Jeff Owens

Partner, Armanino Advisory LLC
Partner, Armanino LLP

I never lose, I either win or learn.

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Bio

Meet Jeff*

Jeff began his career in public accounting in 2001 and currently serves as the practice group leader of Armanino’s Texas audit department. Jeff believes in building strong teams that have a strong foundational culture. This is because the only way to serve exceptional clients is with exceptional people who care about their clients’ success as much as their own. He is obsessive about delivering a best-in-class customer experience that is unrivaled in the public accounting industry. He does this by developing deep relationships with his clients to understand their concerns about all aspects of their business and their mission. Through this understanding, he seeks to provide real-time value-added expertise.

Prior to joining Armanino, Jeff was a manager at KPMG - Dallas in their Information, Communication and Entertainment practice. He is a licensed CPA, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants. He received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in accounting from Southern Methodist University (SMU).

Jeff is a former member of the board of directors of the Alzheimer’s Association of Dallas and currently serves on the board of trustees of Legacy Christian Academy in Frisco, TX. He was a 2001 Armentrout Scholar and received the SMU outstanding young alumnus award in 2018.

*Jeff holds his interest in the firm through Jeff M Owens PLLC

Contact Jeff Owens

Experience

Professional History

Associations

  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
  • Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants 

Community

  • Southern Methodist University – Cox School of Business, Alumni and Professional Advisory Board
  • Junior Achievement of Dallas, Board of Directors

Education

  • Southern Methodist University

Experience

  • Travis Wolff, LLP
  • KPMG LLP

Q&A

Q. What are your clients’ main challenges, and how do you help solve them?

My clients are primarily emerging or middle-market companies that are intensely focused on serving their customers. As a result, they are challenged by the process of gaining access to capital markets, keeping up with the accounting and tax regulatory environment, and having the time and resources to achieve a comfort level about their financial reporting process and the adequacy of their internal controls. I ensure that their accounting system is operating effectively, so they feel in control of their business. I provide peace of mind to business owners, investors, bankers and other parties needing a level of comfort regarding a company’s external and internal financial reporting.

I offer a range of assurance services, from audit and review, to compilation and agreed upon procedures. By developing proper internal controls, I help clients mitigate, detect and correct potential financial statement misstatements; provide due diligence for mergers and acquisitions; and access the capital markets to fund growth.

Q. What is your favorite client success story?
One comes to mind where a client was continually bogged down by day-to-day back office accounting because they had not established proper processes and procedures around their reporting function. We helped establish a sound internal control environment and efficient financial reporting process, so they could focus on growth rather than the back office details. As a result, the company was able to expand their revenues by nearly 80 percent.
Q. How does your background help you serve entrepreneurial clients?
Entrepreneurs tend to have energetic and optimistic spirits, which is generally my approach as well. Additionally, entrepreneurs want to align themselves with professionals who follow through on their commitments and are scalable as the business grows. I come from a long line of entrepreneurs, so I can establish myself as a company’s trusted advisor when it is on the ground floor, and remain in this advisory role as they succeed. My clients range from emerging businesses to multinational publicly traded companies, and this background enables me to provide scalable services throughout the life cycle of any business.
Q. What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned over your career?
Maintaining an impeccable reputation personally and for my firm is crucial to developing a successful CPA practice. That is why I am guided by the principle that integrity is paramount to all that I do, both personally and professionally. Because of this, I strive to maintain consistency in my actions, values, methods, principles, expectations and outcomes.
Q. What are some of the big areas for improvement you see with new clients?
When taking on an engagement, I often see that the client was previously under-served by their CPA firm. This typically manifests in poor financial reporting and a weak internal control environment. I enjoy working with them to build a well-structured accounting system that will operate efficiently and effectively well into the future.
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Industries Served
Jeff's Thought Leadership
Blog articles
Article
Nonprofit Audit Committees: Roles, Responsibilities & Best Practices
We review the advantages of an audit committee and provide areas to consider as you grow your committee.
June 22, 2023
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