Accounting students concerned about future employment need to look no farther than to WKU accounting alumnus Chad Davis for assurance.

Davis’ company, Red Rock Business Advisors, based in Leesburg, Va., was recently named one of the region’s most successful mid-sized companies by SmartCEO’s 2014 Future 50 award program.

Red Rock Business Advisors, a provider of business consulting services to the federal market, was recognized for its high averages of revenue and employee growth.

According to Davis, much of this success is owed to his experience in the WKU accounting program.

“I have an accounting degree from WKU, but I think more than just accounting or numbers, the business school gave me the base and knowledge to effectively run the company, to understand the dynamics of running a business and leading it and growing it in the right direction,” Davis said.

Steve Wells, chair of accounting at WKU, said the program hopes for similar levels of success in all of its students.

“Our students do extremely well in finding employment,” Wells said. “But what makes them go further to higher levels of success? We want to make sure they have the skills for upward mobility.” 

Davis’ company helped to demonstrate what this upward mobility looks like in the real world, Wells said.

“I think it reflects back on the mission of our program: Number one is to make sure we give them a good academic background in accounting, and number two is we prepare them for success in their profession,” Wells said.

According to Davis, Red Rock Business Advisors has found other WKU accounting alumni to be especially well-equipped for the accounting job market.

“The students that I have gotten to know and the curriculum of the accounting department, and frankly, the entire business school, it creates a well-rounded business candidate for our company or any other company,” Davis said.