January 2009 Publication of the KPMG Connect Newsletter

1. KPMG Connect Newsletter
January 2009
Life after Accounting: How Some KPMG Alumni
Are Taking Their Careers In a Whole New Direction
What do KPMG and the City of South Pasadena,
California have in common?
Mike Sanchez.
Previously a senior associate in KPMG’s Los Angeles
office, today Mike serves the public in a different
way, as a police officer in the South Pasadena Police
Department. As Mike explains, “I had always wanted
to have a career in law enforcement, and I planned to
obtain my CPA license so I could eventually become a
special agent with the Federal Bureau of
Investigation.”
He obtained the CPA, but had a change of heart about
joining the FBI. “I eventually decided to pursue a
career as a police officer to get me out from behind a
desk, and add some excitement to my life,” says
Mike.
So how does KPMG prepare someone to become a
police officer? “My work at the firm exposed me to
many different types of people at all levels—CEOs,

2. CFOs, as well as management and accounting staff.
These interactions better prepared me to relate to the
people I come in contact with every day.”
As importantly, “I don’t think I’d be as fulfilled as I
am today if KPMG had not given me the opportunity
to work hard,” says Mike.
Following Her Muse
Mike isn’t the only KPMG alum who
chased—and caught—a life-long dream. Emily
Greenfield aspired to be a singer, even as she built a
career at KPMG. “My soul feels free when I sing,” she
says. “I feel I’m doing what I was always meant to
do.”
A native Texan, Emily has been singing since age 2,
and as she recalls, she performed her first paid gig
when she was 5 when her dad bribed her with a
quarter to stand on the kitchen table and sing Dolly
Parton’s Coat of Many Colors.
Before she took the leap of faith to become a
singer/songwriter, she served as an auditor in the
Washington, DC, office. “Accounting work came
naturally for me, and I decided to go into public

3. accounting because I knew I needed a way to support
myself financially,” Emily explains. “But singing was
always my passion. I just lacked the confidence in
myself to pursue it seriously.”
She credits KPMG with giving her the confidence she
needed to help her music take flight. “I learned about
professionalism, integrity, and how to find ways to
add value. Working for KPMG gave me a sense of
pride and accomplishment.”
Emily continues to rack up accomplishments that
make her proud: In addition to being a wife and
mother of three, in 2006, the music industry’s
Billboard magazine recognized her as a “talented and
promising songwriter,” awarding her four Honorable
Mentions for her original songs during the 14th
Annual Billboard World Song Contest. The contest
received more than 18,000 entries that year.
Those Who Can, Teach
Scott Showalter saw his dream become reality when
he retired from KPMG last year after 33 years with
the firm. He had always wanted to teach and, in fact,
did so at various times during his successful career in
Audit.

4. It was a connection Scott made in 1998 while serving
as vice president of practice for the auditing section of
the American Accounting Association (AAA) that
eventually led to his current career as a full-time
professor at North Carolina State University.
Through a long-standing relationship with the
University of Illinois,
a department head at the school offered him the
opportunity to team teach with a full-time professor
several times a semester. “It was a
great experience that continued for five years,” says
Scott. “I worked
with several professors, learning how to teach, design
my portion of
the classes, and interact with the students.” That
relationship spanned the years between 2001 and
2006.
The experience generated a phone call from Indiana
University asking him to teach at the MBA level; he
agreed and taught on his own during the fall of 2002
with the support of KPMG, while continuing to carry
a full workload.
His interest in teaching continued even after his work
at Indiana University ended, and he continued to
network with professional and academic contacts. It

5. seems only natural, then, that as he approached
retirement, Scott focused on connecting with a
university where he could serve as a full-time
professor. His current position at North Carolina State
is the happy result.
Life after Accounting
Mike, Emily, and Scott are only a few of the many
KPMG alumni who have taken what they’ve learned
and experienced at KPMG and used it to pursue their
life’s passions. We’ve heard of alumni who have built
rewarding careers as chefs, professional
photographers, kitchen designers, lobbyists, and
members of the clergy, among other pursuits.
Now we want to hear from you! Let us know which
life passions you’re pursuing, and what career
dreams you’ve had come true. Write to us at us-
hrkpmgconnect@kpmg.com, and tell us what you’re
up to. We’d love to hear from you.