John King
Americas Vice Chair, Assurance
EY
New York, NY USA
“How you respond to adversity is what defines you and makes you a stronger person.”
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
Leaving home for college – I had the courage to seek out an experience that was unknown to me. I had to accept being in a situation that initially made me uncomfortable.
Starting my career in Houston – I was committed to developing my career, which meant living in a city that offered diverse opportunities. This taught me the importance of new experiences.
Building a career in public accounting – I returned to public accounting after leaving for a short period. I stayed here long-term because of the great opportunities to advance my career.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Shawnee Mission West High School
Shawnee Mission West High School
Certification/License
Certified Public Accountant in the state of New York
Certified Public Accountant in the state of New York
Certification/License
Certified Public Accountant in the state of Texas
Certified Public Accountant in the state of Texas
Career
Americas Vice Chair, Assurance
I lead our Assurance professionals, enabling them to execute quality audits and deliver exceptional client service.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Technology
Entrepreneurship
Working with Others
Day to Day
No two days are the same in my role. I meet with audit committees to discuss their companies’ audits and trends in the industry. I spend time with a number of stakeholders to strengthen our profession and sharpen EY’s focus on audit quality. I serve as part of EY’s management team to help define and execute our business strategy. And the last part—my favorite—is working alongside our people so we can bring innovation, insights and the highest quality to our clients.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
Start by building your technical knowledge through a strong educational foundation. Then talk to people in the field. Ask them how to make the most of your first years as an auditor and what advice they would give to someone just starting in this career. Finally, start developing your professional network. Meet other people in your field at events and on the job—these connections will serve as a support network and sounding board that you will use throughout your career.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Certification/License
Certified Public Accountant in the state of New York
Certified Public Accountant in the state of New York
Certification/License
Certified Public Accountant in the state of Texas
Certified Public Accountant in the state of Texas
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Peers:
"This is a highly competitive profession that starts with rigorous education requirements, followed by an equally difficult CPA exam. If you pass, you then have to survive a job where you will perform hours of repetitive tasks in isolation. "
