Chris Walters, CPA
“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” ~Abraham Lincoln
CHRIS’S TRAIL MIX
If I weren’t a CPA, I would be: Te slowest home contractor on earth
If I could be any superhero, I would be: Raphael from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
What scares you? Narrow fairways
On a Saturday night, you’ll most likely find me: Watching Dateline with my wife, hoping that our daughter goes to sleep (Spoiler: Te husband is always guilty)
If you could be on any game show, what would it be? Family Feud
How many pillows do you sleep with? Far fewer than my wife
What’s your favorite holiday? Does Oktoberfest count?
If you could have an endless supply of anything, what would it be? Buffalo Wild Wings
When Ernst & Young (EY) in Tulsa, Oklahoma, decided to implement a global initiative with one of their clients, Chris Walters, CPA, a senior manager of assurance with EY, stepped up to the plate. “My engagement team was looking
for opportunities to utilize cross-border resources,” Walters said. “We identified an account to deploy the resources of EY India. I saw the challenge as a unique opportunity and took ownership of the account testing as well as developing a relationship with our EY India resources and coordinating the team’s work.” Walters, who received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Tulsa, said, “I set up daily calls with the EY India team around the time difference, over the course of the engagement, to talk through tasks, priorities, requests and any issues identified by their team. I also made sure the calls went beyond just work. I touched on their interests and personal lives, building friendships that remain to this day.”
“I learned a lot about implementing a
new initiative and managing the work of others over the course of the engagement,” Walters said. “But more importantly I learned the impact of communicating with all team members and cultivating meaningful relationships within my team, regardless of location. Te key to a successful implementation was keeping each team member engaged in the process. Tis meant that the cross-border communications had to go beyond just
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tasks and instructions; [they also needed to focus] on forming genuine relationships with team members to help them learn and develop...”
Anita L. Holloway, CPA, a partner at
EY, said, “While on this assignment, Chris developed deep relationships with our personnel in the service center such that his clients in Tulsa have been praised for their integration of the service center’s work into our audits…Chris demonstrated an ability to think critically, quickly understanding the client, its controls and its processes…” Walters, an OSCPA member for five
years, is also involved in coordinating fundraising efforts for and volunteering with the Tulsa Area United Way, Junior Achievement, the American Diabetes Association and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
“Chris is a role model for our people
and the profession,” said Kathy R. Gates, CPA, the Tulsa office managing partner for EY. “He leads by example with a strong work ethic and commitment to quality and client service. Chris serves as a counselor for a number of our seniors and staff. He gives thoughtful consideration to personnel matters and is actively engaged in developing his counselees to their greatest potential.” Walters said, “Looking back, to have had a positive impact on cross-border training across the United States and to have formed genuine relationships along the way, that is my most significant business accomplishment to date.”
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