New Financial Life Planning Concentration Taught by Founders and Leaders in the Field

On By Golden Gate UniversityIn Financial PlanningLeave a comment

Golden Gate University has launched an innovative new degree-concentration in Financial Life Planning. Part of the MS in Advanced Financial Planning degree program, the concentration is fueled by emerging insights from Psychology and Behavioral Finance and taught by founders and leaders in the fields of financial planning, coaching, and financial therapy.

Dr. Dave Yeske CFP®, Director of the GGU’s Financial Planning programs and Distinguished Adjunct Professor, designed the new concentration. A Financial Planning Evangelist, he has made national TV appearances, led professional organizations, and published articles and books such as Evidence-Based Financial Planning: To Learn . . . Like a CFP.  The financial planning investment strategy he pioneered—The Yeske Buie Approach—has been profiled in The Wall Street Journal. The Financial Planning Association® (FPA) has recognized Dr. Yeske as one of the profession’s leading minds by awarding him their highest honor—The P. Kemp Fain Jr. Award (2017). He earned a doctorate in Finance from GGU in 2010.

Elizabeth Jetton, CFP® has been a thought leader in the financial planning profession for the past 20 years. She has been in the financial services industry since 1981 and served as President of The Financial Planning Association in 2004. She trains planners how to become conversational leaders and to use group conversational processes to engage, attract, and build trust.

Saundra Davis, MS is nationally recognized as an expert in the financial coaching field and founder and Executive Director of Sage Financial Solutions. She developed a financial coach certification program and received a special invitation to attend President Obama’s 2014 White House Summit on Working Families.

Rick Kahler, MS, CFP® is a pioneer in the emerging field of financial therapy that integrates Financial Planning and Psychology. He has been featured by NBC’s Today, ABC’s 20/20, Good Morning America, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and MarketWatch. He is a co-author of books such as Facilitating Financial Health and Conscious Finance.

For more information, contact program director Dr. Dave Yeske, CFP® or Request information about GGU’s Financial Planning programs >>.

GGU Financial Planning Graduate Student Co-Authors Paper in Prestigious Journal

On By Golden Gate UniversityIn Financial PlanningLeave a comment

The September 2017 issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Financial Planning explored opportunities and challenges for the next generation of financial planners and clients. The cover story of the issue, Serving Millennial Clients with a 3-Step Model was co-authored by Russell Kroeger, CFP®, EA, who is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Advanced Financial Planning at GGU. From 2015 to 2017, Kroeger worked for the financial planning firm of Dr. Dave Yeske, CFP who designed the curriculum for the program and is a leading authority in the field.

Kroeger decided that he wanted to be a financial planner at age 17, and follows his passion to this day. His life and career goals brought him to San Francisco, and soon after he immersed himself in the GGU program. “Not long into my coursework, I developed the necessary foundation for a deep dive into psychology and behavioral science research, ultimately identifying evidence-based strategies that help me to engage and serve young professionals more effectively.” Kroeger wants to serve not only clients, but also increase the profession’s body of knowledge as he does with the recently published article.

Not long into my coursework, I developed the necessary foundation for a deep dive into psychology and behavioral science research…

Along with his co-author, Yusuf Abugideiri, CFP®, Kroeger cites research that says Millennials are more stressed, more collaborative in their decision-making (as shaped by social media experiences), and less sure of their ability to make significant life and financial decisions. Although statistics do show that Millennials are cash poor today, the authors cite Boston College Center on Wealth and Philanthropy that they stand to inherit part of an estimated $59 trillion in wealth transfer over the coming decades.

These factors suggest that this generation needs financial planning help – and would benefit from it more — than those that preceded it. The authors’ 3-Step Model to Serve Millennial clients is to:

Step 1: Use a robust discovery process to uncover worldviews and identify goals.

Step 2: Craft policies to overcome scarcity mentality and clear the path to progress.

Step 3: Build confidence in decision-making abilities through collaboration.

