As a CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner, Travis Kelly could have joined the FBI. Instead, he has worked in public accounting, fighting financial wrongdoing in the business world.
After graduating from the University of Florida School of Accounting in 1998, he thought he might want to put his training to work in the FBI.
"It was that interest in the forensic side of things, an interest in making a difference and doing something positive with my background," he remembers.
His first stop was a public accounting firm in Atlanta, where he gained the experience he needed to take the CPA exam, which he passed in 2000. At that point, Travis wasn't quite sure he could make the kind of commitment the FBI would require. That's when fate intervened:
"By the luck of it, I got thrown on a forensic case and I found it to be really interesting."
He began to focus his outside training on fraud-related topics. He soon learned about the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) certification and passed the exam on the first try. Soon, he was involved in more forensic cases for his firm.
"A lot of time is spent at the company itself, interviewing people. It's so important to have good communications skills to help people let down their barriers a little. Then, there is a lot of work in looking at the details of things. It's going to be brought up in a court of law so you have to know everything and you have to be very specific."
Ultimately, cracking cases has given Travis a lot of satisfaction.
"When you’ve finally caught someone, or found the smoking gun, that's the rewarding part. Until that point, you're trying to figure out how does this person do this? It's challenging because you have to think outside the box and put yourself in another person's shoes. It's amazing how some people perpetrate crimes."
Travis believes the need for forensic accountants and fraud examiners will continue to grow. "I certainly see a future where cases are going to be more elaborate, more deceptive and harder to trace."
Today, Travis has moved from sleuthing to the corporate side, a surprisingly easy transition.
"Public accounting is not going away. It may evolve, it may change, but it's not going away. And if you have an accounting background, you can go in any direction you want to."
Travis is an assistant controller for Lennar Homes (one of the largest homebuilders in the US) in West Palm Beach, FL. His wife Jennifer works for Pulte Homes as a division controller. They are the proud parents of a two-year-old daughter.
Before a standard numbering system was developed, ancient accountants used clay tokens to keep track of animals and grain.