A Baruch graduate, Mr. Luciano (Lou) Centanni has built an incredibly impressive career in public accounting at Grant Thornton that has spanned more than two decades. Currently, he is Audit Partner and Partner-in-Charge of the Northeast Region International Business Center for the firm, and has worked with both public and private companies around the globe on various initiatives, such as mergers-and-acquisitions and introducing European companies to capital markets in the United States. Recognized for his success, Lou was named by the Long Island Business News as one of Long Island’s 40 rising stars under the age of 40 in 2006.Lucy Lu (MS Accounting) had the privilege of sitting down with Lou in his midtown office to talk about his career journey, his successes and accomplishments, and his thoughts on the impact students can have through a career in the accounting industry.
Q: Mr. Centanni, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to the Baruch graduate student community. I wanted to start with your beginnings and your own motivations around accounting. What made you choose this profession?
Lou Centanni (LC): Growing up, I was surrounded by family and neighbors that mostly worked blue-collar jobs. One of the very first professionals that I was exposed to was a gentleman who used to visit our home annually to prepare our income tax returns. While I did not quite understand what he did at the time, my parents always held him in high regard, which left an impression on me. In high school, because of my love for math and numbers, I decided to take a college elective accounting course, which introduced me to debits and credits. I was fascinated by the inter-relationships of the financial statement line items and found the assignments to resemble financial puzzles which intrigued me.
Q: It’s interesting to hear how your family’s tax preparer impacted you at such a young age. After you realized your dreams and became an accountant, was there an impactful event that became a crucial turning point in your career?
LC: Most certainly would have to be my overseas assignment at Grant Thornton’s London office from 1999 to 2001. The assignment was a life changing experience that accelerated my promotion to partner, introduced me to so many different cultures and provided me with a much broader perspective on business, and life in general. I had a unique opportunity to work with so many of my colleagues and clients, in the UK and throughout Europe, during a time when the world’s capital markets were thriving and the internet was making it so easy for companies to go global. As I returned to the US, I had a burning desire to remain involved with international work, and I have by acting as a liaison and putting our people and our clients in touch with the best international resources and helping them to expand internationally.
Q: The way your career was affected by your work abroad is amazing. Bringing that international perspective, what do you think Baruch students can do to get a competitive edge on the global business stage today?
LC: The biggest advantage Baruch students have is the diversified cultural exposure on campus. One can learn a great deal from people with various cultural backgrounds. We all do business with other people, and often their ethnic cultures may influence how they do business or behave. If we each take the time to understand each other’s cultures, it will provide us a broader perspective on issues and to view things from different perspectives and appreciate our differences. This can really give students and candidates a competitive edge in today’s global economy.
Q: I think the entire Baruch student body agrees with you. It’s what makes Baruch so unique. How else can our students highlight their unique qualities? What skills should new accounting graduates have to be successful in the accounting industry? What weaknesses should they work on?
LC: Good communication skills are essential to new graduates entering the industry. As a professional service provider, we need people who can work well and communicate effectively with other people. No matter how high your GPA is, how technical you are, you have to be able to deliver messages externally to clients or internally to other employees and team members. Early in their career, I think an individual’s willingness and desire to learn are very important qualities, because it will be their experiences that will shape their career. Strong analytical skills have also helped me throughout my career.
As for weaknesses, I would urge students not to be lazy and think a full-time job offer is an entitlement or a guaranteed free pass for your future career development. If you are shy, I would encourage you to do some exercises to take you out of your comfort zone and force you to socialize with others. If you work at it, you will feel more confident and comfortable interacting with others, which will serve you well in the future.
Q: Absolutely terrific insight! Thinking about your colleagues and staff now, are there three qualities you think make them great accounting professionals?
LC: They are very much the same. Hard work comes first. It is the key to success. Hard work and diligence will very often compensate for other weaknesses. Again, good communication skills are one of those great qualities we appreciate. Finally, a mix of being social and the ability to deal with people are keys.
Q: You’re right. The skills are entirely consistent whether someone is entering their career or in it. As many of our new graduate students are entering the industry, how can they stay focused to build successful careers for themselves?
LC: Based on my years of experience in the accounting industry, I would say that they should learn as much as they can from other skilled and more experienced colleagues – and work together to build a supportive and productive team. I also strongly advise keeping a good work-and-life balance. New graduates who are eager and determined to quickly achieve success often devote all their energy into their careers at the beginning. Then, they burn out easily and their enthusiasm fades away. A career is a journey, not a race. It is important to enjoy the journey, because it’s what will help you flourish and advance. And those are the foundations of a long and successful career.
Luciano Centanni
Audit Partner and Partner-in-Charge of the Northeast Region International Business Center, Grant Thornton
Accounting, 1991
