"Huh, you don’t seem like an accountant."
It’s a comment I’ve heard more times than I can count (pun intended) from friends and family when we talk about my career. It’s one of those left-handed compliments that I’ve come to appreciate, even though it doesn’t quite paint the full picture.
I like accounting and numbers—I really do. Reconciling balances, forecasting, cash flow analysis—those are my strengths. But there’s more to it than just that; numbers are only the starting point. They’re a means to an end, and that end is making the best decision possible. To do that, you need to be armed with the best data. Otherwise, you’re leaving it to chance. You can’t control being lucky, but you can control giving yourself the best chance to be right—that means giving yourself every possible advantage. What do the numbers say? What’s the context here? How does this impact what we’re trying to accomplish? How can we be smarter so we can be better?
But here’s the thing I love about my job here at Finney Injury Law: it’s more than just the numbers—and I mean that in two ways. When I first joined the firm in October of 2024, I was stepping out of my comfort zone. My background was in accounting; specifically, I managed audits at a Big Four firm, where I dealt with SEC reporting and GAAP financials. But this role? It was something different. Now, I manage the day-to-day operations, ensuring the firm runs smoothly so that our attorneys can focus on what matters most: the clients and the cases.
It’s also more than just numbers in another way, too. When I look at our internal data and metrics, I always keep in mind that these aren’t just numbers—they represent people. People who’ve come to us, trusting us to help them. And while the balance sheet is important, the true asset of this firm isn’t something you can see in the books. It’s the trust we’ve built over the years—the reputation that Chris and the team have earned. That’s what matters. Our clients know we’ll do right by them and fight for what they deserve.
At the end of the day, I couldn’t care less whether I "seem like an accountant" or a typical CFO. What matters is that I use my background, skills, and the data we have to help the firm make the best decisions and, most importantly, to ensure that our clients are never treated like just another number.
Will is the CFO of Finney Injury Law and a CPA licensed in the state of Missouri. He earned his degree from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Will has embraced St. Louis as his home.