At UCR, Kane Polakoff ’96 majored in business and minored in Spanish. He played club soccer, was president of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, and worked at Disneyland as an outdoor vendor. “I did a lot of things, and I had a good work/life balance,” he says.
He also knew exactly what he wanted to do at the start of his career, but he had to find the right opportunity.
“I wanted to work for a consulting firm. At that time, there were many management consulting firms; however, none were visiting our campus,” says Polakoff, who grew up in Villa Park, California. “So, I used the University of California network of campuses—UCLA and UC San Diego—and looked at which consulting firms were going to be at those other campuses at career fairs or otherwise on-site. I traveled to the events for about six months to finally land a job in consulting.”
Building a Consulting Career
That first job was at Accenture, which is one of the top consulting firms in the world. “I focused on Fortune 100 companies at Accenture, working with big chains, large banks, and insurance companies. As a consultant, they throw you into things, and you have to figure it out and learn quickly,” Polakoff says. “I was a 22-year-old kid working with clients in their 30s and 40s, who had done their jobs for a long time. They hired me because, as a young hard-working staff member, I was supposed to be faster and quicker, and the expectation was for me to do the work of five to seven people. My focus was enhancing domestic and offshore client operations by leveraging technology and automation, so our clients could operate more efficiently and cost effectively. In my role, I traveled to different parts of the world such as India, China, the Philippines, and Europe. The work ethic was ingrained right away.”
Polakoff loved that job and rose to senior consultant: “Consulting firms help train and prepare you early on to recognize business challenges and how to solve them,” he says. “I also had the opportunity to run sales, solution development, and global operations, and I worked in several industries including hospitality, real estate, banking, automotive, insurance, and health care.”
Today, at the height of his career and based in Detroit, Michigan, Polakoff is a principal at CohnReznick—one of the top advisory, assurance, and tax firms in the U.S. As leader of the Client Advisory Services practice, he and his team help businesses streamline operations,
leverage digital technologies, and use outsourced resources to improve their financial and back- office functions.
Polakoff’s own journey boasts the bona fides to share considerable knowledge about building a successful international career. When he left Accenture in 2003, he served as vice president of Exela Technologies Inc., where he reinvented the organization from a discrete service provider to an integrated business process outsourcing provider. Then, at Aegis, he was vice president/global business process solutions leader and led a global solutions and transition team.
By 2013, he was executive vice president and chief operating officer at Quatrro business support services, where he collaborated with leaders to enhance all operations, revenue, customer service, production levels, compliance, contracts, and staff. Polakoff then served as president of Falcon Holdings Management, which provided expert operational and back-office services to many top companies. He subsequently went to one of the largest professional services firms, UHY LLP, as a national practice leader and launched the company’s Client Accounting Advisory Services practice. He joined CohnReznick in 2023 and is building the firm’s Client Advisory Services team and service offerings to support companies in a wide range of industries.
Setting the Path for Others
“One of my goals is to help others by sharing some of the things that I’ve done in my career,” says Polakoff. “It wasn’t easy for me to find that first job, but right now there is intense demand among accounting firms for professionals with accounting and/or business degrees. There are not enough new college graduates to support this demand.”
“I do a lot of mentoring and help professionals find jobs. It’s rewarding to meet folks, especially those who are ambitious.” This guidance, he says, includes helping colleagues think about whether it is the right time to look for a new opportunity and for them to ask themselves if they are currently getting the right challenges. Do they feel taken care of? Is a new organization or department the right place for them?
“I’ve learned that having a mentor to guide you can really help chart a career that you love,” he says.
Questions Answered
We asked Polakoff for instructional insight into the development of his career, his leadership philosophy and practice, and his advice for others to build a solid career in accounting and consultation:
Within your career, what has been the driving force for you—what were your goals personally, and what did you do to achieve them?
I want to be continually challenged with the opportunity to gain experience within my roles. My personal goals include:
- To lead a business and be responsible for its execution and profitability
- Achieve a great work/life balance
- Establish a network of fellow professionals I can collaborate with
- Develop a culture for my organization where my team can grow and prosper
- Become a great communicator and public speaker
Being a part of organizations that have allowed me to lead and control my destiny has been key to achieving these goals.
