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• Real-Life CPAs

Gail Norris

Director, Strategy/Program Management
Siemens Industry Inc.
Alpharetta, GA

 

When asked to describe what she does as a CPA, Gail Norris named a whole list of things that keep her busy.

She has traveled to Australia, Hong Kong, England and Scotland. She’s consulted in large cities, audited in small towns and worked with both small and large firms. She’s worked in banking, healthcare, agriculture, electrical and even aviation.

But she stresses that the most important thing to her is that she’s never bored. “There is never a dull day,” she insists. “There’s always a new challenge or skill to be learned.” With a schedule like that, who could possibly be bored?

Gail credits her father for pushing her to get into accounting. “He was a frustrated administrator who always wanted to be in accounting,” she says. So she decided to give it a try and was hooked.

Gail realized that with a background in accounting, she could take almost any path she chose. “You can do anything you want to in life, but starting with an accounting degree is an excellent foundation,” she says. As a CPA, she learned to “thread logic from various sources to create a whole tapestry.”

So no matter what you aspire to be, keep in mind that becoming a CPA gives you an advantage of someone without the credential.

"The basis accounting gives you in the business world is unparalleled,” she says. “You have a logical way to evaluate a business issue that makes financial sense. You can understand business issues in it that your average businessman will miss.”

Got questions of your own? Ask a CPA.