I came to GGFL in December of 2012 after working at one of the Big Four firms for over three years. It was a lateral move—I left as a senior tax accountant and joined GGFL in the same role.
I realized almost immediately that I had made the right decision. I got to know my clients well, and my regular interaction with partners meant I was getting the kind of work I was interested in and opportunities that would help me to continue to grow as a professional. The team at GGFL really made an effort to make sure I was happy in my role and to ensure I was on the path I wanted to be on.
I chose to come to GGFL when I realized that my passion was interacting with business owners and tax planning for these individuals and their families. Speaking with the partners of GGFL, I discovered they were as passionate about this as I was. I also wanted to break into business valuations and GGFL was one of the few places in the city that could offer me this experience, while also specializing in tax planning.
One of the biggest fears anyone has when leaving a place where you’ve established yourself is that you will have to start at the bottom of the pecking order to earn a promotion at your new workplace. However, I found at GGFL that could not be further from the truth. I am always judged on merit, not seniority.
Why have I stayed? There’s a lot of interaction with the partners at GGFL which really takes away from the stuffy hierarchy feeling that can plague many accounting firms. I feel comfortable walking into anyone’s office to bounce ideas off each other—or just to catch up on the weekend.
The partners have worked hard to make the office environment welcoming. It truly feels like a second home and not an office…which is invaluable considering how much time we spend with each other.
