By Nathaniel Luce
At a Big 4 accounting firm, the manager designation is a young professional’s first major career milestone. It denotes excellence in leadership and project management, as well as honed technical skills and advanced knowledge of industry and business practices. Promotion aside, the financial implications of “making manager” are tremendous: Studies point to increased overall earning potential and steeper career trajectories, inside an accounting firm or out.
Vanderbilt Master of Accountancy (MAcc) students come into the program with aspirations of reaching manager level with a Big 4 accounting firm. As the MAcc program closes its 10th year, 36 alumni have now reached the position (which takes, on average, 5 years to reach).
To recognize and celebrate these alumni, the MAcc program has formally launched the “Manager Club,” along with an annual event to bring alumni and students together for networking, mentorship, and reflection.
It was never about the firm, specific job or role…It was all about the career, the profession, and how to make good career choices. -Lindsay Donald
MAcc Director Lindsay Donald
“This is something that we’ve been chewing on for a while,” says Lindsay Donald, Director of the MAcc Program. “At first we were considering a website, or letter of congratulations, but I wanted it to be something more. Something that would engage alumni to come back to campus.”
Several manager-level alumni did return to campus April 19-20 for the inaugural event, arriving on Thursday night for introductions and festivities at Nashville’s Bound’ry event space.
On Friday morning, students joined alumni to hear personal career testimonies that offered an inside look at the journey to manager and the role itself. The group then broke into smaller “manager mentor circles” (designed and facilitated by the Leadership Development Program) where alumni discussed students’ career aspirations in more intimate settings. The event wrapped with a banquet recognizing the individual managers.
“I was thrilled have an opportunity to step back on campus, to refresh some old connections and build new ones, and to see all the exciting progress that Vandy MAcc has made over the years,” said Diane Maurer (MAcc’11), an assurance manager at PwC.
“The Manager Club event was a great way to connect with former classmates and other alumni and to celebrate our career achievements,” added Liz Grushkin (MAcc’10), a resident in EY’s Americas Professional Practice – Auditing Group. “It was important to me to participate in an event where I could stay involved with the school and help drive the continued success of the MAcc program.”
Both Maurer and Grushkin pointed to the mentorship aspect of the event as a highlight. “The mentor circles gave those of us who are still in public accounting a chance to hear the fresh perspective of the current MAcc class, most of whom will be entering the public accounting world full time in just a few months,” Maurer explained. “Gaining insight into what is front of mind for the professionals who will soon be the newest members of our work teams — with the pressure (real or perceived) of the recruiting process taken out of the equation — was incredibly valuable.”
“I especially enjoyed spending time with current students and being able to share career advice before the students begin their full-time jobs in public accounting this fall,” added Grushkin.
From L to R: MAcc managers Justin Emmert (’08), Liz Grushkin (’10), Amelia Emmert (’08), Owen Fitzpatrick (’10), Sara Simonds (’09), Marge Niemiec (’09), Mike Kuhn (’10), Colleen Leiss (’09), Diane Maurer (’11), Charlotte Nicholson (’10)
While the Big 4 firms (Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC) were each represented, both by alumni and outgoing students, “the great thing about the event was, because they weren’t paired with mentors from their firms, it was never about the firm, specific job or role,” Donald said. “It was all about the career, the profession, and how to make good career choices.
“I wanted it to have everything to do with Vanderbilt MAcc and the shared experience they have.”
Want to learn more about Vanderbilt MAcc? Visit our program page, or request information.
