For this episode of Life In Accounting, the Where Accountants Go podcast, we were joined by the soon-to-transition CEO of United Way of San Antonio & Bexar County, Lyndon Herridge CPA.
Roots in the Commercial World
Something that may surprise listeners is that while Lyndon is a very passionate about the manner in which United Way serves the community, he definitely didn’t start out his career with the long-term goal of being a leader in the non-profit world! His career started as many do in accounting, in the tax and audit space with a firm that eventually merged into EY. He then ventured out into industry and joined a family office for one of the heirs to the King Ranch in Texas. This was a tremendous opportunity that he thoroughly enjoyed because it gave him the experience of working with many different types of industries due to their wide variety of holdings. However, he knew that long-term he wanted to do something different with his career…
Moving to United Way
Another fact that may surprise listeners is that when he was initially approached about joining United Way, Lyndon declined! It was quite a while later when he realized that one of his friends in Dallas had joined the organization and was so thoroughly enjoying it that he decided he should reconsider. He joined the United Way with the intentions to stay only a short time, but obviously that worked out much differently as he ended up assuming the CEO role and has now celebrated his 28th year with the organization!
Advice for Young Professionals
It may also surprise you that Lyndon doesn’t recommend going directly into the non-profit world right after college. He recommends that you take some time early on in your career to work in the for-profit world. Per Lyndon, it not only helps you grow, but also benefits your future non-profit employer as well. Having the understanding of business processes is very valuable even though non-profits work with a different goal in mind. For more information on United Way, please click here.
Other episodes you may enjoy: Craig Fuller and Bob McAdams
To listen in this insightful interview with Lyndon Herridge, please click on the player below:
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