The BDO Impact Report
Every day, our people make an impact, in ways both large and small.
From closing a large deal, finishing a complicated audit, or just catching up with a coworker over a cup of coffee, BDO professionals have a direct impact on the people – and businesses – they work with.
To illustrate how they make an impact every day, two BDO professionals kept a journal of a work week. Along with giving you an inside look into life at BDO, these accounts also highlight the various ways in which our people make their mark at our firm.
First up is Justin Tu, Assurance Senior Associate
Monday
On Monday mornings, I typically like to take some time to catch up with my teammates. We like to grab coffee and talk about our weekends, as well what projects we’re planning on working on in the week ahead. It’s a nice way to ease into the workweek.
The BDO Impact
For me, it’s really important to connect with the people I work with – and get to know about their lives outside of the office. You spend a lot of time with your team, and building that friendship is essential – especially when things get stressful.
Wednesday
I like to schedule regular calls with my clients, which allows us to provide a brief status update on current projects and forecast what’s ahead. This morning, I received an internal communication about a change in BDO’s policy, which now requires an actuarial from our Consulting group to assist us in auditing insurance companies’ loss reserves.
The BDO Impact
This Company has twelve lines of businesses across five legal entities. The total loss reserve balance being audited is around $485 million. We are currently discussing the new Firm policy and have a call this afternoon with our Actuary group. It sounds complicated, but it’s a great opportunity: not only for me to broaden my technical skills but for the firm as a whole to show our expanded resources and build our relationship with the client.
Friday
The manager on my current engagement is swamped with a Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) inspection, so there’s ample opportunity for our team to step up. Even without her direct guidance, we’re able to stay engaged and use other resources that BDO provides, such as assistance from other audit teams dealing with similar technical accounting issues.
The BDO Impact
Our industry can be a bit unpredictable, and sometimes you just have to roll with it. Every day is different, and no two challenges are the same, but by supporting my teammates – and receiving their support in return – we’re able to constantly go above and beyond for the clients we work with, while we grow our own careers.
Next is Brenna Stutts, Experienced Tax Associate
Monday
On Monday mornings, I typically like to take some time to catch up with my teammates. We like to grab coffee and talk about our weekends, as well what projects we’re planning on working on in the week ahead. It’s a nice way to ease into the workweek.
The BDO Impact
At the end of the day, our business is about relationships – where possible, we always want to grow our relationships with existing clients. By sharing my experience and giving some valuable insight, I was able to gain a new project for the firm.
Tuesday
A former tax director at a current client went to another company a couple of months ago. I was sad to see her go, but we’ve stayed in touch since her transition. She recently asked us to start working on a proposal to present in the next few months. My manager and I are currently monitoring news on the prospect so we can begin the proposal process.
The BDO Impact
This will be my first experience with a proposal – I’m a little nervous about it, overall, but I know it will be a great opportunity to learn and expand my skillset. Winning this client would be huge in our market and would show other companies what we can do for them. It’s exciting to be involved in something that could propel our practice even further.
Friday
Time for a run! I enjoy exercising and try to get out a few times a week. A few years ago, I brought up the idea of participating in a 5k called the Jingle Bell Jog with some of the people in the tax department. The next year, I was tasked with signing everyone up – we even got some people on the audit side to join in. As it turned out, the organization that benefited from the run became a BDO client about a year ago.
The BDO Impact
Since they’ve become an audit client, we’ve made the Jingle Bell Jog an office wide event. This year, we raised over $2,000. It’s a fun social event for our whole team, and we’re glad to help raise money for a good cause – plus, it’s a total bonus that the organization is a client!
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