“The role of the financial planner is to serve as a change agent,” the authors conclude, “helping the [Millennial] client craft policies that remove the need for deliberation, building confidence in their decision-making ability, and creating a decision-architecture rooted in their value system.”

Kroeger says that research of this type is important because young professionals are the future leaders of the world: “Opportunities for every individual to establish healthy relationships with money can serve as a catalyst for us to build a more inclusive, empowering, and fulfilling society.”

About Russell Kroeger

Russell Kroeger, CFP®, EA, founded Paradigm Wealth Architects to help young professionals live a life that is in alignment with their ideal-selves, encouraging each client to pursue Wealth and impact the world in a way that is authentic to their unique life experience. In addition to operating Paradigm Wealth, Russell speaks at conferences, consults for financial planning firms, and is a member of Money Quotient’s Research and Education Task Force. He also volunteers as the Director of Advocacy for the San Francisco chapter of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) as well as the NexGen representative for the OneFPA Advisory Group.

Request information about GGU’s Financial Planning programs >>

Video: Military Veteran at GGU Discusses Going Back to College as an Adult

On By Golden Gate UniversityIn militaryLeave a comment

Joe Byers decided that he wanted to be an accountant a year before leaving the Navy in 2011. In this video, he explains that military veterans going back to school have more real-life responsibilities than younger students. Although getting an undergraduate degree after the military can be a challenge, he cites GGU’s evening and online courses as a plus, as well as staff who are dedicated specifically to veteran needs. “They take care of you…especially if you are an incoming student,” says Byers.

Now completing an undergraduate business degree at GGU with a concentration in accounting, Byers will continue on to our master’s degree in accounting program. His participation in the Path2CPA program will allow him to finish the degree as quickly as one year.

GGU is an official Military Friendly School®

  • Flexible schedules to accommodate busy lives
  • Qualifying veterans who attend GGU spend $0 total out-of-pocket cost.
  • A variety of generous financial aid options
    Military training may be applied to an undergraduate degree
  • Convenient, fully online programs
  • Personalized academic advising
  • Disability counseling
  • A passionate team dedicated to helping service members!Contact us about the veteran experience at GGU >>

The Hot San Francisco Job Market

On By Golden Gate UniversityIn Careers, Golden Gate UniversityLeave a comment

Thousands of people choose to get an undergraduate or graduate degree in San Francisco because of its culture, diversity, and employment opportunities. San Francisco is home to companies with a global impact and is a center of worldwide innovation. Technology companies – from spunky startups to mammoth companies – generate excitement for many who want to launch a career or move up the ladder. But are there really enough possibilities for employment in San Francisco? The answer is yes.

According to a recent California state jobs report, San Francisco and the adjacent San Mateo area added 10,000 jobs in a single month. In its summary of the report, the San Jose Mercury News cites a senior Wells Fargo economist who predicts further expansion of the local job market. In San Francisco, the unemployment rate is a low 3.3%, which is lower than both the California and National average according to the EDD.

Technology Companies Moving to San Francisco

Although the Silicon Valley remains the stereotypical location for technology companies, it is San Francisco that has become the “tech titan” according to Jenny Belotserkovsky, a startup professional who has been in the area since 1995. She cites a few big reasons why San Francisco has surpassed Silicon Valley as the place to be. A city tax break brought Twitter and Zendesk to the city’s  Mid-Market area. Rents for companies in the crowded Silicon Valley are rising. And, of course, talented people want to live in San Francisco rather than next to low-slung office parks, factors that brought Google and Mozilla to the Embarcadero.

