Peter Margaritis

Going from being a CPA to taking the "numb out of numbers" for thousands of other accountants is definitely the road less traveled, but that is exactly the path Peter chose.

Accounting was never the career Peter envisioned for himself at 17 – standup comedy was going to be his ticket. However, based on his father's advise – "Don't be a funny guy, Pete. Be a CPA, you'll never be hungry." – and a knack for numbers, Peter earned his Master's in Accountancy and then his CPA license. He worked in key positions in several large organizations and did very well. But accounting really wasn't his passion. He was, in fact, The Accidental Accountant.

During his time as a corporate CPA, Peter took improv classes and performed stand-up comedy. Communicating directly with audiences was life-changing, and Peter discovered his true passion: Teaching what he knew rather than being a practicing CPA. That led him to university faculty positions where Peter combined his accounting skills with his improv performance skills. He realized his students not only learned more when they were entertained and engaged, and they retained that knowledge and could apply it in new situations. It was an epiphany.

"Applied improv is all about the ability to draw upon your experience, knowledge, and education to apply them in a way that meets the needs of the person you are talking to or working with – and it can be taught."

Peter decided to apply the lessons learned in his classrooms to help others in the accounting profession. Accountants face many inflexible situations filled with details, laws, rules, and deadlines. Improv is very fluid, a concept that can be difficult to grasp without guidance and support. Peter helps bring the principles of improv to accountants who want to become more effective communicators and leaders. Yes, and he makes them laugh, learn and grow.

Through his keynote presentations and customized workshops, Peter shows how the tools used in improv – like listening, flexibility and trust – can change how a team interacts with each other and their clients. Bottom line, Peter can help your team learn new methods to improve their communication and build stronger relationships with your clients, customers, stakeholders and associates.

Author

Peter is an author of two books, Improv Is No Joke: Using Improvisation to Create Positive Results in Leadership and Life and Taking the Numb Out of Numbers: Explaining and Presenting Financial Information with Confidence and Clarity. 

Experience and Education

With over 30 years in business, Peter has been in a variety of business positions: he has managed, recruited, developed, hired and even fired individuals. Through these experiences, he learned how to develop successful teams. His experience is applicable to a variety of industries because he has sold products ranging from bank loans to corporate incentive certificates. In addition, Peter has created compensation matrixes, analyzed financial statements, worked on corporate tax returns, designed and delivered accounting and professional skills courses.

As a speaker and trainer, Peter has delivered over 400 keynotes, seminars, conferences, and workshops. His clients have included Target, White Castle, Cardinal Health, Dollar Tree, and over 50 national and state associations.  

Peter has a BA from the University of Kentucky and a Master's in Accounting from Case Western Reserve University and a non-practicing CPA. He has worked for companies such as Price Waterhouse, Victoria's Secret Catalogue, Gap Inc. Direct, Barnett Bank, C & S National Bank, and Ohio Dominican University.