In Cray Kaiser’s Employee Spotlight series, we highlight a member of the CK team. We couldn’t be more proud of the team we’ve grown and we’re excited for you to get to know them. This month we’re shining our spotlight on Dan Swanson.

GETTING TO KNOW DAN

Dan is a Supervisor on the assurance team who is responsible for leading a variety of engagements such as audits and reviews. Specifically, Dan helps ensure that these engagements are appropriately staffed, trains and assists team members with their responsibilities, and keeps the projects on task and on budget. Dan is passionate about maintaining positive, strong relationships with the clients he and his team serve. His prior work for a construction contractor sparked his interest in serving that niche, which has become a growing area of focus for him at CK over the years.

Dan attended Carroll College (now Carroll University) in Waukesha, Wisconsin and started his career working for a small CPA firm before moving to private industry. After gaining experience with both public accounting and private industry, he realized that public accounting was the right fit for him, leading him to join the CK team.

WHY CK?

In October 2011, Dan came on board at CK. He was excited to work for a firm that serves a wide variety of clients and industries, and that’s what has kept him here for almost a decade.

Dan says that all of CK’s core values are equally important to him, but, he remarks, “It’s quite often that we hear clients say, ‘Thank you for your help, I just needed someone to talk to that I trust.’ When I hear that, it makes all those long and sometimes stressful days worth it.” He elaborated, “we take pride and ownership in our work, elevating us as teammates and as trusted advisors. This is what I strive for each and every day I come to work.”

MORE ABOUT DAN

• What piece of advice would you give to someone who is just getting started in the accounting industry?
  
  Don’t be afraid to ask questions and show up every day with a positive attitude. If you can do those two things, you will be alright.

• If you could be an expert at anything, what would it be?
  
  Being a better handyman. I always joke, if you need help with a tax return or preparing financial statements, I’m your guy. If you need help installing, wiring, or building anything around the house….good luck.

• How do you like to spend your weekends?
  
  My weekends are spent driving from one ball field to the next. My wife and I have two very active boys who love playing ball and being with their teammates. The relationships we have built with the other parents and coaches are special to us.

• What motto do you live by?
  
  K.I.S.S. – keep it simple stupid!

• What was your favorite vacation?
  
  Last winter we took a large family (5 families, 16 of us in total) vacation down to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It was super cool to see all the nieces and nephews enjoying each other’s company while visiting all the parks. I know these are memories Mary and I and our boys will cherish for the rest of our lives.

• What’s your favorite tv show?
  
  I’ve always been a big fan of Seinfeld. Lately I have been on a “The Office” kick. You can’t go wrong with either show.

• What’s on your music playlist?
  
  It’s got a little bit of everything.