Technology Companies Come to San Francisco
> Between 2012 and 2013, 24 companies relocated to San Francisco from the Peninsula and Silicon Valley, including Gigwalk, Detercon, and Seal Software.
> Out-of-town [out of San Francisco] tech firms that opened up an office in the city included Amazon, Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Mozilla, eBay, and LinkedIn.
> The next crop of fast-growing companies founded between 2004-10 chose to grow up in San Francisco…including Dropbox, Airbnb, Uber, Yelp, BitTorrent, Square, Slack, and Pinterest.
Source: San Francisco is the New Tech Titan, not Silicon Valley (2016)

All of these companies are close to GGU, which is located in the SOMA (South of Market) Finacial District. In fact, the campus in the center of a 1.5-square-mile radius that covers the best established and emerging companies that San Francisco has to offer.

Just stand in front of GGU and you get a view of the new 61-story Salesforce Tower and Deloitte–one of the Big4 accounting firms. FitBit is a five-minute walk away. You will find virtually every major financial firm between campus and the Transamerica building less than a mile away. The area is also home to the three biggest advertising agencies in the city. Uber and the aforementioned Twitter are in the Mid-Market area southwest of campus–near the Civic Center Bart Station. Do-it-yourself-Web-design company Weebly is at the southern end of the South of Market area, also within the 1.5-square-mile radius of GGU.

GGU is the center of a 1.5-square-mile radius that covers the best established and emerging companies that San Francisco has to offer.

Because of its location, GGU has a cross-pollinating relationship with nearby businesses that stretches back decades. GGU draws talent from these organizations to teach, while local businesses have employed thousands of graduates throughout the University’s 116-year history.

Beyond Tech: Business Jobs in San Francisco

While San Francisco is becoming “top of mind for tech jobs,” other positions are needed at local firms. Demand for project managers is higher in San Francisco than anywhere in the U.S., according to TalentWorks. And it’s not just any Project Managers that are needed—highly educated and certified professionals that understand the industry are sought after. Business people that are savvy in both sales and IT are particularly in demand.

The San Francisco Bay Brea is also a hot job market if you want to apply your business skills in Healthcare Management, Marketing Events Management, Supply Chain, or Finance. Talents in these areas are the most scarce according to LinkedIn’s 2017 Workforce Report. TalentWorks also reports that the number of accounting jobs in San Francisco each month is the highest in the nation.

All considered, it is not surprising that San Francisco has been named the best city in the US for recent graduates to find a job by the highly respected American Institute of Economic Research (AIER). The study looked at many factors, including unemployment rate, labor force participation, and how many people worked in emerging industries.

The San Francisco Business Environment

If you are interested in learning about San Francisco’s reputation and position in the business world, we invite you to watch this video with Dr. Gordon Swartz, Dean of GGU’s Ageno School of Business.

Communication Skills for Accountants: Lessons from GGU’s Director of Accounting Programs

On By Golden Gate UniversityIn Accountancy, Bruce F. Braden School of Taxation and School of Accounting, CareersLeave a comment

cropped-ggu-outside3.jpgRic Jazaie has given presentations throughout his career to senior leadership at the CIA, FBI, in judicial proceedings, and at his own Forensic Accounting practice. “You are always presenting as an accountant to large and small groups and communicating with people one-on-one. The era of the guy in the green visor and the lamp is over,” he says.

Accountants and auditors communicate daily with their clients and constituents. Jazaie says: “Communication skills, analytical skills, and critical thinking are the most important skills accountants can possess and develop—in that order. Clients look to us for answers to help clients achieve their goals.”

Jazaie has used his communication skills to influence successful prosecutions of terrorist financiers as an FBI agent/analyst, loan servicing companies at the FBI, and even small Bay Area nonprofits as the head of a consulting firm. Students get a direct pipeline to these techniques in Jazaie’s Communication and Analysis of Financial Information for Accountants course.

“One of my students in the communications class came back from an interview at a Big4 accounting firm,” he says. “He told me that he asked the interviewers what they seek in a candidate. They said critical-thinking skills and communication. He could put a tangible work product from the communication class on the table and discuss those principles. They were very impressed. He was beyond himself with excitement.”

