EO Practice Development Department: Extending the borders of the service concept;

              THEEO Practice
Development Extending the Borders
of the Service Concept
DEPARTMENT
• • p r a c t i c e development is more a state of mind
I ' t h a n a system of techniques," Julius W
• Phoenix, Jr., partner in charge of the Executive
Office Practice Development Department, insists.
"As the public accounting profession grows increas­ingly
complex, as it continues to change, the need
for a realistic practice-development orientation on
the part of the professional accountant becomes
more important.
"This is particularly critical, I think, because we're
going to see what can only be termed substantial
changes in the accounting profession in the
coming years," Jule said. "Many of the current
concepts — such as the ban against advertising —
will be sharply altered. The same upheavals are
being faced by the legal and medical professions,"
he points out.
The growth of client audit committees and the
possibility of a trend toward rotation of auditors are
factors that may force a reevaluation of what have
long been considered fundamentals for the account­ing
profession in this country.
Before taking over as head of the Firm's practice-development
effort, Jule, a partner since 1957,
served in both auditing and taxes, as a specialist in
public utility accounting and as partner in charge
of accounting research at EO, as partner in charge
of our Miami office and partner in charge of the
EO International Department.
As presently organized, the PD team consists of
Jule, partner Al Pastino, managers Terry Mortimer
and Larry Wagner, and Gil Parker. The Mergers and
Acquisitions Department, headed by partner Bert
Frankenberger, operates under the umbrella of the
Practice Development Department.
"Every aspect of the Firm's practice possesses
practice-development implications and contains
practice-development opportunities," Jule noted.
Under his direction the PD message has been
given added emphasis with the adoption by his
group of a multilevel approach that stresses both
practical programs already in use and broader,
long-range objectives.
the Firm's practice
possesses practice-development
implications and
contains practice-development
opportunities/
"No one is born with the ideal practice-development
attitude," Jule said. "Some of us may
be more active in community and other outside
activities than others, but practice development
takes many directions. It means not only building
the Firm's practice by obtaining new clients, but
giving the best possible services to present clients
and extending our services to those clients. An
effective practice-development program benefits
our clients as much as it does Haskins & Sells."
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