2018 40 Under 40: Gary Wood, 34

SBJ photo by Wes Hamilton

Gary Wood, a partner at Compere & Robinette CPAs PC, was once introduced to a business owner suspicious of his bookkeeper. He gave the owner a list of items to look for to keep his peace of mind.

Later, the owner found his bookkeeper had stolen more than $100,000 from his company over the course of a year.

That’s just one example of how Wood’s helped the people in his community.

Last year, he hosted a free seminar in order to educate local nonprofit organizations on accounting standards. He also helped raise thousands of dollars as president of the Ozark Rotary Club.

In his day-to-day work, his firm manages and balances more than 1,000 relationships with clients.

What is your theme song? “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan.

What are you doing to make the Ozarks better? Supporting entrepreneurs who take a leap of faith by giving them peace of mind in the unknowns of running their businesses.

What’s your most treasured possession? My souvenir golf ball collection of all the places I’ve traveled.

What about your job would shock clients? Accountants must be good with people not just numbers.

What is your best productivity hack? A Kanban system for any to-do list: “Eat an elephant one bite at a time.”