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Name:
Kevin Merkell
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Residence:
Munster, Indiana
Graduation Year:
1978
Major:
Business Administration
Minor:
Accounting
Why did you choose SJC?
I chose Saint Joseph's College because it was close
to my home, which was in a Chicago suburb, it had strong Business and Accounting
programs, and I liked the students I met on campus. SJC also had a good
athletic program, and I was recruited for their basketball team. I also
liked the small campus atmosphere and the large alumni class in Chicago.
As a student, what were you involved in?
Most of my time was taken up with basketball and
class work, but I did referee and umpire intramural basketball and softball.
My work and activities combined to teach me a lot of lessons, such as how
to deal with people, and one of the most important lessons I learned was
that there is always more than one way to do things, and current processes
should never be taken for granted as the right way to do something. In one
of my classes, we were studying the steel industry in the United States
in comparison to Japan. We visited U.S. Steel and were able to meet with
the Plant Manager and ask him questions about how the company was organized.
Ten years after graduation, I realized that I had walked away with a better understanding of business and the global impact of the economy than I thought I did at the time.
What are you doing now?
I'm a Tax Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP
in Chicago, Illinois. I work with the highest levels of management in corporations
that operate worldwide to help them structure their businesses. I am involved
in assisting those companies identify tax savings techniques that are consistent
with their corporate structure and internal policies. Restructuring includes
examining issues that arise in mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, and
consolidations. In Chicago, there are approximately fifteen hundred employees,
and worldwide, PWC employs over 100,000 professionals. How did SJC prepare you for the "real world"?
At Saint Joseph's College, I had the opportunity
to work with a teaching staff that taught me how businesses work and function.
I learned that core values are important to how all businesses operate.
Now, it is also clear to me that the Core Program played a huge role in my overall education. The classes were challenging in a different way. I was constantly asked to examine and think about myself and my beliefs. It brought into focus the values I held and would bring into my life and career. I don't think I ever looked at myself as much as I did in Core, and I have carried those lessons forward with me. Because of the Core Program, I came to a more clear understanding of my own values and who I am. Core is central to everything you do and unique to SJC - you will carry the self revelations you experience with you for the rest of your life. Everything else, you can learn.
