Mark T. Hobbs, CPA, CFF, CGMA

The Hobbs Group, PA

Title: Managing Shareholder and President
Years in the accounting industry: 43-plus

Name one characteristic that makes you successful in your field, and why.
Since founding The Hobbs Group in 1986, I have always kept commitment at the forefront.
Commitment to staff: Many staff members have been employed by The Hobbs Group, PA for decades. I have always been committed to establishing and promoting a positive, team-oriented, working environment emphasizing employee involvement, continued growth and professional development.
Commitment to clients: I have always been committed to the clients we serve by providing them with the most talented professionals and resources available to consistently deliver results. The firm exceeds expectations with a client-focused approach by putting our clients’ objectives, goals and needs first. The Hobbs Group also prides itself on discretion, representing a wide range of clients, including those with substantial assets and complex business interests.

What do you consider one of your top professional career successes?
The opportunity to continue to serve clients and develop talent for the good of our clients and our employees.

If you weren’t in the accounting industry, what would you be doing as a career?
Unsure of a specific career; but I feel certain it would involve people and contributing to society by helping others whether individuals or businesses achieve their goals.

Jessica Donan

EY

Title: Office Managing Partner
Years in the accounting industry: 23

Name one characteristic that makes you successful in your field, and why.
A key characteristic that has helped me be successful is agility. The accounting profession and my role in it has changed substantially over the course of my career. Processes and strategies that worked historically have become obsolete as the industry and the clients we serve have evolved. Thus, my ability to be agile in my development and execution has provided me with the skills to bring innovative ideas to my clients propelling them forward in their transformation journeys.

What do you consider one of your top professional career successes?
At EY our mission is to Build a Better Working World, which is multi-faceted. As the Managing Partner of our Greenville practice, I am tasked with engaging in my local community from both a business and a philanthropic perspective. In 2020, I was asked to serve on the Racial Equity and Economic Mobility (REEM) Commission, which was formed to convene around matters of racial inequities, social justice, and disparities in key areas that negatively impact the Black community in Greenville County. In my role as a commissioner, I served as a co-chair for the Income and Wealth subcommittee; where I had the opportunity to ground myself in the mission by engaging in learning opportunities, convening with subject matter experts, and community focus groups.

This work culminated in the development of strategies and partnerships which are now being implemented by an Executive Director at United Way. While I may not see the end result of the work for many years to come, my expectation is that over time these strategies and partnerships will lead to eradicating race-based disparities and inequities impacting our community.

If you weren’t in the accounting industry, what would you be doing as a career?
I would explore a career in strategy consulting allowing me to design and deliver transformative ideas that would be implemented across entire enterprises.

Jenara Noel, CPA, MBA

Veris – The Proactive CPA

Title: Partner
Years in the accounting industry: 16

Name one characteristic that makes you successful in your field, and why.<
I feel like the characteristic that makes me the most successful is thinking outside of the box. It’s not enough to just arrive at a course of action. I’m always striving for the most effective and efficient way of doing things and not being content with the way things have always been done. That has only been fueled by adversity brought about by things like the pandemic. While others may have had their businesses thrown in flux by things like quarantine and the economic struggles that have been created for small to mid-size businesses, our firm’s ability to embrace technology and passion for growth and learning have enabled us to be a resource and beacon for folks who know they need guidance but are unsure of where to start. Shining and helping others in those moments are what set Veris apart.

What do you consider one of your top professional career successes?
One of my top professional career successes is making Partner at my current firm. It’s an amazing feeling to experience reciprocity at place where you love what you do and the people you work with. Not everyone is as blessed or fortunate in a professional arena to experience this, so I definitely don’t take for granted being able to excel at something I enjoy with people I work with.

If you weren’t in the accounting industry, what would you be doing as a career?
I would still want to play to my strengths. I am an organizer, a planner and have vision for things and am willing to get involved and execute. I have a strong passion for knowledge and having expertise in things, as well as implementing systems and processes. I love structure and to inspire, so maybe something helping guide young high school or college age people or owning a business that offers consulting or guidance to businesses. I remember being younger and reading Cheaper by the Dozen. The dad was an efficiency expert as his profession. That was always fascinating to me, analyzing things, wanting them to be better and gaining satisfaction from thoughtful execution.

