My Interview with CFO Greg Sizelove

As my summer internship experience Kearney comes to an end, I was offered the opportunity to interview Kearney’s Chief Financial Officer, Greg Sizelove. Having the chance to sit down and ask him about his experience and any advice he might have, has given me a look into the possible future for anyone who wants to work at Kearney.

Q: What do you wish you had known before going into your first job?

A: “I wish I had taken the CPA exam much sooner than I did. My first job was with a construction company in their accounting department. Virginia used to let people sit for the exam with just a bachelor’s degree and no extra credit hours, so I decided I would wait a while before taking it. Eight years later, the rules had changed and if I did not take the exam within a certain time period, I would have had to go back to school and essentially take enough credits to earn a Masters. Being eight years out of college, with a full-time job, and while starting a family was very stressful and made me wish that I had taken the exam right after graduation.”

Q: What’s it like to be a Partner at Kearney?

A: “Kearney is a great place to work. I have been with several different companies and I have never been with a company that compares to the environment here. As a partner, the culture is second to none. We all have great connections and great times but, being a partner is also serious because you are part of the base of this company and you must still produce and carry your weight to maintain that level. I came into this company at the principal level, and from principal to partner, not much has changed, but my sector of the business, being in Internal Accounting, is slightly different because I don’t deal with customers face to face every day. Every year I have been here I have taken on more and more responsibilities to keep improving not only myself but the company and all of its employees.”

Q: How did you get to the position that you are currently in?

A: “I was hired as the Director of Finance for Kearney and was able to take on different roles and responsibilities while I was here. I believe they wanted reward me for the work I was doing by promoting me. There was a time, early on in my career, that I was interested in public accounting, but from college, I have always worked on the internal side of companies. I have always liked it because it lets you see what is really going on inside the company you work for, in regard to which components are performing and which are not and then finding away to address the problems to make the company even better.”

 Q: Did you learn how to perform your job duties in college, or on-the-job (example, using excel, networking, public speaking, technical skills)?

A: “I have always learned the operations of the job once I got there. Though the general accounting practices that we learn in college are universal, I was taught eight different methods of depreciation and have yet to work for a company that does anything but straight-line depreciation. Once I got out of college and I worked for a couple different companies, I was able to see that every place does their internal processes a little differently, but it is okay because you will learn and be able to work effectively for that company.”

Q: What’s some advice you would give to someone new on your team?

A: “I would say the expectation here at Kearney is that people will work hard and do their best. The sky is the limit with the way we have grown because it has opened so many different opportunities, even on the internal side. If someone is dedicated and hardworking, they can do great things here.”

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