Tom Mescall: Partner-In-Charge, Consulting Partner

The following is a short inside look at this partner's views on business as well as some personal insight. To view their entire profile, click the read more link at the end of each short bio.

Q and A

Q. Describe your most memorable Armanino moment.

My first management offsite meeting; it was awesome just getting to know the quality of the people who work here, very impressive.

Q. Make a prediction. Describe your vision of the business future.

The business world is going to become more complicated. Companies will need to constantly review, adjust, and remain focused on their core business. Information Technology is becoming a bigger and bigger part of a company's competitive advantage. The companies that will succeed going forward will be those that focus on their core business but continue to embrace the latest technological advancements.

Lindy Antonelli: Consulting Partner

The following is a short inside look at this partner's views on business as well as some personal insight. To view their entire profile, click the read more link at the end of each short bio.

Q and A

Q. What is it about accounting and consulting that first drew your interest?

I started my public accounting career as an auditor. I enjoyed the frequent, personal contact I had with clients, as well as learning about many industries ~ at companies of all sizes. I also developed an understanding of how finance departments operate. I especially enjoyed helping my clients solve problems. Later, I got into accounting software and was able to apply my knowledge of improving business processes to deploy accounting solutions that make companies more efficient and competitive.

Q. What can we learn from our past in your business.

Life is short and you have to work hard, have fun and keep clients happy. I strive to work with good people that have the same high standards of business ethics and values that I do.

Matt Armanino: COO, Consulting Partner

The following is a short inside look at this partner's views on business as well as some personal insight. To view their entire profile, click the read more link at the end of each short bio.

Q and A

Q. What role do you play at the firm?

I’m fortunate in that I get to play multiple roles. In addition to being a partner within our Consulting Group, I also serve as the firm’s Chief Operating Officer. In this capacity, I am engaged in strategic planning, budgeting, managing the firm’s administrative functions and working closely with our Managing Partner to help support the firm’s overall growth.

Q. Make a prediction. Describe your vision of the business future.

In the future, I think there will be increasing levels of consolidation in our industry, which remains fairly fragmented today. In this environment, the winners will be those professional service providers with deep industry expertise and the ability to truly deliver value-added solutions to their clients, as opposed to discrete, stand-alone services. Being a mile wide and an inch deep isn’t going to cut it. I think Armanino, with our reputation for being a trusted business advisor to our clients, is positioned to do extremely well in this environment.

David Davis: Consulting Partner

The following is a short inside look at this partner's views on business as well as some personal insight. To view their entire profile, click the read more link at the end of each short bio.

Q and A

Q. What is it about accounting and consulting that first drew your interest?

What intrigued me most was the theory behind the accounting for complex transactions. Basic debits and credits are important but analyzing complex business transactions is what challenges me.

Q. What’s the most dramatic change that you’ve seen in our industry?

Sarbanes-Oxley, definitely. The emphasis on controls and testing those controls wasn’t something that companies put a high priority on before the legislation was passed.

Q. What is the toughest decision that you’ve ever made?

It was my first job relocation while working in the corporate world. The company was only moving from New Jersey to New York, but we were moving away from our parents when our kids were young—that was a tough decision for us. Relocating to California from New York, now that was an easy decision.

John Dunican: Consulting Partner

The following is a short inside look at this partner's views on business as well as some personal insight. To view their entire profile, click the read more link at the end of each short bio.

Q and A

Q. What is it about consulting that first drew your interest?

The opportunity to work with many great people in a variety of industries, and help them transition their companies from good  to great.

Q. Describe your most memorable moment at Armanino.

We shut down for a day each spring and everyone donates time at a local charity. A day working at a food pantry has stuck with me as a reminder of how much we have and how much we can help others.

Q. Describe your work style.

Open, collaborative. Driven to find the best solution. I enjoy discussing problems and working with others to develop solutions to problems.

John Horner: Consulting Partner

The following is a short inside look at this partner's views on business as well as some personal insight. To view their entire profile, click the read more link at the end of each short bio.

Q and A

Q. What is it about consulting that first drew your interest?

In industry, I wasn’t wired just climbing the corporate IT ladder toward a CIO role. I regularly interacted with the business departments and got the most enjoyment from listening to business challenges and helping teams find solutions. I still do.

Q. Describe your work style.

There is no substitute for hard work. Don’t ask anything of anybody else you would not be prepared to do yourself. And education is continuous. Every day is a new learning day and my style is to be open and willing to take on new challenges.

Q. What can we learn from our past in your business?

Past performance is no guarantee of future success. I do not feel constrained by historical evidence, it is of course a useful indicator but it is not a driver for future performance.

Tim Hourigan: Consulting Partner

The following is a short inside look at this partner's views on business as well as some personal insight. To view their entire profile, click the read more link at the end of each short bio.

Q and A

Q. What is it about IT consulting that first drew your interest?

Solving challenging business and technology problems is what got me into it. I think what has kept me in it is the variety and opportunity for continuous learning.

Q. Describe your vision of the future of business.

People will surpass technology as the key differentiator. The most successful organizations will be those that create high-performance teams. Technology will always be important, but the people component of the solution will become even more critical.

Q. What keeps you up at night?

Nothing really; I sleep really well.

Bruce Kirschenbaum: Consulting Partner

The following is a short inside look at this partner's views on business as well as some personal insight. To view their entire profile, click the read more link at the end of each short bio.

Q & A

Q. What is it about consulting that first drew your interest?

Prior to getting into Consulting, I was a CFO in private industry. What drew me to consulting was my involvement with streamlining business. I was equally involved with integration and IT reporting, and felt I brought real value to organizations through this expertise. I actually enjoyed this process more than day-to-day accounting and knew that was the direction I wanted to go.

Q. Describe your work style.

I wake up every day thinking about how I am going to satisfy the two most important groups in my business - my employees and my clients. I work with that consistent focus, as satisfaction within these two groups is paramount.

Chris Moore: Consulting Partner

The following is a short inside look at this partner's views on business as well as some personal insight. To view their entire profile, click the read more link at the end of each short bio.

Q & A

Q. What is it about consulting that first drew your interest?

I decided consulting was a fit for me back in college at UCSD. I had a friend who was working for an international consulting firm and the job sounded just up my alley. I was attracted to the travel, the variety of clients, the diversity of work and learning about different industries. It was a perfect fit for me. I have been consulting my entire career and I thrive with the challenges of each new project.

Q. What unique qualities do you bring to your clients?

My leadership qualities. I like guiding my clients on the path of success, helping them avoid key pitfalls and providing insight to make their business more successful. I think my clients appreciate that I am not afraid to tell them the answer even in difficult circumstances. My clients seem to respect that.

Q and A

Q. What is it about accounting and consulting that first drew your interest?

I showed some aptitude for it in school and it seemed to fit my personality. I first took computer science courses and did just okay. Then I took an accounting course and got the highest grade the instructor had given in the last five years of teaching. It's been a great career. It's interesting and I'm helping people; I like helping people resolve their problems.

Q. What accounting law or regulation would you like to see changed?

Sarbanes-Oxley has become too regulatory. It's putting an undue burden on some companies and proving limiting to capital markets. It generates plenty of work for us, there's no denying that, but, honestly, I think the excess regulations hamper the United States' ability to remain competitive in the global marketplace.