Jared Rohatinsky, 37
COO | Squire & Company PC
What is the most rewarding thing about your job industry?
This is the most exciting time in the history of our industry. Private equity has turned public accounting upside down and is disrupting the way every firm does business. I was brought to Squire partially because of my background in entrepreneurship and venture capital. Squire recognizes that in order to compete with PE-backed firms, we have to be agile and adaptive, and implement new business practices that traditionally haven’t been part of the public accounting business model. Acting as an “intrapreneur” to help shape the future of our firm is the most rewarding aspect of my job.
What advice do you have for your younger self?
Every day is an opportunity to reinvent yourself and your career. I’ve made the full circle, where I started with a master’s degree in accounting and the stereotypical Big 4 beginning, I took an unexpected turn to co-found and lead a startup in a highly niche industry, I had the time of my life as a venture capitalist, and now I’ve returned as an operator to run a public accounting firm. I get worked up when I hear people (younger or older) talk about career decisions in a way that makes it seem as though their next step will determine their entire future — it’s simply not true! Talented people can reinvent themselves in almost any industry and at any age. The core principles that make someone a high performer can transfer across a wide range of career paths.
