FOCUS THE OSCPA TRAILBLAZER AND PATHFINDER AWARDS


ERIC KUNKEL, CPA, ABV, CFF, CGMA, CVA


FOUNDING PARTNER, CCK STRATEGIES, PLLC


ACCOMPLISHMENTS OSCPA Contributions:


Director at Large Small Firm Practitioners Committee Tax Committee Technology Committee


Business Valuation/Forensic and Litigation Support Tulsa Chapter President


Awards: OSCPA Public Service Award (2015)


Oklahoma Governor’s Award for Excellence in Exporting (2016)


U.S. Department of Commerce President’s E Star Award for Export Service (2016, 2020)


U.S. Small Business Administration Exporter of the Year Region 6 and State of Oklahoma (2017)


Oklahoma District Export Council Export Champion (2015-2022)


Professional Organizations: AICPA


Community Involvement:


Oklahoma District Export Council - Vice Chair & Trade Policy Liaison Accountancy Committee of IR Global


Treasurer of the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma – President and Treasurer


Tulsa Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma


Tulsa Global Alliance - President and Treasurer


Tristesse Healing Hearts Grief Center - Founder & Treasurer


ERIC KUNKEL, CPA, is a go-getter and overachiever. He has never waited for anyone to tell him what he should be doing or what he should do next. Kunkel values tenacity and advises anyone starting their career to use determination as a fast track to success. We are honored to bestow upon him the title of Pathfinder. Kunkel shares how his career has lived up to his expectations and his expectations for the future of the profession.


OSCPA: Has your career lived up to the expectations you had when you received your CPA license? EK: Even before I became a CPA, I knew I wanted to own my own business. While the founders of CCK didn’t necessarily aspire to build a large company—the focus was on making a decent living. As more work came in, we embraced growth and continued to do so. When we started this practice, it was a conscious decision for the three of us to aim at the middle market entrepreneur as that was where we felt we could create the most value. Our clients are idea people; they own and operate businesses that they were involved in forming or took over in generational succession. When we set up CCK Strategies 25


years ago, little did any of us suspect the firm would become one of the top 250 accounting firms in the US—and win prestigious awards for our work to increase exports in the country. But


that’s what happened—CCK Strategies is now the 232-largest CPA firm in the country. When you consider how many thousands of accounting firms there are in the US, that’s kind of ridiculous because we didn’t have anything when we started.


OSCPA: What are your hopes for and expectations of the future of the accounting profession? EK: Te accounting profession continues to understand and to be able to communicate to business customers the critical financial and operational information that informs and leads to the success of companies in all business sectors. It is those abilities that will allow the accounting profession to thrive in the long-term future. Particularly, as CPAs can think of their own careers and firms as entrepreneurs, they will be uniquely qualified and indispensable to businesses.


July/August 2023 CPAFOCUS 13


OSCP


OSCPA PATHF NDE


ATHFIINDER


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