Manager Spotlight: Get to Know Kellen Riker

Kellen Riker was recently promoted to manager. Let’s learn about Kellen and his perspective on his career, working with clients, and what makes being an accountant fun.

What are your roles in the firm?

As a manager in the Assurance Service Line, I oversee assurance engagements, including communicating with the clients and training internal staff. I am a member of the Government Services Group and am involved in developing processes and ensuring our team is meeting compliance requirements. I am also the Yeo Young Professionals service chair for the Yeo & Yeo Foundation board, helping evaluate donation requests and coordinate the 2024 firm-wide service project.

Tell us about your career path.

I joined Yeo & Yeo in 2018 as a staff accountant in the Flint office. From there, I learned the ins and outs of the Assurance Service Line while obtaining my CPA license. Over the years, I have become more involved in the firm, joining the Foundation board, joining the Government Services Group, and serving as the Yeo Young Professionals president. Through these experiences and the mentorship of my managers, I’ve learned leadership skills that benefit both my clients and my colleagues.

What do you enjoy most about your career?

The thing I enjoy most about my career is the people I work with and the people I work for. I’ve developed great relationships with the clients I work with each year. I also collaborate with many people in different offices across the firm, which has helped me gain new perspectives. I truly feel that the people I work with are my friends and not just my coworkers.

What do you enjoy most about working with clients?

I enjoy getting to know each client on a personal level. As an auditor, we work with many of the same clients each year, which gives us the opportunity to really learn about who our clients are as individuals. I always look forward to catching up with clients, asking them how their families are or how their big vacations went. It’s very rewarding to know that I am delivering a great service and experience to each client and that I’m helping them achieve their goals.

What makes being an accountant fun? 

There is a lot more to auditing than just performing an audit. I really enjoy helping clients achieve their goals above and beyond simply delivering the completed audit. Our job as accountants is to help our clients succeed. Sometimes, that includes providing consulting services, implementing a new standard, or offering training. Helping clients develop their skills and improve their expertise is fun and rewarding.

What do you enjoy doing outside of the office?

Some of my biggest hobbies and interests are reading books, watching hockey, playing video games, and spending time with my family.

What are some of the things you do to continuously learn and grow?

My favorite way to learn and grow is to listen to others’ input on topics and processes. When I can gain an understanding of another person’s thought process, it broadens my perspectives and helps me come up with new ideas.