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William Schneider

William Schneider

Accounting/Financial Reporting Director/Manager
AT&T
Dallas, TX

 

If William Schneider looks familiar, it may be because he’s thrown a yellow or red card in your direction. When he’s not working as a CPA - talking to clients, staff and his company’s leadership about what’s going on with the business - he’s probably out on the soccer field, working as a referee.

“I’ll never be a World Cup referee,” he says, “but that's not my focus.” Rather, he explains, “I want to give kids a chance at a fair game – something they can have fun doing and maybe learn a few things on the way.”

He’d like to help you enjoy the same opportunity. And for a career you can have fun doing while learning quite a few things along the way, William signals clearly in the direction of becoming a CPA.

“Do you want a job that has a thousand possible career paths?” he asks. “One that is more important today than ever and matters, really matters, to people? Do you want as much responsibility as you can handle as soon as you can handle it?” If yes, says William, becoming a CPA is for you.

For him, that’s meant jobs with the Big Four and a steady ascent up the corporate ladder. He has shifted to job opportunities that cut down on his travel, giving him more time with his family. And he’s shifted through new obligations adding up to 12 different jobs over more than 23 years, all while enjoying the flexibility of being able to plan his schedule around family, professional and volunteer events.

So it’s been a “good game” so far, by any measure. And, like any good game, far from predictable. Still, William has always seemed to come up with a winning play.

“People, companies, society are always changing,” he says. “And those changes cause your plans to change. Thank goodness I picked a career that made change easy to accommodate.”

Got questions of your own? Ask a CPA.

Stats at a Glance

Years as a CPA: 24

Best job: Controller of Bellsouth Long Distance

Worst job: Never had one

Hobbies outside of work: Camping, soccer

Pets: 2 dogs and 3 cats

Words to live by: "It's not what happens, but how you react to what happens that matters."