By Murray
Partner, Tax/GHRS, New York
A bright future. I became an accountant following in the footsteps of my two older brothers. After interviewing with a number of the Big 8 accounting firms, I started with the firm in 1970. Although I was promoted several times, I left the Firm in 1979 after receiving an offer I couldn’t refuse. I stayed with this company for nine months, but realized it really wasn’t for me. So I contacted some of the colleagues and partners I knew at the firm. I had done some work for the managing partner in the New York office and when he asked me to come back, I gladly accepted. At that point, I assumed I would make partner within the next two or three years.
A sudden tragedy. A year after I came back to the firm, I was suddenly stricken with something called Guillain-Barré Syndrome—an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. I was healthy, working on an audit client in Rhode Island when I first felt something was wrong. I went to the hospital and they told me it was nothing.
The next day I felt worse and flew home. When my wife saw me, she took me into the emergency room. Within a day or two, I was totally paralyzed. It was pretty scary to be healthy, and all of a sudden you can't roll over, you can't lift your legs, you can't move your arms. I was in intensive care for about 10 days. I spent about a month in a regular hospital and then four and a half months in a rehab hospital and had a slow recovery at home for the remainder of the year. I started using a wheel chair, then crutches, and I have relied on them ever since.
Homework. While I was in rehab, my therapist told me it would be good to keep my mind active. So I called some of the partners I worked for and they actually sent me client financial statements to review. After I got home, I requested more work and was asked to help update the Firm's auditing text book. Well that's something I could do at home. This was before there were personal computers so they sent me the book, we discussed it over the phone, and I rewrote three chapters in long hand!
The long road back. I really wanted to get out of the house for the two days a week that I didn’t have therapy. Determined, I learned how to put my wheelchair in the car and how to drive with my left foot because it was stronger than my right. Then I had my cars adapted so I could drive with my left foot. But there was another obstacle. In 1982, there were no handicap bathrooms at the firm so I couldn’t come back to the office in a wheelchair. I needed to be able to use crutches so I could get around the office. Finally I was able to return to work two days or three days a week. I'd drive into Manhattan, park the car, unload the wheelchair and wheel myself down the block and into the building. In the office, I used the crutches to overcome the bathroom problem. I hoped to work full-time, but unfortunately I fell and broke my leg. This setback prevented me from working full-time for another year.
A shift in strategy. At PwC, I was motivated to work, enjoyed it, but I now felt that the audit practice was too demanding in terms of travel and going to clients. So, I requested a transfer to the national office. This was more of a desk job, and I was concerned it might diminish my chances of becoming a partner. But, it was a decision I needed to make.
Making partner. I transferred to the national office in 1984, and started to consult on pension accounting issues. After several years I quickly became so knowledgeable about this area that a head Global Human Resources Solutions (GHRS) partner asked me to transfer into GHRS to do this specialty. I was promoted to director, expanded into other benefits and compensation areas, and eventually became so expert that I finally made partner in 1998.
Flexibility and value. When I switched into GHRS, I was driving into Manhattan five days a week which was very taxing for me. My partner in charge thoughtfully suggested that I work at home one day a week. They set up a fax machine and a firm-paid phone line in my home and he said, "I don't want to see you five days a week." He recognized the value I brought to his practice, and we made it work.
A lot has changed in the 25 years since I became disabled and there were no provisions for the handicapped. Over the years, I have found that the people at PwC have been willing to be flexible in terms of my individual needs. They helped me to progress as a professional and achieve my career goals. I think that lots of different people with different backgrounds and circumstances can bring value to the firm.
