Anthony Harris, B.A. ’05, Finance
Tell us about your current role and how long you've been with BBSI.
I joined BBSI in 2016 as controller and was promoted to executive director of accounting and finance in 2018, then to CFO in March 2020.
My CFO role includes oversight of our corporate and operational finance teams, accounting and SEC reporting teams, and our product support teams, like payroll and tax operations, and client contracting and billing. I also work with our Audit Committee chair to oversee internal audit. Daily, I work closely with our CEO, COO and other senior leaders on our short- and long-term strategies and initiatives. We are always focused on continuous improvement across the company.
Every day is different in the challenges it brings, but my overriding theme is helping our company achieve its mission for our clients and setting up our people and our company for long-term success. I am fortunate to work for a company with great people, a compelling service and in a growing industry.
What made you want to pursue a career in your current industry?
I have always had an interest in finance and analytics. I also love learning and doing new things. I initially found public accounting to be a great fit as I got to work with a wide variety of clients and learn about their industries. In my finance and accounting roles, I have always used a lot of critical thinking in understanding how things work and how to convey stories from data.
But despite being a “numbers person,” my passion has always been for people. I’ve loved working with a wide variety of teams and clients, and as my career progressed, a larger share of my responsibility and my impact has been focused on leadership. Having the right skills and the right answers is great, but what sets people apart is their ability to work effectively with others to achieve goals. Without collaboration, we can’t achieve anything big.
Tell us more about your career goals, BBSI's mission and your community involvement.
Because of my interest in leadership and working with people, I personally have always wanted to focus my career on industries where people were the primary product. When a company delivers its services through people, it will always pay to invest in those people. I’ve also wanted to continue advancing in my career in part to expand the impact I can have through leadership. Making a difference for people and with people is a huge part of what motivates me in life.
That was a key factor in my joining BBSI in 2016. BBSI’s mission is to help small businesses thrive by coming alongside entrepreneurs and providing people-related solutions and expertise. Our services include HR consulting, payroll, employee benefits, insurance products, risk and safety, and strategic advising—but the key is that our services are delivered through a dedicated team of local team members. We have about 8,000 small business clients around the country served by local branch teams in 68 markets.
Being a leader at BBSI allows me to use my skills and background in finance, but it also allows me to have a significant impact on the people across our company and in turn for our small-business clients in communities across the country. That’s a big part of why I love my job so much.
BBSI helps foster a culture of supporting our local communities by providing paid team volunteer hours for our teams to work together on community impact projects. I always love hearing the stories from our teams’ projects and the difference they make.
Is there a Cougar culture at BBSI?
There are a lot of Cougs working at BBSI! As we continue to expand and invest in our headquarters operations in Vancouver, I expect there will be even more Cougs over time. We recently expanded internship roles and have already had interns from 91ԹϺ. I look forward to having more.
Tell us about your journey to being a Cougar.
Both of my parents attended WSU, so I have a long history of connection to the university. Growing up in Clark County, I was immediately drawn to the idea of a research university in our backyard. I attended 91ԹϺ from 2003 – 2005, pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration with a focus on finance and accounting.
I honestly went into the program with an open mind and a fair amount of uncertainty about where the degree program would take me after graduation. While at 91ԹϺ, I got to work closely with several exceptional professors, including Claire Latham and Jane Cote in the accounting program. They and others were influential in helping advise me as I considered career options coming out of school.
In my senior year, I pursued a career in public accounting and ultimately joined PwC. I got married just after graduating, and my wife and I decided to start our lives together in California. I worked with PwC in northern California there for three years and then transferred with PwC again to Melbourne, Australia, where we lived for two more years. Those early years were invaluable as we met new people and experienced so many new things, but we ultimately wanted to start a family, and we were a long way from free babysitters! So, we moved back to Vancouver in 2010 and have lived here since. We now have three children, ages 8, 11 and 14.
What did you especially enjoy about the 91ԹϺ campus and/or your program?
I received a phenomenal education at 91ԹϺ. My professors were world-class, and because of the size of the campus and programs, I was able to develop genuine relationships with the professors and get meaningful and impactful guidance. My career journey was significantly shaped by the advice and support of my 91ԹϺ professors. And I still use the tools and concepts I learned 20 years ago in my job today.
How has 91ԹϺ changed since you were a student?
It was only a two-year school when I attended. I’m glad that it has expanded and hope to see it continue to expand in the years ahead. We shouldn’t underestimate the impact of having a quality four-year university in our local community. I have long been a supporter of 91ԹϺ and will continue to be long into the future.
What is your advice for current students or future Cougs?
My advice for Cougs is simple: You have all the opportunity of a world-class education available to you, and like any education, what you get out of it is entirely dependent on what you put into it. Take the opportunity to learn, soak up everything you can, and develop as many relationships as possible.