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UHY GLOBAL AUGUST 2020 PERSONAL PROFILE POWERING AHEAD


When Dennis Petri became chairman of UHY at the end of last year the world was blissfully unaware of the fear, personal losses and economic impact that Covid-19 would bring in 2020. The challenges at work and at home continue, but Dennis is certain that UHY as a business is on course to be stronger than ever. “I have been thrilled by the overwhelming support and resilience of our member firms across the world right from the start of this pandemic,” says Dennis. “At every level of our network, new leaders have emerged and established ones are still proving their weight in gold. This is the value of UHY’s global team and I am so proud to be part of it. For us it is business as usual and we will continue to manage the situation until things finally settle back into a new normal.” CREATING OPPORTUNITIES Describing himself as a ‘natural optimist’, Dennis is used to turning disappointments into victories. Having originally wanted to study medicine he diverted to accountancy when his excellent grades were not quite good enough for medical school. “I just missed out on the necessary straight A’s across all the sciences,” says Dennis, “but both my father and grandfather had been accountants so it was an obvious decision for me to follow in their footsteps. I have never looked back. It is a wonderful profession to be involved in.” Dennis quickly established himself as an ambitious new employee at Follmer Rudzewicz & Co. who he joined straight after graduating in 1983. He was there when they merged with five similar sized CPA firms in the United States. One of the firms was the New York firm Urbach Kahn & Werlin. When Urbach and Hacker Young in London, UK, decided to work together and establish an international network, UHY International was launched and Dennis has stayed at the firm since its conception, 34 years ago. “Loyalty and enterprise have always been important to me. I was looking for opportunities to grow professionally and bring something valuable to the firm. I became interested in the international aspects of business so when the US was looking for partners to participate in UHY International, I jumped at the chance and have been involved ever since,” says Dennis. “At my first UHY International meeting, over 15 years ago, I was introduced to Steve Fisher, one of our now-retired chairmen. He saw something in me, became an informal mentor and has been instrumental in my lifelong belief that taking an international view and striving for a global reach is imperative in our profession.” "Thanks to Steve I understood that there was room for me to help the network build a world-class reputation. Four years ago I was appointed by the US firm to serve on the Board and that was a wonderful milestone," says Dennis. "I have always kept up with the 'day job' supporting my clients and particularly since my appointment as chairman I have many new commitments, but I relish them all and am privileged to be in the position I am within this network.“LOOKING FORWARD A big priority for Dennis is to produce a new five-year strategy – “the strategy will be built from, among other things, a cross-network survey to review member firms’ satisfaction levels, together with Board input. We are planning a robust new strategy that takes everyone’s opinions into consideration and will form strong foundations for our network to thrive and develop for generations. “Some of our top priorities are that we will continue to encourage cross border referrals so we can offer our clients the widest choice about which countries they can operate in with the guarantee of a seamless, quality UHY service. We will also be reviewing when and how we introduce more use of artificial intelligence (AI) which is nascent in our industry, particularly in the compliance area, but we are constantly looking about how best it will work to enhance our client offer,” says Dennis. “We are always seeking creative ways to build our network and Board members have been tasked with coming forward with ideas. I am a great believer in working to stay ahead of the game and to be innovative, responsive and dynamic.” AT HOME Outside work Dennis is an avid reader, a keep-fit fan, a keen collector of watches and passionate about playing golf. In lockdown he treated himself to a driving range net which he set up in his garage – “I have great fun with it and it will go on giving me pleasure long after all the impact of Covid-19 is over,” he says. Dennis and his wife Chris have six children between them. All adults now, they are spread across the US. “We have two of our children and two grandchildren living locally and we absolutely love seeing them. We are also fortunate to be a very close-knit family and even through lockdown we all stayed in touch virtually. It was a challenging time for families everywhere but it was a necessary measure. I hope it has made us all think differently about the importance of family, as well as our regional and global communities.” “At UHY we continued to ‘meet’ virtually regularly and we even organised happy-hours online, but nothing can equal the value of talking face to face and reinforcing relationships that way,” says Dennis. Despite, or perhaps because of, the recent confines of Covid-19 and its repercussions, Dennis is more determined than ever to concentrate on the things that are most important to him – “building the strongest UHY network and celebrating the wonders of friends and family. My wife Chris is my rock and my sounding-board and our children and grandchildren are a constant joy. We are very lucky.” GOLF HAPPY Dennis’s favourite sport originated in St Andrews, Scotland in 1552 and 468 years later it remains one of the world’s most popular games – in its earliest days fans claimed that playing once a week could extend your life by ten to 15 years. As a golfer Dennis returned to the roots of the sport at St Andrews and has also played at Turnberry, Carnoustie and Troon in Scotland. During his Irish travels he has visited many of the most famous clubs and at home, he is a member of the prestigious Oakland Hills Country Club in Michigan, one of the top 100 golf courses in the world. “My big ambition is to play at Augusta in Georgia, US – the home of the Masters,” says Dennis. “Nothing relaxes and helps me to switch off like golf does and I will take any opportunity to enjoy the game, wherever I am in the world.” SPECIAL DETROIT “I love Detroit and know every corner of it – if you asked me for advice about where to visit when you come here, these would be some of my top suggestions,” says Dennis. Stony Creek Metropark The breathtaking Stony Creek Metropark offers miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and lakeside beaches. Deer, wild turkeys, bald eagles and ospreys roam. In the winter, popular activities include cross-country skiing, snowboarding and ice skating. Detroit Institute of Arts Hard to imagine that this museum almost sold off its collection in 2013 to pay off the city’s debts. Donors saved the day and the DIA’s centrepiece is Diego Rivera's mural Detroit Industry. Beyond it are Picassos and Caravaggios spread through 100-plus galleries. Motown Museum The world-famous Motown Museum commemorates the legendary record label that launched Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, the Jackson 5, the Supremes, and Gladys Knight and the Pips. Edsel and Eleanor Ford House The Edsel and Eleanor Ford House on Lake St Clair is a magnificent mansion with stunning lakeside grounds. Inside the house are stained glass windows, sterling silver kitchen counters and intriguing secret rooms. On the walls are original masterpieces by Vincent Van Gogh, Diego Rivera, Renoir and Cezanne. Ford Piquette Avenue Plant A museum within the factory that produced the first of the iconic Ford Model T cars. Alongside replicas of Henry Ford’s office and the Model T designing room, the museum features over 40 vintage cars from the Ford Motor Company and other auto manufacturers from the Detroit area.


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