Engaging alumni for strategic growth

Lyceum Series deepens connections with ACCY experts

The Gies Accountancy Lyceum Series focuses on the future of our profession, hosting top professionals and thought leaders from both public accounting firms and leading privately held companies.

“All of our Lyceums offer our community a way to connect with experts in the profession and gain a deeper understanding of timely developments relevant to our industry,” said Michael Donohoe, head of the Department of Accountancy. “It is also a great opportunity for students to get to know our alumni and allows the department to remain directly engaged with practice and its leaders.”

In the ACCY 405 Lyceum this spring, a Baker Tilly panel including Maddie Hasiewicz (ACCY ’19) discussed the evolving role technology plays in the tax practice at the firm; Grant Thornton’s Janet Malzone shared her perspectives on accounting career paths; and PwC’s Pete Regis (ACCY ’00) spoke about the impact and opportunities environmental, governance, and social responsibility have within accounting majors.

Last fall, EY’s Steve Sheckell, RSM’s Randy Dunlap (ACCY ’93), KPMG Chief Executive Officer Paul Knopp, and Farm Credit Illinois’ Kelly Hunt (ACCY ’00) spoke about topics ranging from the importance of strategic direction to how to lead an organization through disruption.

The Lyceum Series is a cornerstone of the curriculum for ACCY 405: Assurance & Attestation, which focuses on accounting concepts such as independence, risk, evidence, and control, as well as professional skills development. Other Lyceums are a central component of ACCY 201/202: Accounting and Accountancy I & 2 and ACCY 302: Decision Making.

Spotlight: Pete Regis, PwC

Pete Regis’ (ACCY ’00) engagement with the Department of Accountancy started simply as a way to stay connected with former classmates.

Now, it’s become much more. This audit partner at PwC leads the firm’s recruiting at Illinois, identifies ways to attract more underrepresented students to the major and the profession, and gives strategic counsel to the department’s leadership as a member of its ACCY Advisory Board.

“It’s a mix of hard work and good fortune that I ended up at PwC, and I want to give back,” said Regis. “The Advisory Board provides feedback about the hot topics in the working world of accountancy – like the proposed changes to the CPA exam – and I enjoy mentoring Gies students looking to pursue a rewarding career path that’s fun and grounded in purpose.”

Recently, he spoke on campus to highlight a growth area in accounting that has a big appeal to students: environmental, social, and governance (ESG).

“People want to trust public companies and have the assurance that they are doing the right things,” said Regis. “I encourage students to pursue this area and use their business analytics skills to build frameworks that measure a firm’s performance on everything from greenhouse gas emissions to diversity hiring and promotion practices.”

You’ll also find Regis engaging students through small group meetings, one-one-one sessions, and at recruiting meet and greets. He counsels them on potential career paths and the importance of taking the CPA exam.

“Becoming a CPA opens up so many opportunities, and that is why I would always encourage students to pursue it,” said Regis. “It’s not just for public accounting. I share that the pursuit and achievement of the CPA is a key milestone that shows a level of commitment and drive and is an incredibly rewarding journey for the individual.”

2023 ACCY Advisory Board

The Department of Accountancy looks to its volunteer Advisory Board to support the continuous improvement of the quality, rigor, and relevance of its programs.

“We appreciate the Advisory Board’s commitment to fostering relationships with our department’s leadership and supporting initiatives that advance our mission, strategic objectives, and goals,” said Michael Donohoe, head of the Department of Accountancy.

The board meets twice a year and helps to both promote awareness and sustain the reputation of the department and its faculty throughout the year.

Name Company

Jason Aguiar (ACCY ’09, MAS ’10) EY LLP

Vairam Arunachalam (ACCY PhD ’91) University of Missouri

Paul Brocato (ACCY ’89) BDO USA LLP

Geoffrey Brown (LAS ’00) Illinois CPA Society

Angela Chalberg-Pool (ACCY ’94 MSA ’95) EY LLP

Bob Denninger (ACCY ’02) Plante Moran PLLC

Randy Dunlap (ACCY ’93) RSM US LLP

Kurt Gabouer (ACCY ’86) KPMG LLP

Kelly Duitsman Hunt (ACCY ’00) Farm Credit Illinois

Shannon Jones (ACCY ’13, MAS ’14) Molson Coors Beverage Company

Arla Lach (ACCY ’99) Grant Thornton LLP

Pam Lins (ACCY ’07, MAS ’08) McDonald’s Corporation

Pete Regis (ACCY ’00) PwC LLP

Chloe Sun (ACCY ’19, MAS ’21) RSM US LLP

Jenny Sheynin Fath (ACCY ’14, MST ’18) Etsy, Inc.

Ronald Sonenthal (ACCY ’83) Deloitte Tax LLP

Mark Wojteczko (ACCY & FIN ’04) Deloitte LLP

Yuntian (Tony) Wu (ACCY ’14, MAS ’16) Deloitte Tax LLP