We asked Jazaie to list his 10 most important communication skills…

  • Storytelling: “You want to get your audience excited and tell them a story. The presentation should be as interesting as a hearing about an interesting first date from a friend. Tell the story through your analysis of financial information.”
  • Eye Contact: “For example, when you answer a question in court, you turn and look directly at the jurors in the eyes. They love that.”
  • Be Credible: “If you are asked a question, it’s OK to say, ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I took a different approach.’ Never, ever, lie about the facts. Our credibility in this profession is of utmost importance.”
  • Understand their point of view: “It is also important to be an active listener and hear the other points of views in a discussion with the people you are presenting to.”
  • Pace Yourself: “Your audience, especially a jury, needs time to process the information so you don’t need to talk quickly.”
  • Clear visuals: “Accountants for the prosecution on a grand jury were able to make a two-slide presentation that connected essential numbers (slide one) to the law (slide two). They proved that the prosecution had a strong case.”
  • Communicate the solution: “Clients that hire auditors/accountants want to know what controls should be in place to prevent fraud. You need to have a simple answer.”
  • Be friendly: “Your audience, whether clients or jurors, want to see a friendly and generally happy accountant. Your audience will not respond well to you when they see an angry and argumentative person in front of  them.”
  • Confidence: “It is important to be confident when you present. Confidence does not mean arrogance. In fact, to the contrary, a confident accountant is one who has done his or her homework and is prepared to respond to questions.”
  • Feedback: “Being able to appropriately give and receive feedback is an important communication skill.”

Before job interviews or professional presentations, students must get past Jazaie as an audience. When they present their analyses and recommendations to the class, he deducts points for loss of eye contact and wants to see them apply what they learned from his experience. He says: “They need to make mistakes at GGU because at the Big4 they expect you to be a pro by the time you get there.”

“[My Student]…could put a tangible work product from the communication class on the table and discuss those principles [at an interview]. They were very impressed. He was beyond himself with excitement.”

Jazaie continuously looks for ways to provide his students with constructive feedback during and after presentations: “Giving feedback involves giving praise as well – something as simple as saying ‘good job’ or ‘thanks for such a great presentation’ to a student can greatly increase motivation.” Jazaie’s students have impressed him with their ability to apply what he teaches: “They continue to amaze me with their creativity and analysis of difficult financial information and their ability to present their points of views.”

One-On-One

Communicating one-on-one is crucial to audits and investigations. By taking the attitude of a helper, a series of conversations can make a difference. “The process of Forensic Accounting is to keep turning rocks until you run out of rocks. Then you look for patterns in the soil. Then you find another rock. Somewhere in there you find your next lead. That’s where the excitement is. Forensic accounting is like solving a large jigsaw puzzle. That is, you have clues everywhere, but you have to think logically and methodically and try to fit the pieces perfectly to build the bigger picture.”

Ric Jazaie has a master’s degree in Accounting from Golden Gate University (’15) with a concentration in Forensic Accounting.

Request information about GGU’s accounting programs >>

 

Preparing for the CFA Exam and a Career in Finance: MSF Student Taylor Tsao

On By Golden Gate UniversityIn Ageno School of Business, Careers, Finance, MBALeave a comment


Taylor Tsao recently completed a year in the Financial Reporting & Accounting Services division at CalPERS — the largest public pension fund in the United States — and is taking online classes from Golden Gate University. A student in the Master of Science in Finance program with a concentration in Investment Management, he is preparing to take the first of three CFA exams this December.

Tsao says that the Master of Science in Finance program’s recent admission to the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program is important to him. “It shows that what we study aligns with the CFA exam curriculum,” he says. “For example, the Corporate Finance course that I took with Dr. Andrea Anthony covered most of the Corporate Finance topic material from the CFA exam and also went into greater detail.”

Students in Dr. Anthony’s class were challenged to fully analyze a fictitious company by using its financial statements to forecast future cash flows and give a recommendation based on the data. “Not all of the assignment skills are covered on the CFA exams, but they will be very important to succeed in finance, such as determining a company’s intrinsic value.”

