Quick bio
I am currently employed with the McLean, Virginia (Tyson’s Corner) office of KPMG LLP as a Senior Associate in the Exempt Organizations (ExoTax) Tax practice. Our office is a part of the Metro Washington, D.C. office, which is located in downtown Washington. As a senior associate, I primarily work on tax compliance engagements for not-for-profit organizations and charitable organizations, such as hospital systems, museums, and colleges and universities. This includes the review of annual Federal, state, international, and local tax returns and other informational forms prepared by our associates and interns.  At times, I also assist on various tax consulting engagements. I became a licensed CPA in January 2011, and am an active member of the AICPA & the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA).

Q: How do you feel your MAcc degree has helped you in your career thus far?

A: My MAcc degree has helped me in many ways. I use much, if not all, of the information I learned in Professor Raabe’s tax courses on a daily basis. During my studies at OSU, I gained exposure to the accounting procedures for non-profit and tax-exempt organizations. As I begin to work more closely with our exempt organizations practice, the theory I learned as a student gets put to the test as I see it in my clients’ financials.

The Fisher MAcc program truly prepares you for the early years of your career in public or private accounting. Whether you are learning how to research a tax issue and draft the memo, or learning the differences between IFRS and U.S. GAAP, everything that you are being exposed to during the program will be seen again, and sooner than you think, once you are in your career.

Q: What advice would you give someone that is considering pursuing the MAcc program at Fisher in comparison to different graduate programs and universities?

A: When I was considering graduate programs, I considered the following criteria: length of the program, variety of class offerings, recruiting opportunities, cost and geographical area. I wanted to attend a school that would not only prepare me for my career, but would also allow me to enjoy my last year of freedom! Fisher, and OSU as a whole, not only met each one of those criteria, but surpassed them.

I had the opportunity to not take just accounting courses, but also classes in managerial negotiations and management strategy. You will have the chance to take classes with students from other business graduate programs and backgrounds. Fisher is a small community within a large campus. It has a great “family” feeling paired with the expansive resources only available at large universities. The reputation of Ohio State as a leading university with the top students brings recruiters from virtually any organization and area you can imagine. How many programs can say they have all of this, but actually deliver on it? Not many, I assure you!

The most important thing to remember when choosing your program and university is that your experience is going to be what you make it. Of course, you have to go to class and look for career opportunities, but also remember that this is still graduate school, the fun older sibling of college! Get involved in campus organizations, go to a sporting event (GO BUCKS!), or become familiar with the local culture. Look for a program that is not only going to challenge you academically, but will also provide you an amazing grad school experience.

Q: What is one of your favorite memories during your time at Ohio State?

A: One of my favorite memories of my year at OSU was the MAcc Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner. My entire class decided to have a potluck dinner the Sunday before Thanksgiving. We rented out the lounge at Fisher Commons, everyone brought a traditional dish, and we had a huge feast while watching Sunday night football and reminiscing about the glorious 42-7 victory the Buckeyes had over “those people” from up North the previous afternoon (i.e. the Michigan Wolverines). It was a great way to end our first quarter!

Another great memory was attending my first football game at the Shoe. I am the seventh member of my family to graduate from Ohio State, and I had long awaited my chance to walk into the stadium as a student. Tears of joy (I am serious, I really did tear up!) ran down my cheeks as I participated in the O-H-I-O wave that swept around the stadium after the first touchdown. That is a moment I will cherish forever!

Q: Any additional information you would like to share about your thoughts on the Fisher MAcc experience?

A: I attended a small, historically black university for undergrad because I didn’t want to be just a number, and not a name, at a larger institution. This is the same thought I had on making my decision to attend Fisher. With only 100 students or less in the MAcc program, you will be known by name and receive an individualized education while enjoying the benefits of attending a university with a 50,000+ student body. For those of you coming from smaller colleges and universities, don’t be intimidated by the size of Ohio State. The students, faculty and community of OSU are a close knit, although large, family. Sure, you won’t actually know everyone there, but by the end of your year, you’ll feel like it.

Quick bio
I work for Eaton Corporation as an Accounting Manager in our Vacuum Interrupter Manufacturing Plant in Horseheads, New York. Our monthly sales are approx. $7.5 M per month.  My main responsibilities are managing 1 direct and 1 indirect report, the balance sheet, capital projects and reviewing the income statement for discrepancies.

Q: How do you feel your MAcc degree has helped you in your career thus far?

A: I am 100 percent sure that had I not gone back to get my MAcc, I would not be working for Eaton today. I would probably still be unhappy in my old job, constantly looking for something better somewhere else. My MAcc has given me the opportunity for a career with a company that builds itself on promoting from within and making their employees more well rounded in all facets of their business. And I believe my MAcc has enabled me to hit the ground running, make strong impressions on very influential people and position myself for great things to come.

