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How They Became the Andersen
Bunch
 Though
she doesn't have blonde pigtails, a lisp, or 1970s clothes,
Cindy Brighton Andersen's husband once confused her
with Cindy Brady.
Cindy and Jay Andersen both attended a recruiting luncheon
when they were accounting students—she was earning her BS
and he was earning his MAcc. Monte Swain, an associate
professor of management accounting, had arranged the event,
and a few days later Cindy stopped by his office to meet with
him about it. Swain wasn't in his office, but his research
assistant, Jay, was.
Jay asked for her name so he could leave a message. Although
she said "Cindy Brighton," Jay somehow heard "Cindy Brady."
Months later Jay called his brother, Jon Andersen,
also an accounting major, looking for Cindy Brady's phone
number. Jon responded, "There's no Cindy Brady, but there's
a Cindy Brighton. Do you want her number?"
Jay graduated in 1998, and Cindy graduated in 1999—a few years
later they got married. Cindy now works as an associate accountant
at KPMG, LLP, a public accounting firm. She previously worked
for Arthur Andersen. Jay is the owner of Valley Venture Properties,
a real estate development company. He previously worked for
Deloitte and Touche.
Their first son was born in February. Although he may have
accounting in his genes, Cindy says there will be no pressure
for their son to follow the same career path. They reside
in Mesa, Arizona.
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Brothers Team Up in Business
Left to right: Kevin and Scott Driggs. |
For the Driggs brothers running a business
with relatives is not only a family affair, it's something
in their blood.
In 2002, Scott and Kevin Driggs decided to start Driggs
Search International, a business that aids companies in attracting
top talent. In the 1920s, their grandfather started Western
Savings and Loan in Arizona with family members; in the 1970s
and 1980s it was the largest banking institution in the state.
People warned Scott and Kevin about the risks of going into
business with family members, but Kevin said he drew from
his grandfather's experiences at the Western Savings and Loan.
"I've researched how they worked together. I tried to understand
and learn from them," said Kevin, a BYU MAcc graduate. "They
were very open with one another—at times they would even offend
one another. We've tried to be open, but not offensive. We
don't want to harbor negative feelings for one another."
Scott, a BYU political science and Spanish graduate, believes
their family's closeness has helped their company get off
to a great start. "Being in business together is great—the
communication and trust is wonderful. Our ability to work
well together might come from growing up playing together,"
he says.
Kevin also credits his Marriott School education as beneficial
teamwork training. "While earning my degree I did a lot of
work with teams and learned how to be in a team environment.
That has probably been the biggest assistance in my career,"
he said.
Before starting Driggs Search International, Scott was a senior
account manager at an international search firm in Salt Lake
City. Kevin has worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Honeywell,
and Phelps Dodge. He has hired, trained, and mentored employees
throughout his career. Another brother, Ryan, went to Arizona
State University and works at Driggs Search International
as a vice president; he previously worked in sales and marketing
at IBM, Toshiba, and Compaq.
Despite their extensive professional experience, Kevin says
it was a little scary starting a new business. "Taking risks
is not typically part of accountants' nature, but this was
something I've wanted to do. The timing was right."
"I'm glad we took the steps to start this company as brothers;
I wouldn't want to do it any other way," Kevin says.
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Alumna Makes Her Way Down
South
 Alexis
H. Johansen would never have guessed that an internship
with a tractor company would lead her to a job more than two
thousand miles from her home in Cedar Hills, Utah.
Johansen said her internship was instrumental in directing
her career path. She interned as an accountant for Deere &
Company in Knoxville, Tennessee. Six days following graduation,
she moved to Augusta, Georgia, to begin her accounting career
for the John Deere Commercial Products Plant of Deere & Company.
"Pursuing an accounting career—let alone an accounting career
with a tractor company—was never my intention, but when you
let the Lord direct your life, extraordinary events transpire,"
Johansen says.
One of those unexpected events was meeting her husband, Paul,
at a regional activity when she first moved to the area. They
started dating a few months after their initial meeting and
got married last July.
Being in Georgia seems to have brought out the southerner
in Johansen. Not only has she acquired a taste for grits and
sweet potatoes, but a slight accent has also emerged. "My
husband grew up in the South and didn't really acquire an
accent. I, however, have acquired one after only two years,"
she admits.
Moving from the West to the South was like moving to a foreign
country, Johansen says. "The southern pace is about ten times
slower than the Utah pace, but I have come to appreciate southern
hospitality and warmth," she says.
Johansen has participated in many Church and community activities
while in Georgia including the American Cancer Society's Race
for the Cure. She earned her BS in accountancy in 2001. Johansen
and her husband reside in Augusta, Georgia.
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