Paul B. Robins

Barb & Company, PA

Title: Managing Shareholder
Years in the accounting industry: 26 years

Name one characteristic that makes you successful in your field, and why.
Patience – I believe that you need a lot of patience in a high stress job as a CPA. There are numerous deadlines, training new staff (if you can find them) and the ever growing problems with the IRS. 

What do you consider one of your top professional career successes?
Becoming managing shareholder at the age of 40.

If you weren’t in the accounting industry, what would you be doing as a career?
Growing up, I had two career goals.  Major league baseball player or a CPA.  I couldn’t think of anything else I would want to be.

Title: Managing Partner
Years in the accounting industry: 27

Name one characteristic that makes you successful in your field, and why.
I couldn’t get it down to just one. I have two though — I am honest and plain speaking. I don’t hide behind a bunch of jargon and our industry is full of jargon.

What do you consider one of your top professional career successes?
Managing and growing our firm through two partner deaths — one in 2011 and the second in 2014. Both of these partners were important figures to the Firm and the community and it was not easy to manage the firm through the effects of their deaths. But, not only did we do that, we also built a great team of people and the firm grew as a result.

If you weren’t in the accounting industry, what would you be doing as a career?
Tough question. I have been doing this so long I really can’t imagine doing anything else. I think the time passed a long time ago for me to consider switching careers. Besides, I love what I do.

Title: Managing Member

Name one characteristic that makes you successful in your field, and why.
We wouldn’t be successful without our people. They amaze me day in and day out, especially during the last two-plus years of dealing with COVID. Public accounting is an interesting and challenging profession because things are always changing. You really have to be diligent to keep up with it all, while providing your clients with excellent service at the same time. I think that persistence, determination, hard work, and a lot of integrity are keys to success in our business. I’m not only speaking for myself—these attributes are important to the people in our firm and should be with everyone in the public accounting profession.

What do you consider one of your top professional career successes?
It was a major shock when our founding partner, Randy Scott, passed away in an auto accident ten years ago, a few weeks shy of his 55th birthday. It basically knocked us all off our feet. But I am very proud of how we all got back up, right away because we had no choice, and worked very hard as a team to make our firm continue to be successful — while dealing with the grief at the same time. Randy would be proud that we were named Best Place to Work in South Carolina for two of the last three years. We are all very proud of that, especially since 75% of the award is determined by employee surveys. We simply sent out the surveys and told everyone to be honest. I think a lot of this goes back to the culture of our firm and the legacy of our founder.

If you weren’t in the accounting industry, what would you be doing as a career?
I wouldn’t know what to do without the public accounting business, which I have been a part of since graduating from the University of South Carolina in 1983. I’m a movie fan. One of my daughters is a movie fan, too, and she moved to Los Angeles a few years ago to work in the movie business. If I weren’t in the accounting business, I might give that a shot. Not necessarily as an actor (but maybe), but finding some role in that business, maybe as a talent agent or something like that. But I would miss South Carolina too much. LA is no South Carolina.

Hanson Borders, CPA

Mauldin & Jenkins LLC

Title: Managing Partner
Years in the accounting industry: 33

Name one characteristic that makes you successful in your field, and why.
Collaboration is a must. I have always believed that it is important to draw on your collective strengths as a leadership group and not try to do it all yourself. By creating an open forum for others to bring their ideas to the table, we have been able to realize our ultimate goal offFirm growth and profitability.  New ideas improve and elevate client service, which ultimately leads to growth and the long-term sustainability of the firm.

What do you consider one of your top professional career successes?
Becoming Managing Partner of Mauldin & Jenkins in 2018. Having been with the Firm since 1989, it was always a professional goal of mine to make Partner and then ultimately be elected managing partner to guide the Firm’s strategic direction and manage the daily activities. During my time as managing partner, I have been honored to lead this firm as we grow and succeed in demonstrating how a Top 100 Accounting Firm continues to evolve and prosper.

If you weren’t in the accounting industry, what would you be doing as a career?
I would be a National Park Ranger. I have always loved the outdoors and believe a career protecting the cultural and environmental resources of parks would be extremely rewarding. Additionally, I would enjoy studying and protecting wildlife and our natural resources in general thereby ensuring a positive experience for visitors for generations to come.

Terrence K. Schmoyer Jr.

