View the original CalCPA Magazine article as a pdf >>

It doesn’t take long to realize the importance of family to CalCPA Education Foundation Chair Ruben Davila. And as the first in his family to attend college, it seems fitting that he’s now teaching tomorrow’s CPAs as a professor at USC Marshall School of Business Leventhal School of Accounting, where he’s spent nearly 40 years of his career.

His experience, however, extends far outside the classroom walls. He has served as an expert witness and litigation consultant for a variety of complex business litigation, including corporate financial reporting, fraud, embezzlement, valuation, contract damages and corporate governance.

Q: What or who inspired you to become a CPA, and when did you first know that it was the right career for you?

Family is important to me. I am Latino and close family includes a large extended family. My family was and is still very bluecollar. I was the first in my family to go to college, much less graduate from college. When I began college, there was pressure to graduate with something where I could get a good paying job. I did not think in terms of a career or entering a profession. I began college with an interest in mathematics but reconsidered this pathway when equations and proofs started running over a page in length. It was time to move on.

I remember clearly when the idea of becoming a CPA came up. I was at dinner with extended family, a normal weekly occurrence growing up. My Uncle John told me, “Ruben, you should become a CPA!” He had just visited his CPA to get his taxes done. My uncle explained, “I gave him my tax stuff, 30 minutes later he was done. I paid him $50.” So, being good with numbers—$50 for 30 minutes. This extrapolates to $100 an hour. That made sense. I was on my way to being a CPA!

My educational path to CPA got off to a rocky start. I initially struggled, almost failed my first intro to accounting course. I had preconceived ideas about what revenue, expense and even debit and credit were. It took a while, but I figured it out and salvaged a “B” from a weak “D” in that course. I went on to develop a strong principals-based understanding of the subject matter and it turned out great—except for tax.

My CPA tax career was derailed by my first tax course. It was not a good experience. Our textbook had tiny text, no pictures, way too many pages of ultra-thin paper. It cited a lot of code that was indecipherable. Explanations were often just as confusing. When I highlighted a phrase or passage, the ink went through several of the ultra-thin pages. To make matters worse, the federal tax law was undergoing a significant overhaul. As a result, what I was learning would be out of date within the next six months.

After I graduated, I joined the audit staff at Deloitte. It was an awesome experience! I worked at six clients in my first year—different geographic locales, different industries and different professional teams, both client and staff. It was challenging on multiple levels. There were bumps along the road, but I loved the constant change and the varied challenges of working with new people in a variety of business settings. It caused me to grow personally and professionally in a very short period. My time as an auditor provided a strong foundation for understanding businesses and how to work with and manage people. I learned so much. It was at the core of who I am today professionally. But foremost, the people that I met along the way are at the core at what made it such an amazing experience. Many of my these colleagues are still close friends to this day.

Q: What do you enjoy most about being a CPA?

The people. The profession allowed me to meet some of the brightest, kind, energetic, thoughtful, social and diverse minded people, many of whom still play an important role in my life. My career has provided me with a broad and dynamic array of professional and social experiences. My background has allowed me to gain experience and knowledge in a wide array of industries and companies. It has allowed me to travel and meet leading professionals in California, across the United States and internationally, specifically Asia. Mind you, I never got on an airplane until I was 21 years old.

Being a CPA has provided me with an opportunity to become an educator, a consultant, an expert witness, serve on multiple boards and to participate in various organizations that set policy and shape the accountancy profession. This includes serving on multiple boards and committees of CalCPA, AICPA, NASBA and the California Board of Accountancy that have helped shape our professional. This was and is a wonderful opportunity to learn and to give back to the profession that has given me so much. It has provided me with perspective and understanding that not everything looks, thinks or operates like Los Angeles or California or the United States.

Q: What’s one thing about accounting that people might not be aware of?

The possibilities and opportunities an accounting degree and CPA license provide. It is important to step back and see the big picture.

Accounting is about information. I tell my students it’s about scoreboard. Developing information about what happened, should happen and exploring why it did or did not happen. The key is understanding the information and its implications, and how to use them effectively when making or offering advice on business decisions.

I have taught for USC for over 40 years. I have a number of former accountancy students that have gone on to successful careers in the profession. Even more have gone on to satisfying and successful careers as entrepreneurs, CFOs, private equity, investment firms, private equity, venture capitalists and on and on. It is a wonderful gateway to a variety of avenues of professional success.

Q: What attracted you to CalCPA and then CalCPA leadership?

It is an opportunity to give back to the profession that has given me so much. It is a wonderful opportunity to work with an amazing group of people at a key time in our profession when talking significant issues involving licensing requirements, accounting education, pipeline issues and mobility.

Q: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing the profession? Facing CalCPA?

There are multiple challenges facing the accounting profession. This includes pipeline, regulatory oversight, outside competition in areas that have typically been thought of or reserved for CPAs. The way we develop our profession has not evolved in a manner that firmly addresses changes in the competitive landscape and that meets the current needs of those that might be interested in the profession. This includes providing a clearer picture of what a CPA does and the opportunity the accountancy profession provides.

Q: What advice do you have for younger professionals or those thinking of entering the CPA profession?

Step back and think of the big picture. Manage your career from the get-go. Keep an open mind as opportunities will present themselves. To see what is possible, what is probable as you pursue your career. Position yourself for the opportunities that fit your current and potential skills sets, professional interests and provide the lifestyle you want as you grow professionally. Be prepared to grow and evolve as the world changes.

Q: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced on your path to becoming a CPA, and how did you overcome them?

I come from a blue-collar working family. There was no one to mentor or guide me through the process.

Q: What motivates you to do what you do?

Family, friends and giving back. My path could have been easier if I had known more about where I was, where I wanted to go and how best to prepare to get there. Knowledge is power and I have worked diligently with my current students, community colleges and high schools so they could empower themselves to reach their personal and professional goals.

Q: Who has been the strongest influences in your life?

My parents, Gus and Lydia Davila. The most amazing, wonderful giving people that you would ever want to meet. Amazing role models. Kind, generous, loving, but also demanding and would hold me and my sister, Debbie, accountable. They sacrificed so much to allow me to get an education. They believed in me and who I could be. They did not know much about going to college or being a professional. But I always knew and know they believed in me. They fostered the idea that I could do anything if I put my mind and soul into it. They both passed away a few years ago. I miss them dearly.