Checking in with a Rice MAcc Student One Year After Graduation

We recently caught up with Sherwin Philip, who graduated from Rice’s Master of Accounting (MAcc) program in 2022. We asked him a few questions about his experience working at one of the “Big Four” public accounting firms. Read what he told us below!

Tell us a little bit about your background and why you decided to pursue the MAcc. 

I was born in India and immigrated to the US at the end of middle school. I graduated with my bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston with a double major in finance and accounting. But before I started working full-time, I felt that having a strong accounting knowledge would be a key to me excelling in my career in business. Through a friend, I learned about the Rice MAcc program. Its one-year duration appealed to me. After talking with the program director, Professor Lansford, I applied and decided to enroll in the program.

Where do you work, and how long have you been there? 

I work at KPMG, which is one of the “Big Four” public accounting firms. I have been there for the past eight months. 

What personality characteristics make for an effective accounting professional in your service line? 

I’m in the Healthcare and Life Sciences industry group of KPMG’s Financial Due Diligence sub-practice, and each deal in this sector can be quite different. Over the last eight months, I have worked on over six different deals, ranging from one public pharmaceutical company acquiring another one to a private equity firm acquiring a healthcare management company. While there are many tasks that are consistent from deal to deal, there are also many aspects that are different. So, an ability to learn quickly and a willingness to adapt would be the two most important characteristics for someone to be effective.

What does a typical workday for you entail? 

I usually arrive at the office around 9:00 am and begin the day by checking emails. I then check the data room of the deal I am working on and check in with the senior associate/manager. The next two to three hours could entail internal team meetings, meetings with the client, or meetings with management. My team tries to go for lunch together around noon. Then for the rest of the day, till about 5:00 pm, I tend to do all the deal-related tasks, starting from databasing the financial statements from raw data and ending with the final presentation. When there’s a tight deadline coming up, the workday can stretch into the evening.

What do you like most about what you do? 

I like the fact that I get to learn something new every day, as every deal I have worked on is different. For example, the analyses we do for the acquisition of a pharmaceutical company is very different from what we do for the sale of an optometry group. This makes it challenging but also very interesting.

What are some noteworthy experiences you’ve been able to have working at your firm? 

My two almost week-long training sessions at KPMG’s “Lakehouse” training facility in Orlando were a lot of fun! I learned a great deal and got to meet peers from across the country. Another noteworthy experience was helping the Asian and Pacific Island business resource group organize the International Week at the Houston office. We presented cultures and cuisines from around the world.
 

Does a career powered on accounting expertise sound right for you? Attend one our events to see where the Rice MAcc degree can take you!