I know the seat you’re in. I sat in it for 30 years.
After 30 years in corporate tax, I coach tax and accounting professionals becoming the leaders they want to be.
Here’s how I got here.
My story
I started in tax almost by accident. I took a job at State Street Bank out of Bentley, got bored inside 18 months, and figured I’d give tax a try. That led me to Deloitte, where I earned my CPA, moved into corporate tax, and married my wife.
Then I did what a lot of people in this field do. I chased the next title and the next raise, and kept looking for the company that would finally feel like the right one. I led global tax functions and ran cross-functional projects across borders. I picked up an MBA in change management along the way. On paper it was a career going well.
I was also burned out and second-guessing myself in rooms I had earned my seat in. I was not clear on what I actually wanted from any of it. I had spent a long time measuring myself by money and titles, and I was successful and unhappy at the same time.
Where it turned
A few years before I left corporate tax, I started working with an executive coach.
That is where it turned. I got clear on what I valued and what I was actually good at, and it changed how I led. I walked into the hard conversations more settled, and I led like someone who trusted his own judgment. I wanted other people in this profession to get there sooner than I did.
What I believe
Talented people should not have to grind themselves down to succeed. The best leaders I know lead with real self-awareness and steady judgment, and they still hit their numbers. So I trained as a coach and built this practice, to help tax and accounting professionals become that kind of leader without it costing what it cost me.
For the résumé side of things: 30 years in corporate tax and accounting, from Deloitte to Global Tax Director at Bose Corporation. CPA. MBA and BS in Accounting, both from Bentley University. Certified Professional Coach (ACC) and ELI Master Practitioner, trained through iPEC.
Let’s Get Personal
1. I was a radio DJ in college.
2. I found my wife, a “country girl,” in the big city of Boston.
3. For 20 years I have enjoyed collecting and tasting wine which has led me to a love of cooking.
4. I play the drums.
5. I love to downhill ski in the winter.
6. My happy place is spending time with family and friends at my lake house in Vermont.
7. I love to travel. I’ve been to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany.
8. I enjoy hiking with my family. I spent two weeks hiking New Zealand’s South Island.
9. Watching my parents operate a small family business instilled an entrepreneurial spark in me.
10. Family is an integral part of my life, and I make all my decisions keeping them in mind.
