For the past few years, Jerry Pierce, MBA ’92, has been teaching Accounting 203 at the Costello College of Business at George Mason University. A course largely attended by sophomores, Pierce relishes the opportunity to impart his wisdom and teach students about the accounting profession and about life in general.
Pierce, a retired KPMG partner, spent 38 years in “Big Four” public accounting, rising through the ranks after starting as an associate in the early ‘80s. He was a tax partner at KPMG for over 25 years. “I’m not sure I would say I was always the smartest guy in the room, but I would surround myself with some very smart people, and that’s ultimately what made me successful. It allowed me to be the quarterback to our clients. I really enjoy working with people/clients,” he says.
Pierce’s varied and distinguished experiences at KPMG have given him invaluable content for his classes. Having taught staff training at the firm, he knew that teaching at Costello would be something that he would enjoy. After speaking with Long Chen, accounting area chair, and Peggy Tsirigotis, assistant accounting area chair, he jumped at the opportunity to return to Costello. “It’s just a nice segue from doing it in a high-pressure environment to doing something with a lot less pressure and just doing it for the joy of teaching. I try to give the students some things that maybe I didn’t get when I was their age,” he says.
“It’s just a nice segue from doing it in a high-pressure environment to doing something with a lot less pressure and just doing it for the joy of teaching. I try to give the students some things that maybe I didn’t get when I was their age,” he says.
— Jerry Pierce, MBA ’92, Accounting adjunct professor
Since enrolling in the Costello MBA program, Pierce has maintained a strong connection with George Mason University. At KPMG he assumed the role of lead recruiter for George Mason students from both a tax and firm perspective. Continuing his career in the region, he also served as the president for the George Mason sponsored Century Club, which helped young entrepreneurs start businesses in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. In January 2022, Pierce returned to his alma mater as an adjunct professor in accounting.
To ensure that he does an effective job teaching his students, Pierce begins the first day of class by asking what the students' expectations are of him and how they would define success in the classroom. Writing them up on the board, he goes through them one by one. “It’s good to know their expectations because I don’t know how I can achieve their goals if I don’t know what their goals are,” he says. “Then, I turn it on them and say that now you’ve told me what you expect of me, I flip it back and say this is what I expect of you.” It’s a two-way communication. For students who are struggling academically, he invites them to sit down with him to discuss their priorities and daily life so that together they can figure out how to turn things around in the classroom.
A passion that’s continued to guide Pierce’s career after retiring from KPMG is working with people to try to understand their goals and help them reach them. This desire to help young people, especially, extends outside the classroom. An avid sports fan and competitor, he also serves as the head varsity tennis coach at Oakton High School where they have won two state championships in the last five years.
Pierce is loving his new role and the opportunity to continue staying connected with George Mason. His journey from a successful corporate tax accounting career to an influential faculty member demonstrates his enduring commitment to mentorship and lifelong learning. “This school has so much to offer. You just have to figure out what you need and take advantage of it,” he says.