Ten years ago, Isaiah Massey (traditional MPA ’09) was named an Elijah Watt Sells Award winner. He started his professional career with Deloitte in Houston and now is the CFO of CAZ Investments. Read on to learn more about Isaiah and his journey from auditor to CFO.
WHAT’S YOUR STORY, ISAIAH?
My family continues to be the greatest success of my life. Professor Clement told me once that my spouse would be the greatest driver of my success, and he was correct. I have been married to my wife, Hope, for 13 years and we have two sons: Ridge, 6, and Kruz, 4. The time I spend with them gives me the strength of character it takes to be successful in my profession. At CAZ Investments, I have a team that I can trust and we support our team’s success both in the workplace and at home. My role here deals with all things legal, compliance, and accounting/reporting, but the team is what sets the experience apart.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO STUDY ACCOUNTING?
Originally, I went to Wichita State to become a math teacher since I excelled in math in high school and teachers were the only professionals I knew growing up in Dexter, Kansas (a town of about 100 people). While I have a high level of respect for teachers, I quickly grew bored with the content. An accounting professor challenged me to pivot; I read a few chapters of the textbook and immediately knew it was something I enjoyed and could be successful in.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO MOVE TO TEXAS TO EARN YOUR MPA?
I wanted to go to the best school possible, and UT Austin was at the top of the rankings. The program also helped to make it financially possible for me to attend, which I continue to appreciate. It was a school and region that I was generally familiar with from growing up in the Midwest, so that also put it above other great schools.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE CLASS WHILE AT TEXAS McCOMBS?
I took two classes from Professor Robert Prentice: a course in CPA ethics and a course in insider trading/applied finance law. He wrote his own textbooks, loved mornings like I did, and is one of the most genuine people that I have ever met. He cared about each student and how we were doing on a daily basis. Over the course of my tenure at Texas McCombs, I remember Professor Prentice, Professor Clement, and Professor Granof all offering me personal advice that went beyond the classroom and actually changed how I lived and what I valued. For them to care at that level was very special, and I continue to appreciate them and view them as great teachers and leaders who influenced me.
HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE A SELLS AWARD WINNER?
Someone from the AICPA called to tell me that I won the award. It was fairly late in the evening and I was still onsite at a Deloitte client, so the first person I told was my manager (a fellow UT grad, Asylbek Osmonov). I initially thought it was a practical joke of some sort because the call was outside of normal business hours and I never thought it was likely that I would win, but the caller knew so many details that by the time I hung up, I knew it was legitimate.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR CAREER PATH.
I was at Deloitte for a few years, then left to work in Austin at a company called Stratfor. I was lucky to have great leaders to learn from at both places. Shea Morenz, also a UT grad, was my CEO at Stratfor and I am not sure that I can ever repay the confidence and trust he placed in me as a young accountant, as he propelled me into a leadership role as Stratfor’s CFO. He gave me room to grow, forgave my arrogance and mistakes, and continues to be supportive of me today. Currently I am CFO at CAZ Investments in Houston.
WHAT IS CAZ INVESTMENTS?
CAZ Investments is an investment manager that provides access to investments that might otherwise be unavailable to our investors. We embody our leadership and our team in our culture, and we value each other more than we value ourselves. That spirit of selflessness in the team permeates to how we value and work with our investors, sponsors, and vendors. To me, that is what sets us apart.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?
A rural boy from Kansas who had never heard of accounting as a profession until he was 19 has wandered into being educated at the best schools and taught to lead by great men and women. I couldn’t predict the details, but if history tells me anything I will look up in five years and realize that I continue to be a very blessed individual.
