Avanti Group Interviews Jay Gennaro

As the SVP and Chief Accounting Officer for the publicly traded investment corporation, Don heads up the entire accounting and reporting function. Prior to his current role, Don spent 17 years honing his skills with Freddie Mac, Deutsche Bank, and Arthur Anderson. At Freddie, he was responsible for valuation and reporting for the company's investments. He also worked with Deutsche Bank as their Director of Accounting Policy and he was an Audit Manager at Arthur Anderson. Don holds a Bachelor's in Accounting from the University of Florida and is a CPA and CFA.

In this brief interview Don reveals:
• How he and his team leverage technology to reduce risk and increase value.
• Why he periodically evaluates his organization to ensure they are meeting the needs of the business.
• Why he chose a career path working for public companies.
• What he feels are the key skills and attributes that aspiring accountants need to reach the highest levels of leadership.

As the Senior Director of Accounting & Finance for the 450 million dollar digital performance marketing agency, Kim manages the accounting policy, general and operational accounting, cash management, consolidations, and reporting teams. Prior to Merkle, Kim spent 13 years with Cienna, a publicly traded communication equipment company. There she was promoted numerous times and progressed from Staff Accountant up to Director of Financial Reporting. Kim is a Certified Public Accountant and an MBA from Johns Hopkins.

In this brief interview Kim reveals:
• How she built a best-in-class global accounting department.
• How she leverages her passion for technology to make her department more efficient.
• Which learned skills and personality attributes she feels has led to her rapid career progression.
• Her career advice for aspiring accounting professionals.

As the Principal Accounting Officer of the publicly traded global education technology software company, Sean leads the worldwide accounting and financial reporting function. Prior to Rosetta Stone, he held key SEC Reporting and Accounting Policy leadership roles in the internet and online media industries. He spent 11 years with BDO including a 2 year rotation as the resident US GAAP and SEC reporting expert in their London Office. Sean is a Certified Public Accountant.

In this interview Sean reveals what threats and opportunities he thinks will be impacting public company accounting in the near future; what he did to effectively transition from managing a small team to a large one; how he has been able to utilize technology to create a flexible working environment for his team; what advice he has for aspiring public company accountants to accelerate their career.

As the Chief Accounting Officer at the publicly traded Iridium Communications, Rich leads a variety of functions including SEC Reporting, Accounting Policy, General Accounting, Tax, and Cash Management.

Previously, Rich served in leadership roles at several public and private companies in the communications and technology industries. He started his career with KPMG and reached the Senior Manager level before making the transition to corporate. Rich holds an MBA from the University of Maryland and is a Certified Public Accountant.

In this interview, Rich discusses why he thinks the convergence to one set global accounting standards will be one of the biggest trends of his career; How he and his team create value through automation and data analysis; Why he feels aspiring public company accountants should consider getting experience in finance or an MBA.

As an SVP at the publicly traded, 6.5 billion dollar media giant, Kristine heads up the Technical Accounting, SEC Reporting and Accrual Accounting functions. She has developed a deep expertise in these areas during her 12 years with the company. Prior to joining Discovery, Kristine reached the Audit Manager level at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Kristine holds an MBA from the University of Texas and is a Certified Public Accountant.

In this fast paced interview Kristine shares her perspective on why she’s excited about some of the current trends in public company accounting; How her department leverages technology & research tools to improve efficiency; Why it’s important to maintain the right perspective when faced with difficult career challenges.

As the Controller of Cricket Media, Neuhy oversees all the accounting functions for the company.  Since joining Cricket Media, Neuhy has rapidly progressed from Director of Financial Reporting to Assistant Controller to her current role.  She's developed a diverse background over her career working for both public and private companies. Neuhy holds a Master's in Accounting and Financial Management from the University of Maryland and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Here Neuhy gives us her perspective on the top trends in public company accounting, her greatest career challenge, her biggest professional achievement, and advice to aspiring accounting leaders.