At a modest-sized University like GGU, Tsao says he gets more personal attention and that faculty members are always very responsive online. For example, Finance Professor David Kaczorowski helped Tsao get a scholarship for a discount on the price of the CFA Exam as well as a discount on the CFA Society of San Francisco’s review that comes with the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program.

I started to explore GGU for a master’s degree in finance because of their great reputation in the fields of tax and accounting. Networking-wise, there are a lot of opportunities with fellow students and employers because of GGU’s location within San Francisco’s Financial District.

This is not Tsao’s first career transition. After graduating college with a degree in accounting, Tsao went to work for his family business for several years—handling their accounting records and running day-to-day operations.  Studying at GGU, Tsao is hoping to streamline his entrance into a new field and aspires to work on the investment side of CalPERS as an analyst and hopefully one day as a fund manager.

Related post: Career and Educational Paths in Finance: An interview with Professor David Kaczorowski

Women in Leadership’s Tradition of Excellence Continues

On By Golden Gate UniversityIn Ageno School of Business, Careers, Financial Planning, Law, MBALeave a comment

Now entering its 5th year, GGU’s Women in Leadership event has attracted successful panelists who have launched businesses or are prominent at corporations, nonprofits, and law firms. The 2016 event was no different and featured alumnae (pictured below, left to right) Givelle Lamano (JD ’10), Attorney at Lamano Law Offices; Sofia Tulchinsky (MBA ’96), Senior Director Global Business Planning & Strategy at Salesforce; and Susan Lovegren (MS, Human Resource Management ’86), Chief People Officer at AppDynamics.

2016 Alumnae Panelists

The 2016 event was hosted by Dr. Marianne Koch who is Associate Dean of GGU’s Ageno School of Business, HR Program Director, and a Professor of Management. Dr. Koch began the session by posing a single question to the three GGU alumnae: What choices did you have to make to get where you are today? The answers touched on themes such as their career paths and accomplishments; challenges and solutions specific to women; networking; and the link between personal and professional development.

Last year’s event drew 175 attendees from the GGU community and beyond. If you want to see more of what you can expect at this year’s Women in Leadership Event, we invite you to watch the video of the 2016 event.

The 5th Annual Women in Leadership Event Is on October 25th!

Attendees of this year’s event can expect another group of accomplished women who will share real-world advice based on their personal and professional journeys. The event is open to the GGU community and the public. Admission to this event is free and refreshments will be provided. We also invite you to take advantage of networking before and after the panel.

2017 Women in Leadership Panelists

Helen Fanucci, Global Windows Sales Leader, Microsoft Corporation

Hazel Blackhart (JD ’08), Group Product Manager, Hematology Franchise Communications, Operations and Alliance Strategy, Genentech, Inc.

Nicole Middleton (MS FIPL ’17), Chief Executive Officer
Strategy Squad Insurance Services

Event Details & Free Registration

Date: October 25, 2017
Time: 5:30 – 8 p.m.
Location: Golden Gate University, San Francisco [directions]

Agenda:

5:30 – 6:30 pm — Registration begins / networking
6:30 – 7:30 pm — Panel discussion and Q&A
7:30 – 8:00 pm — Post-panel networking

For more information about this event, please visit www.ggu.edu/women-in-leadership.

Get updates and share with friends: #GGUWomen.

Related GGU Blog Post: My Advice for Women in Business: Know What You Want and Ask for It! by Helen Fanucci, ‎Global Windows Sales and Digital Transformation Leader at ‎Microsoft.

All photos above by Jenny LeMaster.

GGU Faculty Member Blodwen Tarter Honored by GGU and Marketing Edge

On By Golden Gate UniversityIn MarketingLeave a comment

Dr. Blodwen Tarter, Professor and Chair of Marketing and Public Relations at GGU, has been writing award-winning case studies in marketing since 2007.  Case studies ask students to analyze real-world situations and develop solutions in order to apply what they learn in classes. Her work has been consistently recognized by Marketing Edge, a national nonprofit organization committed to introducing and engaging professors and university students in the thriving business of marketing.  At GGU’s Spring 2017 commencement ceremony, she was presented with the annual Scholarship award, as selected by her peers on the full-time faculty.

