puppies.

“Our social club suggested that we bring in the puppies periodically during busy season as a way for employees to take a break,” said Alex. “Every Wednesday, about 40-50 people show up to play with 4-6 dogs, ranging in age from several weeks to about two years.”

“Most people stay for about 20 minutes to play with the puppies and then go back to work. But, the program has also raised awareness of the need for good homes for the dogs. Since starting the program, one employee has adopted a dog, three more have applied for adoptions and many others have signed up to volunteer with Last Hope,” said Alex.

Since Last Hope K9 Rescue was founded in March 2012, the organization has found homes for just under 2,000 dogs. The success of Puppy Wednesday is also starting to catch on with other businesses who have heard about the program.

4 College Recruiting Myths Debunked, from a Recruiter’s Perspective

By Anne Hoang
Talent Acquisition Specialist
Chicago, IL

As each recruiting season rolls around, both campus recruiters and students strive to make the most of their time and energy. Here is a peek inside a recruiter’s brain for tips on a successful recruiting season!

Myth #1: “I can’t really prepare for a career fair.”

Reality: Let’s face it, students dread job fairs more often than not, and feel overwhelmed long before the fair even begins. Sometimes we hear from students that there really is no way to prepare for the event. This is entirely false. Since you only have two or three hours, you need to maximize your time and make the best impression. Prioritize companies so you are able to allocate enough time to visit all of the booths that fall into your #1 category. Do research into not only the firms themselves but also their available positions. I can’t count the number of times a student has visited our booth but not done any research on who we are, or the positions we have posted. Make sure you understand the organization and ask insightful questions that will help you make your decisions! 

Myth #2: “At a career fair, I should wait in line to speak with the campus recruiter.”

McGladrey positions for growth in D.C. metro with new space

In December, the former McGladrey Vienna, Va. office moved uptown to updated and expanded office space in McLean, Va.

This new space is less than five miles from its previous location, and was selected to accommodate the firm’s continued growth in the Washington, D.C. metro area. 

“We regularly review our facility requirements to ensure we are properly sized and equipped to provide excellent service to meet our clients’ changing needs and to provide the right support systems for our employees,” said Southeast Region Real Estate Director Rebekah Kleinman.

The new offices increased the space in the area from 19,000 sq. ft. to 30,000 sq. ft., including providing additional offices, modular seating, team work spaces and conference space to accommodate the needs of employees and clients. The space provides an upgraded technology platform and ample flexible space to support our increasingly mobile workforce. It also features modified Herman Miller Ethospace ergonomic workstations with lower panels to promote natural light and newly released Global Bridges workspaces to maximize collaboration. 

“Having outgrown our previous space is a positive sign of McGladrey’s enhanced brand reputation and expanded business in the area. This new space should allow for continued growth of our practice and to provide a more updated and comfortable environment to support the needs of our people and our clients,” said Bill Gorman, regional managing partner, Southeast Region.

View all of our current job openings at the McLean office here.

 

My First Few Weeks

By Hannah Lynch

Tax Intern

Boston, MA

Hannah Lynch

To begin, my name is Hannah Lynch and I am currently in my third year of undergrad at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Northeastern’s cooperative education program, where students work for half the year and take classes for the other half, requires business students to complete two (with an optional third) full time internships prior to graduation. My internship at McGladrey is my second “co-op” at Northeastern. I found out about the internship through campus recruiting and interviewed on the NU campus in October, and received my offer for the 24-week internship the same afternoon. 

My first few weeks with McGladrey as a tax intern have exceeded my expectations in several ways. I began my internship with a two-day orientation in the office, which covered mainly administrative matters. I met the other interns and some associates, and was given a laptop to use for the duration of my internship. The next week I was sent to the Q Center, a training facility outside Chicago, IL for a week of tax technical training, covering the software that I would be using on the job. I was in a class with approximately 20-25 other interns from all over the country with very different skill sets and levels of experience. One of the best things about the week was the charity event. One night after class, all the attendees of the training got together and were split into teams to build bikes for underprivileged kids from the greater Chicago area. The teams were made at random and were comprised of employees of all different levels. After we built the bikes, the kids came in and picked out their bikes. Not only was it a fun and very rewarding activity, but it spoke to the culture of the firm as a whole. After the week at the Q Center, I went through another week of training in the Boston office, which included return preparation case studies for corps, partnerships and individuals. This was for recently hired associates as well as interns and was geared more towards tax prep than the technicalities of the software. This training was a good way to become more comfortable with the software, as well as get to know other employees at the office. The teachers were associates, senior associates or managers who worked in the tax department. They were all open to questions and helped everyone to understand the how and why of the processes. Overall, McGladrey invested a lot of time and money into the recruiting process and the success of their interns. Having the experience as well as being given the responsibility similar to that of a regular employee are both incentives to put forth my best effort during the duration of my internship. 

I am looking forward to the next five months I will spend here at McGladrey. Working during busy season, I am eager to see what the next few months hold. Having only been in the office (and not in training) for a couple of days, I can say that everyone I have met so far has been kind and helpful. If the past few weeks are any indicator, I know my internship will be a great experience.