“First and foremost, we’re a service business. We work with numbers but, more important, we work with people.” —Jeff Gutsch
Jeff Gutsch, partner in charge of its Napa and Santa Rosa offices and the firm’s wine industry national practice leader, has been with the firm for 18 years. When asked to describe Moss-Adams, he says, “First and foremost, we’re a service business. We work with numbers but, more important, we work with people.”
To help ensure its clients have the best service possible, the firm has a passion for excellence and promotes respect, integrity and accountability. It supports lifetime learning and encourages professional and personal growth for its partners and staff.
From a career recruitment perspective, the firm speaks with students across California and has recruited many from SSU, advising them to focus and get clear on what area of accounting they want to specialize in. Gutsch enjoys going to campuses and talking to students about the profession. His message to students: “We’re looking for people who are service-oriented and want to work with interesting clients.”
To help students, the Moss Adams Foundation, created in 2004, provides funding and endowments to a variety of colleges and universities. Funding comes directly from the firm, its partners and employees and provides some measure of assurance that educational programs at these schools will continue to attract talented faculty and students—students Moss Adams hopes to hire when they graduate. Between 2004 and 2012, the foundation donated approximately $4.7 million to institutions of higher education and humanitarian causes.
This year, Moss Adams’ North Bay locations are focusing on the hospitality industry and family office practice. The family office practice is geared toward working with families in building and managing their wealth.
“We’re a national firm that provides home town service,” says Kathe Guglielmetti, sales and marketing manager for the firm’s North Bay locations. She believes the company’s success is due to its focus on client service, and “Moss Adams is always looking for new and innovative ways to serve clients,” she adds.
Women have been historically underrepresented at the top levels of the accounting profession. Recognizing that, the company launched Forum W in 2008, which helps women reach top spots across the firm (Moss Adams has more women partners than the industry average). Forum W is also about valuing diversity, paying it forward and changing the industry from the inside out.
Keeping you informed about changes in the financial landscape is one of Moss Adams’ top priorities. It addresses a wide range of general as well as industry-specific accounting, tax and business issues in its online publication, Insights. You can sign up and have alerts, articles and event notifications sent to your email by going to www.mossadams.com/insights.