Schmoyer and Company, LLC

Title: Managing Partner
Years in the accounting industry: 27

Name one characteristic that makes you successful in your field, and why.
Empathy. The ability to assist people with solving problems that are important to them and not technical ability alone can make a professional successful.

What do you consider one of your top professional career successes?
Hiring employees that care about other people will make the work team successful.

If you weren't in the accounting industry, what would you be doing as a career?
I would be a community volunteer helping South Carolina be a better place to live and work. We need to provide children with the opportunity to be successful in school and in life.

Amy F. Urquhart

WebsterRogers LLP

Title: Managing Partner / CEO
Years in the accounting industry: 20 years

Name one characteristic that makes you successful in your field, and why: 
A crucial factor in both my personal and professional development has been the desire to surround myself with diversely gifted people, many of which I consider more talented than myself.  There is an immense range of talent distributed among people, but it takes conscious effort to identify and actively surround myself with those individuals.  When building a team this way, every member in the organization has a unique role that lends to the overall success and wellbeing of the company.

What do you consider one of your top professional career successes?
As a woman in the accounting industry, a significant amount of time and discipline has gone into maintaining a demanding career and fulfilling personal life. I consistently showed up in many roles, even when my children were very young and it was difficult — as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend- all while meeting my professional responsibilities. It is the accomplishment I am most proud of, as it demonstrated to fellow professionals that the multiple critical roles of an individual can coexist harmoniously and be regarded with privilege.

If you weren’t in the accounting industry, what would you be doing as a career?
I always thought that I would be a veterinarian, but fortunately my career has granted me the opportunity to care for many animals. My family currently has two cats, two dogs, two turtles, and two horses with another on the way.

Russell Bauknight

Bauknight Pietras & Stormer, P.A.

Title: Managing Shareholder
Years in the accounting industry: over 40

Name one characteristic that makes you successful in your field, and why:
Our success has been built because of our dedication to our people and our clients. We stress that our people come first here at BPS and we make every e-ort to live that way. Because of our people-first culture, our clients have an exciting group of highly successful people working with them to solve their challenges.

What do you consider one of your top professional career successes?
One of the most important things to affect my career is to have been introduced to the field of Fiduciary Administrator. Because of our expertise in this field, I was asked to be the personal representative and trustee of the James Brown Estate and Trust as well as for many clients and their families.

If you weren’t in the accounting industry, what would you be doing as a career?
I grew up thinking that I wanted to be a doctor. Looking back though, if I were not an accountant, I believe that I may have been a good lawyer. I have enjoyed working with some of the finest attorneys in the country and time in the court room has always been interesting.

Mathew J Hultquist

The Hultquist Firm

Title: President
Years in the accounting industry: 26

Name one characteristic that makes you successful in your field, and why:
I think the single most important factor that makes me successful in my field is that, as a firm, we are proactive with our clients as opposed to reactive. It is one of our core values that we must be proactive with our clients. Whether we are working with them on tax planning or business planning, we believe it is up to us to ensure that we plan for the future, instead of looking in the rearview mirror.

What do you consider one of your top professional career successes?
I consider it an absolute honor to be able to employ people and contribute to their livelihoods. Starting a business is a struggle, but when you are able to employ people, I take that as a tremendous responsibility to ensure that they are taken care of, both personally and professionally. They contribute to the success of the Firm, and I am blown away each and every day that this place can provide for a part of their well-being.

If you weren’t in the accounting industry, what would you be doing as a career?
I started o/ college in Architecture believe it or not. I quickly realized that architecture was not my passion. I have recently found that farming is my passion. Being able to work the land and grow crops is amazing to me. I currently have a farm and enjoy every single minute of being out in the dirt, figuring out how I can organically grow various fruits and vegetables.

John F Gonella III

Cherry Bekaert Advisory, LLC

Title: Regional Market Leader
Years in the accounting industry: 26

Name one characteristic that makes you successful in your field, and why: 
One of the largest keys to the success of the Carolinas region, and the Greenville office in particular, is the strength of diversity in skills exhibited by the people serving clients in the region. Our people’s individual focus on building industry expertise in the areas of manufacturing & distribution, real estate & construction and not-for-profit allows us to better partner with clients to provide exemplary service. Additional resources focusing on related areas such as mergers and acquisitions/valuation, new market tax credits and digital consulting allow the Greenville office to provide a full suite of benefits to our clients.  

