Michigan Ross Accounting Alumni Honored for Significant Contributions to the Industry

Founded in 2016, the Honorary Paton Fellow Award recognizes individuals each year who have made significant contributions to the accounting industry. A track record of community or professional service and a positive impact on Michigan Ross accounting education is common among Paton Fellows.

Susan (Sue) B. Meyer – Lifetime Achievement

Meyer received her BBA and Master of Accounting degrees from Michigan Ross in 1989. After graduating, she had multiple leadership roles for the University of Michigan, including on the Bay Area Council, the Global Student Support Council for the Victors for Michigan Campaign, the Directors Acquisition Committee at the U-M Museum of Art, and the Ross School Advisory Board. She also volunteered as a guest speaker for accounting classes at the university.

After joining Ernst & Young as a staff accountant in 1989, Meyer was named a partner in EY’s transaction advisory services practice in 2000. Within EY, she was appointed to several leadership positions, including her most recent role as Americas deputy risk management leader, west region TAS quality leader, and west region transaction support leader. Additionally, Meyer led the TAS diversity and inclusion efforts in both the West region and the Americas, served on EY’s Americas inclusiveness advisory council, and was elected to EY’s Americas ethics oversight board. She also served as an EY global client service partner for several private equity firms and a TAS account leader for several corporate clients. She was a certified public accountant in Georgia and Illinois.

Meyer passed away on June 8, 2023. In her lifetime, she endowed four scholarships at the University of Michigan: the Susan B. Meyer MAcc Scholarship, the Susan B. Meyer MBA Scholarship, the Susan Meyer Marching Band Fund, and the Henry and Jewell Meyer Scholarship Fund (named for her parents). She also made a significant financial contribution to several initiatives across the university upon her death.

Jarrod Wood – Rising Star

Wood is a partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ international tax services and global structuring practices. He joined PwC in 2006 in Detroit and has since spent two years as a director in PwC’s Washington national tax practice focused on international tax and cross-border mergers and acquisitions. His experience includes inbound and outbound tax planning, cross-border mergers and acquisitions and restructuring, cross-border capital structure planning and treasury management, value chain transformation and operating model strategy, foreign income tax reporting for U.S. multinationals, and quantitative modeling focused on effective tax rate and cash tax management.

Wood has significant experience working on ASC 740-related projects (accounting for income taxes) in audit support and consulting roles, as well as federal tax compliance. He serves clients across several industries, including pharma and life sciences, automotive, industrial products, retail, consumer goods, software, e-commerce, banking, and capital markets.

Wood holds a BBA in accounting and finance and a Master of Accounting degree from Ross. He is a certified public accountant, licensed in Michigan and the District of Columbia.

Wood has given generously of his time to Ross by participating in the MAcc orientation panel, presenting in accounting classes, serving as an alumni ambassador, assisting with recruiting efforts, and, most recently, becoming the PwC firmwide relationship partner.