Q: What advice would you give someone that is considering pursuing the MAcc program at Fisher in comparison to different graduate programs and universities?

A: School rankings play a part, but don’t under-estimate the quality you can earn by putting a superior effort forth. The time, preparation and work ethic you show now will set you apart going forward.

Q: What is one of your favorite memories during your time at Ohio State?

A: My friendships made during the program are my best memories. Being able to keep in touch with them and follow their careers along with my own has been a lot of fun. My role with Eaton and my time in the MAcc both stressed the importance of building contacts and relationships along your path. And I think that is something that I will carry with me throughout my career.

Q: Any additional information you would like to share about your thoughts on the Fisher MAcc experience?

A: The MAcc is a very broad program. Yes, you have to take your typical Accounting courses, but don’t let that dissuade you. You still have the opportunity to focus on other areas such as Finance, International Business, Marketing, etc. If you don’t want to go into public accounting, you can still tailor this program to suit your needs.

Quick bio
David Interdonato serves as an Associate with Navigant Capital Advisors, LLC and provides detailed financial analysis and operational support for the firm's restructuring and investment banking clients.

David has over seven years of experience specializing in assurance services, bankruptcy services, financial and transactional due diligence, forensic accounting, sell side financial advisory and restructuring advisory services on behalf of debtors and senior lenders.

Prior to joining NCA, David was part of the Restructuring and Turnaround practice at Huron Consulting Group as well as the Assurance and Business Advisory practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

David has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University at Buffalo, a Masters of Accounting from the Ohio State University, and is pursuing a MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. David is a licensed CPA and CFF, holds FINRA Series 7, 63 and 79 licenses, is a Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor, and holds Certification in Distressed Business Valuation.

Q: How do you feel your MAcc degree has helped you in your career thus far?

A: The education I received from the Fisher MAcc program awarded me a competitive advantage over my fellow colleagues at my first employer, PricewaterhouseCoopers. The diverse backgrounds of the students entering each MAcc class allows for a collaborative environment that cannot be matched. That diversity of experience, combined with the feature of integrated classes with talented MBA candidates allows MAcc students to experience a real-world environment that you will not find in an undergraduate classroom.

Q: What advice would you give someone that is considering pursuing the MAcc program at Fisher in comparison to different graduate programs and universities?

A: The Fisher MAcc experience allows a student to have the “best of both worlds.” The Fisher MAcc program offers a small, intimate setting where students and professors work closely together to develop the student’s talents and interests while at the same time being a part of one of the largest universities in the country.

Students will get to know every person in their class while being able to leverage the academic and career resources of Fisher College, along with the scope and prestige of the Ohio State global network. The close knit setting of the program allows students coming from other undergraduate institutions to seamlessly integrate into the University and not feel overwhelmed by the size and scope of the Columbus campus.

When looking into graduate business programs, one should first and foremost consider what they are gaining from putting their time and effort into the graduate program. Ask yourself, does the program provide me with a competitive advantage over other candidates in a very competitive marketplace? Will the program allow me to not only obtain a challenging and rewarding position, but adequately prepare me for that position? Finally, does the program provide me with the skills and resources to succeed not only on day one, but thirty years down the line?

These were the questions I asked myself when making the decision to attend the Fisher MAcc program and in my experience, the program went above and beyond in exceeding my expectations.

Q: What is one of your favorite memories during your time at Ohio State?

A: Where do I start? The year went by so fast. The best thing about living in Columbus is the fact that the campus is alive and vibrant in the fall. Coming from a school that was not enthusiastic about their athletics, my first Ohio State football game was an amazing experience. The passion and pageantry are an experience I recommend for any sports fan. I go out of my way to return to the campus each fall for the experience and even traveled to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl this past New Years Day.

Aside from all of the fun activities Ohio State offers, most importantly, the memories I have of my Fisher MAcc experience revolve around the people in the program. I was so impressed with the quality of students the program drew. It was clear that the caliber of students in the program greatly enhanced my learning in the classroom. The students are smart, talented, and friendly, but most importantly, they bring a diverse wealth of knowledge to the program to share with their classmates.

Q: Any additional information you would like to share about your thoughts on the Fisher MAcc experience?

A: There are so few days over the course of your life that truly affect its direction and outcome. The day I enrolled in the Fisher MAcc program was one of those days for me. I would not have been able to accomplish what I have to this point in my career without the Fisher MAcc program. The decision to attend the program will only enhance your education and more importantly, your career.

Quick bio
In the broadest sense, I simply figure out ways to do things. That may mean taking a company's yearly expenses and turning it into a functional model, in which I can immediately isolate, for example, how much money a company spends on food in January in company 16. It may mean presenting three PowerPoint slides that detail a company's operating profitability, their CEO's strategy, and their mergers and acquisitions activity and product launches over the past five years.

