Senior Audit Manager
Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP
St. Louis Park MN
For Laura Groppoli, one of the best things about being a CPA is being a teacher. Surprised? Here’s how she puts it. “My typical day involves teaching, training and mentoring staff. That’s one of the most rewarding parts of my career.”
Laura is a senior audit manager at an accounting firm. That means she’s responsible for everything from reviewing others’ work, to ensuring that audits meet high quality standards, to performing highly technical research. Or, more simply, learning and teaching. “I manage multiple clients and projects, so I’m bouncing around a lot on different things,” she says. “That means every day is different.”
She also loves that her job gives her plenty of time outside of work – time to hang out at home and host football parties. She and her husband (and maybe their dog Baxter, too) are big time NFL fans. And when they’re not watching the game, they’re outdoors – gardening, canoeing, hiking and fishing. (It’s a good thing she enjoys “bouncing around on a lot of different things”.)
Laura says that if you’re looking for the broadest possible education in business, the CPA path is the way to go. “There are so many different things you can do with the skills you get as a CPA: public or private accounting, IT work, forensic accounting, personal financial planning, wealth management, international work… the list goes on,” she says. “And the pay is good, too.”
We’re convinced, Laura.
Years as a CPA: 8
Best job: The one I have right now
Worst job: Working an assembly line at a cabinet manufacturer during the summer
Hobbies outside of work: Outdoor activities (canoeing, rollerblading, hiking) and crafts like knitting and quilting
Pets: A very active French Brittany Spaniel named Baxter
Words to live by: "Time flies whether you're having fun or not."