In this episode of Life In Accounting: The Where Accountants Go podcast, we speak with Bob Alonzo, a former analyst with the FBI and a white collar crimes adjunct professor.
Joining the FBI
Bob began his accounting career in public accounting, and he has been a professor and a soccer store owner as well. Right before he joined the FBI, Bob worked for the Department of Defense where he enjoyed working in many positions such as Inventory Manager, Systems Accountant, and Accounting Auditor and Manager. When Bob decided to join the FBI (it took eleven months to get hired), he began as a Financial Analyst in the San Antonio office. He held many assignments including Administrative Supervisor, Field Intelligence Supervisor – Foreign Language Program Coordinator, and he was on the white collar crime squad team.
Transferable Skills
Bob learned that many of his accounting skills not only transferred well to the Bureau, but that they were also the skills the Bureau valued highly in their new team members. When you join the FBI as an accountant, you are the finance expert!
For example, working as part of the foreign counter-intelligence squad allowed him to use his skills of organizing and presenting information in a way the squad would understand. Accountants are talented at knowing how to analyze, organize, and present information in a concise, professional, and highly impactful manner.
While the skills you use are consistent, the cases change, which provides you with variety. As a member of the evidence response team, Bob never knew what kind of case he would be assigned, but he did know that he would be doing the investigative audit. He was expected to analyze the evidence and proceed as he determined was best. It was always an exciting challenge.
We hope you enjoy this interview with Bob Alonzo as much as we did recording it!
Other podcasts mentioned: Solving Crimes and Other CPA Superhero Topics with Fred Olivares, CPA
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