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William Harmon

President & CEO
Triana Energy, LLC
Charleston, WV

 

So you’re the President and CEO of an energy company. You serve on 11 Boards of Directors. You start each day by reviewing performance reports from all the executives who report to you. How do you unwind in your spare time?

If you’re William Harmon, you go fly a kite. West Virginia, which William calls home, has beautiful rugged terrain and plenty of chances to get outdoors. And when the winds are right, he and his family like to go to the top of Snowshoe Mountain and, well, fly kites.

It seems like such a simple, kidlike activity for such a high-powered executive, but you could say it represents his whole career. The wind that keeps everything afloat would be the many business opportunities his company can take advantage of, thanks to the “talented and motivated people” William enjoys working with. (The first gust came from the teacher who pointed in the right direction to begin with.)

The string that keeps William’s kite grounded is his “commitment…to channel my energies into creating business enterprises, strengthening community organizations and developing educational institutions.”

But what about the sail, the fabric that helps him catch a breeze and lift his kite higher and higher? That would be the understanding that began with his CPA training: “Accounting is the language that spans every sort of human enterprise. Understanding how to speak that financial language is the first step in assuring success throughout your lifetime.”

Got questions of your own? Ask a CPA.