This recognition was based on Dr. Tarter’s long-term track record of published outstanding case studies. In 2016, she was awarded two prizes by Marketing Edge in their annual case-writing competition, winning a Silver award for a case on Save the Redwoods’ campaign “Take a walk in the redwoods—on us!” and a Bronze award for a co-authored case about Pacific Gas and Electric. Here is an example of her work from Save the Redwoods’ campaign:

Save the Redwoods League is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the diminishing redwood forests of California. In 2015, outdoor goods retailer REI launched a marketing campaign #OptOutside, which encouraged consumers to enjoy the outdoors on the day after Thanksgiving, rather than to indulge in the shopping frenzy known as Black Friday. Save the Redwoods League leapt on the opportunity to leverage REI’s national campaign by developing Free Redwood Parks Day, offering free park passes for all 49 redwood state parks for the day after Thanksgiving.  The case study details the speedy planning and implementation of the event, provides examples of the marketing assets, and shows how metrics confirmed the enormous success of the #OptOutside#IntoTheRedwoods. campaign. Students are then challenged to develop a campaign for the following year.

A key collaborator, the Redwood League’s Chief Communications Officer, Jennifer Benito-Kowalksi, is a 2004 graduate of GGU (MS, Integrated Marketing Communications) and a veteran of Dr. Tarter’s classes. The case features videos interviewing Benito-Kowalski.  An outdoor enthusiast, Blodwen was excited to work on this project.

More Awards in 2017

This year, Dr. Tarter was notified by Marketing Edge that a case about Shinola, a lifestyle brand headquartered in Detroit, is another award-winner. She and co-author Matt Fisher, an adjunct faculty member and student in GGU’s Doctor of Business Administration program, will present the case in October at the Marketing Edge annual conference.

We asked Blodwen Tarter to describe the attributes of an effective case study. She listed:

Builds judgment skills by including ambiguities
Has a well-written and compelling story
Requires solutions from the students without a single “right” answer
Often includes extraneous information to encourage critical thinking
Incorporates real data, if possible, about the subject organization
Demonstrates relevance to current marketing issues and practices

About Blodwen Tarter, PhD

Blodwen Tarter has more than 25 years of management experience in marketing, product and systems development (including website development and e-commerce), strategic planning, and operations management with an emphasis on financial services and information technology. Her employers and clients have included Mead (now RockTenn), Knight-Ridder, Charles Schwab, Ziff Corporation, Wells Fargo, and several Silicon Valley start-ups. At Golden Gate University, she teaches a variety of marketing courses, including marketing management, direct and database marketing, digital marketing and e-commerce, as well as new product development and consumer behavior.

Dr. Tarter holds a BA with Distinction and MA from Stanford University, an MBA in marketing and finance from the University of Chicago, and a PhD from Golden Gate University. She chairs the Marketing and Public Relations department in the Ageno School of Business and has received several teaching awards.

Request information about GGU’s Marketing  degrees and certificates >>

Ranking of Best Universities for Adult Learners Is “So Needed”

On By Golden Gate UniversityIn Ageno School of Business, Awards, Golden Gate University, Undergraduate ProgramsLeave a comment

For the second consecutive year, Washington Monthly ranks Golden Gate University America’s #1 School for Adult Learners in its annual College Guide and Rankings. Forbes contributor Richard Eisenberg wrote that the Washington Monthly list “is so needed” [emphasis his] because of the sheer amount adult-learner students (nearly half of higher-ed enrollees), and how different their needs are from those under 25. For example, older students want flexible scheduling, online classes that fit their busy lives, as well as credit for life experiences that have been “classes” in and of themselves.

