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Robert Laux

Senior Director of Financial Accounting
Microsoft
Redmond, WA

 

If you’ve ever played an Xbox, you can thank Robert Laux. As a senior director of financial accounting for Microsoft, he was involved in some of the earliest internal discussions at the company about whether they should enter the video game business. He helped provide guidance on the accounting implications of selling the Xbox – which of course they eventually did, taking the world of video games to the next level. And getting in the way of a lot of homework.

Robert became interested in accounting because he liked working with numbers, but soon realized that that was just the beginning. “I began to realize that it was a lot more than just numbers and math,” he says. “You also need strong reasoning and communication skills to make accounting standards stick.”

At Microsoft, Robert is considered to be a valuable resource throughout the company. “I even get to meet with our CEO, Steve Ballmer, every few months,” he says. “It’s great exposure.”

Robert has some valuable advice for anyone considering their career path. “Think long-term,” he says. “It’s not about what your salary will be at your first job – it’s about what your ultimate goal is, and then crafting a long-term plan to achieve that goal.” Take it from a guy who got his start at Taco Bell. And no, not in the accounting department.

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