What do you consider one of your top professional career successes?
The part of my career with which I am most proud is having had the opportunity to mentor professionals in their career and assist with reaching the goal of making partner. I have had the honor of being successful in assisting in this manner in the past and relish working with our current managers and senior managers to achieve similar goals.

If you weren’t in the accounting industry, what would you be doing as a career?
My passion outside of work revolves around spending time outside backpacking and canoeing with my children. I think if I weren’t in my current role I would do something drastically different working with an outdoor program similar to Outward Bound.

Varada A. Ogale

Argo and Associates, LLP

Title: Partner
Years in the accounting industry:  26 years.

Name one characteristic that makes you successful in your field, and why: 
My first boss and several of my clients since then have said they appreciate my persistence. I attribute part of my success to this trait. I cannot easily be steered away or distracted from a goal I have set. The field of public accounting requires maintaining knowledge to meet client needs timely; you also must assess and present viable strategies and solutions after thinking through several different options. At times, this requires a continuous thought process to present a comprehensive strategy. Busy season tests a different kind of endurance: not only do you have to keep going physically, but you also have to maintain intellectual agility and availability. Being persistent helps meet those demands of the profession.

What do you consider one of your top professional career successes?
I would place being promoted to Partner at Argo and Associates, LLP at the top of my list. Other successes that paved the way to becoming partner include passing my uniform CPA exams and earning my Master of Professional Accountancy. There have also been incidental successes from being a partner: I have been able to contribute towards promoting a firm culture that is conducive to learning and professional growth; I have been able to witness my team members reach professional milestones; and I have also been able to serve charitable causes with my professional skills.

To add perspective, I happen to be the only woman partner at our firm. According to a 2019 AICPA Gender survey, about 48% – 59% (depending on size of firm) of new professionals in a US CPA firm are women but only 23% of total partners in US CPA firms are women.

If you weren’t in the accounting industry, what would you be doing as a career?
I would have been an attorney. My career as a CPA has allowed me to study and interpret pertinent law so that I am able to advise clients with their personal and business tax issues and planning. I work closely with attorneys whether it is related to estates and trusts, business formation or mergers and acquisitions. Although I am not an attorney, I have been able to pursue certain aspects of law that intrigued me, through my career as a CPA.

William A. Russell III, CPA

Jarrard, Nowell & Russell, LLC – Certified Public Accountants

Title: Partner
Years in the accounting industry: 25

Name one characteristic that makes you successful in your field, and why.
What has made me most successful in accounting is to be who I am. Being authentic, honest, and forthcoming are important characteristics to me — this mindset has contributed to my accomplishments by giving people an opportunity to know what I stand for  — high morals and good character. Early in my career, I was lucky enough to be mentored by Rufus Barkley when I was Financial Analyst and Assistant Treasurer at Cameron & Barkley Company. I truly can’t say enough good things about him, and anyone who worked around him would say the same thing. Having a mentor and coach to help show me the right way to do things was invaluable.

What do you consider one of your top professional career successes?
One of my top professional career successes is passing the rigorous CPA exam, which opened the door to many higher-level career opportunities. Another professional success would be serving in the Army Reserves, which helped me develop a set of skills beyond my formal college education that I wouldn’t have otherwise developed—or at least that early in life.

If you weren’t in the accounting industry, what would you be doing as a career?
If I wasn’t an accountant, hands down I would be a pilot. From the ages of 12 to 15, I lived on a naval base in the Philippines. The thrill of flying a plane was fascinating as a teenager, and I quickly decided that when I grew up, I wanted to become an aeronautical engineer to build and fly planes. Once I got to college, I excelled in math and figured out that was my thing. This realization led me to pursue a career in accounting.

John B. Beauston

Moore Beauston & Woodham LLP

Title: Managing Partner
Years in the accounting industry:  41

Name one characteristic that makes you successful in your field, and why: 
Determination to serve; listening and understanding each client’s need along with providing clients strategic knowledgeable timely advice and services and providing co-workers coaching and mentoring to excel in the Public Accounting profession.

What do you consider one of your top professional career successes?
Founding member in 1992 of Moore Beauston & Woodham LLP and celebrating the firm’s 30^th anniversary in 2022.

If you weren’t in the accounting industry, what would you be doing as a career?
An independent business entrepreneur of some type affording me the opportunity to interact with the public/consumer.