Eisenberg highlighted a few choice quotes from Washington Monthly’s hour-plus video seminar about adult education:

  • “The best colleges for adults tend to be regional public universities, private schools, and community colleges that U.S. News doesn’t even rank.”
    — Paul Glastris, Editor in Chief of Washington Monthly
  • “Today’s students are not all 18-year-olds walking into a brick building every day, with mom and dad sending checks.”
    –Courtney Brown, Vice President of Strategic Impact at the Lumina Foundation
  • “The environment for higher-ed programs that have a focus on older adults seeking purposeful engagement is still evolving as universities try to find the business model that works for them.”
    –Marci Alboher, Vice President, Strategic Communications, at Encore.org.

The participation of Encore.org in the video seminar is significant because of the organization’s mission of supporting meaningful second careers for older adults with resources such as the Encore Career Handbook.  Supporting second  (and first!) careers for adults has been fundamental to Golden Gate University’s mission for over 100 years, which is no small part of its #1 ranking.

Why GGU Was Ranked #1 by Washington Monthly

To compile the rankings, Washington Monthly reviewed data from the Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) survey, the department’s new College Scorecard database and the College Board’s Annual Survey of Colleges. The metrics that determined GGU’s rating include:

  • ease of transfer/enrollment
  • flexibility of programs
  • services available for adult learners
  • percent of adult students (age 25+)
  • mean earnings of adult students ten years after entering college
  • loan repayment of adult students five years after entering repayment
  • tuition and fees for in-district students

Related post: Going Back to School in your Mid-20s, 30s, or 40s–It’s Golden Gate University’s Specialty by Jelena Ristic Kelleher, JD, Interim Associate Dean and Director of Undergraduate Programs.

Accomplished Finance Professional Stays on Top of His Game at GGU

On By Golden Gate UniversityIn AccountancyLeave a comment

“Why would I go back to school? That’s what everyone asks me!” It’s a legitimate question for Marc Loupé, who has more than 25 years of experience and has worked in global-level roles in accounting and finance. After a few years at Deloitte as an external auditor, he progressed from positions in internal auditing, financial planning and analysis, and controllership roles. Most recently, he was CFO of AAA of Northern California, Nevada & Utah. As he transitions from corporate financial management to a consulting practice, he wants more education to keep performing at the highest level.

“When people are younger,” Loupé says, “they think they get a degree and finish their education. As people mature, they have a better appreciation that learning is continuous. You always want to stay on the top of your game, and the best way to do that is to be in (or close to) classroom interaction with other students and business counterparts.”

There is an ongoing requirement in business to communicate effectively and use current and proven tools to accentuate a presentation. There is always a missed opportunity to improve communication skills. You don’t want to fall back into habits that may not be effective.

GGU’s reputation in the accounting field—as well as its instructors who demonstrate their real-world application of theory—persuaded Loupé to start its master’s degree in accounting program. For example, the Accounting Research and Communication course informs students how to make presentations more effective by using technical tools with clarity. Loupé also notes: “It also helps one to consider the audience’s background and familiarity with the presented content.”

Loupé’s team was challenged to present a written and oral presentation about how Chipotle could raise its stock price after the E. Coli scandal. The group presented a solution that addressed marketing, supply chain, public relations, and product development. “We were taught the specific Excel automation commands that are useful to summarize data for an audience,” says Loupé. “I also learned from other students who used some of the newer tools, such as Prezi.”

Communication in Real-World Situations

Loupé says good communication is about being clear and succinct, noting: “A presenter should never conclude with the audience saying: ‘You lost me in translation.’” To present effectively, you need to listen and communicate so clients can engage in a conversation to achieve the ultimate answer. Ultimately, as financial and business consultants, we are solution providers.”

More about Mark Loupé

Marc Loupé is a Partner at CFOs2Go, which provides CFO advisory services in finance and accounting on an interim and consulting basis and recruitment for direct hire positions.

Request information about GGU’s Master of Science in Accounting program  >>