On a far higher level, it may mean figuring out the best way to graph some piece of data to attempt to get someone to take action. This may be the most challenging thing that we do as consultants. We try to get people to want to change something so they can position themselves better for the future. Think about this one, have you ever tried to convince a friend/relative to stop smoking, to take up a sport, or to go talk to that cute girl in the corner? Oftentimes, we know what we should do, but we still don't do it. The same goes for companies, consultants attempt to lessen the discrepancy between what should be done and what actually is done.

Q: How do you feel your MAcc degree has helped you in your career thus far?

A: From a technical accounting point of view, already, in my first year, I have been staffed on a detailed intercompany account reconciliation project and currently an in depth cost cutting initiative. Both of which have required a solid understanding of corporate allocations, the general ledger, and the most fundamental of accounting "laws."

From a broader perspective, throughout the MAcc I took advantage of taking several MBA level courses which exposed me to what it means to be professional. Things a simple as creating weekly status updates, taking detailed notes at meetings, providing agendas, and simply making life easier for those above and around me were automatic to me. Finally, as much as I don't love staring at Excel, the Excel class I took helped immensely in getting through this type of work much more quickly to allow me to focus more on the bigger picture.

Q: What advice would you give someone that is considering pursuing the MAcc program at Fisher in comparison to different graduate programs and universities?

A: You must take advantage of the ability to take MBA courses if that is an option at your prospective schools. Finally, keep the end game in mind, if you know you want to do tax go to the best tax-focused MAcc program you can. If you are unsure of what you want to do, I would ask for the breakdown of where graduates go to work, find out how varied the employers are, and contact those folks to find out what they do.

Q: What is one of your favorite memories during your time at Ohio State?

A: I love Ohio State; it's one of my favorite places in the world and always will be. Obviously, football games are a great time. My favorite memory would have to be from Professor Oglevee's Excel class. Along with four other MAcc students we put together a financial model and delivered our presentation that we all knew was very very solid. The satisfaction of flat out doing something really well is a great feeling.

Q: Any additional information you would like to share about your thoughts on the Fisher MAcc experience?

A:I do a lot of traveling, and every city I go to has a Buckeye bar so I can watch the games with my fellow alumni.

Quick bio
I am currently employed by Cardinal Health in Dublin, Ohio. My current position is Director, Corporate Accounting and Consolidations. In this role, I have responsibility for managing a team of approximately 20 managers and associates. My team is responsible for all of the Corporate accounting functions for Cardinal Health including managing the Corporate Balance Sheet and Income Statement. My team is also responsible for managing and accounting for several international entities that the company owns. We also have responsibility for both the corporate and enterprise-wide consolidations process which produces the monthly and quarterly financial results for Cardinal Health for both internal and external financial reporting purposes.

Q: How do you feel your MAcc degree has helped you in your career thus far?

A: The Fisher MAcc degree benefited me personally and professionally for a number of reasons. It allowed me to expand my technical knowledge and skills given the courses exposed me to a level of curriculum that was naturally not available via the undergraduate program. I also developed a life-long network of friends and associates within both the MAcc and MBA programs while pursuing my MAcc degree. The program also helped me satisfy the education requirements in order to sit for the CPA exam in Ohio.

Q: What advice would you give someone that is considering pursuing the MAcc program at Fisher in comparison to different graduate programs and universities?

A: I would encourage any prospective MAcc student to consider first and foremost the quality and reputation of the institution, its professors and the curriculum when choosing a graduate program. I would also encourage him or her to consider what organizations recruit from the program and if those organizations are organizations that the student is interested in pursuing for either an internship or full-time employment. I would also encourage him or her to consider the placement statistics in terms of the program's past graduates.  Lastly, I would encourage a prospective student to consider what his or her quality of life will be while pursuing the graduate degree. The time spent should be enjoyable not only academically but personally in terms of the peers you will meet and, the student organizations that are available to join.

Q: What is one of your favorite memories during your time at Ohio State?

A: My memories of the MAcc program are all positive. I would say the most memorable aspect of the experience was the people I met, learned from and formed relationships with including the administrators, professors and my peers. It was an amazing experience and despite the challenges you would expect with any graduate level work, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Quick bio
I work in the internal audit department of an electrical supplies wholeseller that is present across the world. Most of the work that my team does involves reviewing processes for the subsidiaries across the world and helping them come up with best practices.

Q: How do you feel your MAcc degree has helped you in your career thus far?

A: The MAcc degree helped me build a good base of accounting and become aware of all the ways that a career in accounting can develop.

Q: What advice would you give someone that is considering pursuing the MAcc program at Fisher in comparison to different graduate programs and universities?

A: I found that the variety of courses as well as the ability to take MBA classes exposed me to more people and ideas than just taking accounting classes with a limited group of people, Your classmates bring as much to your education as your courses.

Q: What is one of your favorite memories during your time at Ohio State?

