2/4/19
Jim Deiotte, an accomplished business professional with extensive experience in accounting, law, and tax, has joined the Rady School of Management at the University of California San Diego. Deiotte will serve as the Executive Director of the school’s Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc) program.Deiotte’s storied career encompasses a strong background in financial reporting and international tax law. After nearly four decades in the profession, Deiotte retired from Ernst & Young (EY) where he served in a number of distinguished roles, including serving as the Sub Saharan Africa Regional Tax and Law Leader as well as a Senior Partner and Leader for EY’s Central and Eastern European Business Compliance and Reporting practice while in South Africa and Poland, respectively.
He has worked in the U.S. at other leading accounting firms and has a comprehensive education, earning B.B.A., MBA and JD degrees. He holds several distinguished professional credentials. He is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Management Accountant and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (U.S.).
With his wide-range of experience, Deiotte brings a rich and diverse skill set to the MPAc program, as well as a passion for inspiring students to explore a career in accounting.
“One of the things that I've cherished over my professional career is the opportunity to attract and bring young professionals into the public accounting profession,” Deiotte said. “I have not lost the passion about our profession. When I learned that UC San Diego graduates more engineers than Stanford and Berkeley combined, that enthusiasm increased even more.”
Jim noted that the needs of industry are evolving rapidly. UC San Diego and the entrepreneurial spirit of Rady are positioned to attract and develop different types of individuals into the profession.
“There is a need for talent with a much stronger STEM background in the profession,” he said. “Accounting is the language of business; it’s how we communicate ideas, attract investments, and acts as a measurement of our success. When we teach professionals in STEM industries the keys to the language of business, they will be far more appealing in the marketplace and remarkably effective as they begin their careers.”
Although Deiotte is new to UC San Diego, he is already feeling at home. “Having lived in emerging markets and traveled extensively over the past several decades I quickly noticed the diversity of our campus. The openness, ideas and thoughts that are shared with faculty and students from all over the world truly make this campus globally inviting.”
“We are fortunate to have such an immensely qualified and energetic individual as Jim join our school,” said Rady School Dean Robert S. Sullivan. “He will be instrumental in shaping our Master of Professional Accountancy curriculum and setting the stage for successful careers for our students.”
Beginning in fall 2019, the Rady School's Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc) will prepare students for a wide range of accounting career opportunities that span public accounting firms, corporate accounting departments, and not-for-profit and governmental organizations. The foundation of the MPAc experience at the Rady School includes outstanding faculty, integrative accounting knowledge, team projects, emphasis on communication and teamwork, case studies, professional seminars, guest speakers, simulations, and hands on-experiences.