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Greg Bedard

Director of Financial Reporting
Prudential Financial
Newark, NJ

 

In high school (or college, for that matter), the last thing Greg Bedard thought he’d be was a CPA. “I was turned off to the whole accounting profession because I had a lack of understanding as to what a CPA is all about,” he says. “I’m pretty outgoing, and I knew I needed a strong ‘people element’ in my career.”

Greg went on to major in economics and mathematics at Rutgers College and became a college administrator.

But when the Enron and Worldcom accounting scandals hit, he realized the important role accountants needed to play in the world. He saw that his interests in business, community and ethics might converge in an accounting career. He entered a full-time MBA program focused on accounting and began a new career.

Today, Greg is a director of financial reporting at Prudential Financial, where he spends most of his time in his “people element.” “You can do anything as a CPA,” he says. “You can succeed, be happy, help others, and apply the skills in so many areas, both professionally and in your personal life.”

For Greg, being a CPA gives him every challenge and reward he wants in a career. “I have the chance to challenge myself to be my 'best self' and develop my staff to be the best they can be. I wake up every day and look forward to going to work and being involved in my community and our profession. That is a wish that I have for everyone.”

For anyone starting to think about their career, Greg has some advice: don’t be in a hurry. “You don’t need to make a decision about your career right away,” he says. “Just start by identifying your passions and be open-minded. If you pursue these things first, rather than money and success, the rest will follow.” Take it from Greg, his high school’s Least Likely to Become a CPA.

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