Finance Mangaer
Finance Mangaer
Durham, NC
Frank Lemanski had lots of influencers in his decision to become a CPA. “I had several family members in the profession, a great high school accounting teacher and a great college accounting professor,” Frank says.
He spent a year at North Carolina Central University, and then transferred to North Carolina State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. Since graduating and passing the CPA exam, Frank’s career has flourished. Straight out of school, Frank got a job at a Big 4 firm, where he stayed for a year and a half. Then he made the move out of public accounting into Business & Industry and took a job in Telecommunications with Sprint. During the 11 years he spent there, he worked his way up the ranks.
Now Frank is a Finance Manager at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. His current position gives him exposure to all of the operations within the organization, which helps broaden his understanding of the company and the industry. "I enjoy the challenge of working with all levels of management within the organization,” he says. “I also enjoy consolidating all of that information from the various segments to determine the overall financial health of the organization.”
But it’s not all work for Frank. He makes sure to save time for the other things in life he enjoys. “I spend my time traveling with my wife, enjoy my time with my kids during the summers and attend local sports events such as NC State Wolfpack (college) and Carolina Hurricanes hockey,” he says. “I also play Texas Hold ‘em Poker, hike, kayak and play golf when I can.” And Frank makes sure to give back to his community as well. “I have done volunteer work the United Way, Big Brothers-Big Sisters and Habitat for Humanity.”
So even if you don’t have a CPA in the family, take some advice from this guy. “Becoming a CPA and mastering the technical aspect of business will provide you with a strong foundation of knowledge that will enable to successfully pursue many different career paths. It will open more doors than a general business or economics degree.”
Years as a CPA: 15
Worst job: Cook at McDonalds
Hobbies outside of work: Texas Hold ’em Poker, tennis, golf, kayaking, spending time with my kids
Words to live by: “The strong take from the weak and the smart take from the strong.”