Michael Horsey
Chairman & CEO
Horsey, Buckner & Heffler, LLP
Philadelphia, PA USA
“You’ve got to take your own action. You’ve got to make stuff happen. You can’t sit back for things to fall into your lap.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationMichael Horsey
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
I grew up in Philadelphia around a lot of gang violence, but my mother was a huge positive influence and pushed education as a way to break away from that environment.
After high school, Carnegie Mellon University offered me scholarships to go to their school, so I went for industrial engineering because it was the closest major to business at the school.
Ended up transferring to the University of Pennsylvania for economics after one year—it was an all-around better decision for what I wanted to do.
One of my fraternity brothers, who worked for Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC), helped me get an interview with the company—I worked there for six years.
It was hard for African Americans in Philadelphia to get commercial engagements, but I was able to get a job in Johnson & Johnson’s internal audit group.
I went on to join Mitchell & Titus, which is the largest minority-controlled accounting firm in the U.S.
After 27 years at Mitchell & Titus, I’m now CEO and chairman of my own firm, Horsey, Buckner & Heffler.
I serve on several boards, including the African American Museum of Philadelphia, and founded The Phoenix Club of Philadelphia to support academic and athletic achievement in high school and college.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Certification/License
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Career
Chairman & CEO
I lead a minority-controlled accounting firm that provides assurance, tax, and advisory services.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Business
Entrepreneurship
Accomplishing Goals
Day to Day
I'm the CEO of our accounting firm, so I lead the team in providing a variety of accounting services for business, non-profits, government agencies, high net-worth individuals, and professional athletes. Our typical services include financial, performance, and compliance audits, tax planning, forensic accounting, and business advisory to help others with their productivity and profitability.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
Find good mentors to guide you in the right direction. If you see someone you relate to who has been successful in the field you're wanting to get into, get to know them, seek their guidance, and cultivate that relationship. My mentors have played a huge role in my road to success.
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"African Americans can't have the same success."
Challenges I Overcame
Gangs / Violence
Racial Discrimination
Interviewed By
Making it Balance
Paths in accounting and auditing