As principal and Client Advisory Services practice leader at CohnReznick, what are the leadership tenets you have subscribed to, and what does it mean to be a good leader at your level?
My role leading the Client Advisory Service practice for the firm entails:
- Hiring and developing U.S. and offshore staff
- Leading and mentoring staff
- Establishing training programs
- Defining and delivering the services to our clients
- Selling services to the industry
- Implementing technology stack to deliver accounting services to our clients
- Responsibility for the delivery and profitability of the business
My leadership style is to give my staff the support and tools necessary to be successful. I want my staff to have a clear career path. I also believe a good leader at my level is someone who:
- Is a great listener
- Finds solutions and solves problems for staff and clients
- Empowers and motivates the team to do their best
- Has great character and integrity
- Is not afraid to fail
You say you are an “interpreneur.” What does that mean and what does that entail?
An interpreneur is different than an entrepreneur in that you are building a business from scratch from within an existing organization. I did that at UHY—I came in and developed and built a market strategy and put everything together, such as identifying the types of technology used, hiring people, pricing and how we were going to sell, and getting contracts. I built that business, and that’s what I’m doing now with CohnReznick. I currently have more than 100 people working with me to support our Client Advisory Services practice and we expect to grow exponentially.
What has been most satisfying about your career? What has been the most challenging?
Building new lines of business from scratch for a mature organization is very satisfying. I love putting all the key ingredients of a new business together, including developing the business strategy; building the organization structure and people management, like hiring, training, and career growth; defining and implementing the service offering; implementing the sales and marketing strategy; optimizing the operations; and running a profitable and scalable business.
I also love seeing the fruits of everyone’s hard work building a culture of teamwork. Helping people find their passions and grow in their careers helps me be a better leader. It is rewarding to watch an idea become a mature practice, and I’m proud to see all the amazing people who collaborated with me become successful.
Leading a large organization delivering services to hundreds of clients is both challenging and rewarding. Across the years, I have had staff located in many countries—the U.S., India, the Philippines, Israel, China, Mexico, Canada, and across Europe—and I’ve learned that to help make everyone successful, I must establish well-defined governance and operational structures that can help ensure that teams are communicating and executing effectively. Of course, there are specific challenges in making sure we always have the right people with the right skillsets and mindset for the work we need to deliver, as well as balancing and empowering staff with accountability.
You have traveled extensively across the U.S. and internationally during your career. What are the pros and cons of that opportunity?
Yes, I’ve been to India 32 times! The tough part is just flying there; by the time you arrive, it’s been 24 hours in the air or waiting.
I was on the road during a good portion of my career, and that’s not easy when you have an amazing wife, two girls, and dogs. When you are in India for four or five weeks at a time, that’s a long time to be away. Plus, you have time zones, and if you’re in India or China, you are doing the day shift in those locations, and you still must work U.S. hours too. There are a lot of long days. Earlier in my career, I didn’t have as many family commitments. Now, I’m trying to balance it more.
The other side, the fun part, is being in the culture: going to people’s homes for dinner, learning about them, and all the great things that come with that. Obviously, it’s important to understand distinct cultures and work styles. Over my career, I’ve learned to take the time to see the region and become part of that culture as much as I can for a short time to make it more rewarding.
Even when I travel in the U.S., I try to go to baseball games and enjoy what each area has to offer. I’ve worked in offices, worked hybrid, worked at home, and worked at a table at a cafeteria. Right now, I’m sitting next to my dogs, but next week I may be in NYC wearing a suit. I can honestly say that I love what I do. I learn a lot. The days go fast, and I never look at the clock.
What would you suggest for current students while studying, for recent alumni wanting to expand their careers, and for mid-career alumni looking for the next step up?
Students should continuously network to learn what opportunities are out there. Leverage all the tools and support UCR brings—like the career center—for guidance so that you find the right path for you. For recent alumni: Do not be afraid to reach out for help and advice. People do want to help. For mid-career alumni: Reach out to career coaches and other professionals and network with fellow alumni.