Name: Robert Logan, CPA
Company: The Fuoco Group
Title: Tax and Accounting Manager
Education: SUNY Old Westbury, Bachelors in Accounting
Which project, deal, or transaction was the “game-changer” in the advancement of your career?
I was a gymnastics coach before I became a CPA. Now I coach companies in industries that range from real estate brokers and REITs, to construction and development firms. I like to call myself their “Controller for a Day.” I jump in and assist their team with anything from day-to-day problems to tax and financial issues. I’ve helped my clients understand their businesses and increase the accuracy and efficiency so they can grow. Their success became my success. I started at Fuoco Group as an intern and am happy to say that I am now a manager at the firm.
What led you to your current profession?
When I was a gym coach, I used my analytical/critical brain to devise lesson plans and keep the team programs organized. Along the way I learned patience and process–very important to accountants. I started at Fuoco Group as an intern because of the accounting classes I took in college; also it made sense for a career because this was “post-Enron” and accountants were in high demand.
How do you contribute to your community or your profession?
I teach, coach, and mentor my staff. I enjoy helping them understand the clients and the accounting work and, most importantly, how to solve problems on their own. It’s great to see them progress from intern, to staff, to senior. I was very fortunate to have Lou Fuoco our managing director as a mentor helping me along the way.
What do you like most about your job?
The different industries I am able to work in, and the people I meet. The clients all present different challenges, and it keeps things interesting. Folks think accountants are boring. Not in the least. I work on some very high profile clients in the New York, Long Island and Westchester areas, helping them with tax planning, tax-minimization strategies, tax-efficient transactions. For a “numbers guy” it’s heady stuff.
Who or what inspires you?
Growing up, my dad worked three jobs–as a union plumber, installing fence on weekends, and working nights at a cigar bar. He said “when you’re my age, you don’t want your hands to look like this.” He said to pick a profession in which “….I could use my brains not my hands.” His hard work and dedication to our family inspires me today. I know he wanted more for me, which is why I focused on this profession. Now as a CPA, I can provide a better life for my wonderful wife Brenda and our two little boys.
If your life were made into a movie, what actor would you want to portray you?
Ben Affleck in “The Accountant” – he was a very numbers savvy guy!
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