A: As students, we were always looking for inexpensive ways to amuse ourselves. So every Wednesday it was always a good assumption that you would find your classmates at Brazenhead for $3 burgers. Also, it was very fun to introduce students to Ohio State football; it’s a crazy obsession that grips the town during the fall!

Quick bio
I manage a variety of audits. My work involves building relationships with client personnel, providing the client with information (industry developments, accounting guidance) relevant to their business, training staff/senior/supervisors both on the job and by facilitating internal CPE, completing manager level review for engagements (in accordance with firm quality control policies), and ensuring engagements are complete and ready for Director/Partner review within established timeframes.

Q: How do you feel your MAcc degree has helped you in your career thus far?

A: My undergraduate program was focused on teaching the debits and credits. While it is important to have a strong technical background, in today’s accounting profession, it is also important to have a well rounded business knowledge. The Fisher MAcc program exposed me to a variety of courses which provided me with the tools necessary to succeed in the current accounting environment.

Q: What advice would you give someone that is considering pursuing the MAcc program at Fisher in comparison to different graduate programs and universities?

A: My advice to prospective MAcc students would be to consider their goals when evaluating potential graduate programs. Commonly students look for a fifth year accounting program as a way to meeting the requirements for the CPA exam, or a program that will assist with the preparation for the CPA exam.

While the Fisher MAcc program is designed to meet the requirements set forth by most state boards, its focus is not to prepare students for the CPA exam, but rather for today’s difficult accounting environment. The program provides students with a well rounded education, by not only providing a variety of accounting courses, but also with the opportunity to take courses in the MBA program.

Q: What is one of your favorite memories during your time at Ohio State?

A: I have numerous memories from my time at Ohio State, ranging from the unique experience of cheering with thousands of fans for Ohio State as they played Michigan to practicing for hours for the dance students from the MAcc program put together for the annual Indian Cultural Festival.

One my most memorable moment from Ohio State was the very first day I attended a pre-orientation meeting. I was a little nervous at first, as I truly did not know what to expect, but soon felt very comfortable, as I realized we were all in the same boat. I was quickly able to build relationships as almost everyone was new to Ohio State. At this meeting I met many people who I still keep in touch with.

Q: Any additional information you would like to share about your thoughts on the Fisher MAcc experience?

A: Take advantage of everything that the MAcc program has to offer and enjoy it.

Quick bio
I oversee a staff of five people that are responsible for monthly closes and balance sheet submissions to our corporate group. Part of the regular close responsibilities is to ensure that significant reserves (returns, rebates etc.) and estimates are appropriately recorded. The position also requires ensuring compliance of the group with audit requirements, including Sarbanes-Oxley control requirements.

On a regular basis, I am also responsible for overseeing reporting for the TV and acquisition segments, including variance reporting, advance amortization, fee determinations and participation audit follow-ups.

Additionally, I communicate and present results to department heads and interact with team members to ensure visibility of specific reporting issues. A significant part of the responsibilities includes preparing and compiling annual overhead budgets and reporting monthly overhead variance results for department and expense components.

Q: How do you feel your Fisher MAcc degree has helped you in your career thus far?

A: My Fisher MAcc degree was instrumental in furthering my prospects and providing me with a solid foundation in accounting, which enabled me to excel during my time at Ernst & Young, further positioning me extremely well for my current position at Twentieth Century Fox.

Q: What advice would you give someone that is considering pursuing the MAcc program at Fisher in comparison to different graduate programs and universities?

A: Some of the most significant considerations should be the quality of the professors in the program, the level of recruitment by top-tier firms, the breadth of the experience, both academically and culturally, as well as the strength of the school’s alumni network. Needless to say, the educational tools and resources (libraries, technology etc.) that are available to students should also be a significant consideration. In every one of the categories, I would rank Fisher among the highest in the nation.

Q: What is one of your favorite memories during your time at Ohio State?

A: My experience at Ohio State is something I will cherish forever. My senior year (also my MAcc year) will always remain etched in my memory as probably the best time I had at Ohio State. Being with a group of motivated, intelligent and fun-loving group of fellow students made my experience at Ohio State a wonderful one. Football Saturdays were always great fun and nothing beats being in Columbus during game day, whether or not you have a ticket to the game. Of course, being a national title contender every year helps as well.

Q: Any additional information you would like to share about your thoughts on the Fisher MAcc experience?

A: Without question, one of the most impressive, and possibly unique, attributes of the Fisher MAcc program is the quality of the professors that are part of it. Having been out of Columbus since graduation and living in a city that has its own group of good schools, I can confidently say that the quality of education I received from the Fisher MAcc and the Honors Accounting programs have left me in a great position to succeed in a competitive field. The fact that some of the classes were designed with practical implications specifically in mind has helped me immensely in my career, both in the public accounting field as well as now in the industry.