Tim Ryan
U.S. Chair & Senior Partner
PwC
Boston, MA USA
“Outside of ethics and values, you can undo anything.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationTim Ryan
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
I grew up in Boston, where my parents taught my siblings and me three principles: work hard, be honest, and be respectful—there wasn’t really any emphasis on going to school or getting good grades.
The first in my family to complete college, I graduated from Babson College in Boston simply because it was the most affordable route.
I worked full time through college and had aspirations to be an entrepreneur—I had no interest in accounting until a professor sold me on the dynamic, people-centered aspects of the field.
I took an accounting internship doing payables and receivables for a company that sold filing systems, but hated it.
That same professor pushed me towards the Big Eight (now the Big Four) for public accounting because they were more people-focused, so I went to work for PwC after college.
At PwC, I worked hard and put a lot of pressure on myself to reach milestones—like being promoted to senior, and then to manager—earlier than the average employee.
Having spent my career working my way up with PwC, I currently lead 55,000 people as U.S. chair and senior partner.
My goal is to help PwC employees be the most sought-after people in the world because their skills are whole—they understand accounting and technology, and have eyes on the social issues around us.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Bachelor
Communication, General
Babson College
Communication, General
Babson College
Certification/License
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Career
U.S. Chair & Senior Partner
I lead 55,000 professionals as U.S. Chair of PwC.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Business
Numbers
Working with Others
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for everyone
If you want to go into accounting, start at one of the larger accounting firms. They’re more diverse in disciplines and age, but there are also a lot of similarities between people, so it’s a lot easier to find people you can talk to, trust, and lean on for support and guidance.
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"You have to stay competitive to stand out and be successful."
Challenges I Overcame
First-Generation College Student
Work Stress
Interviewed By
Making it Balance
Paths in accounting and auditing
