Brooklyn College students had the rare opportunity to hear firsthand from Paul Griggs, a senior leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), during an engaging Presidential Lecture Series event with President Michelle J. Anderson.
Held in partnership with the New York Jobs CEO Council and attended by more than 160 people, the student-focused talk kicked off with a dynamic introduction by the council’s executive director, Kiersten Barnet. Before the main discussion, faculty from Brooklyn College’s Koppelman School of Business hosted an insightful roundtable, where they exchanged ideas with Griggs, Barnet, and Anderson on key topics in accounting and business strategy. The event also included a workshop for students with New York Jobs CEO Council representatives that focused on jobs readiness.
Attended by more than 160 people, the Presidential Lecture Series event on October 23 with Paul Griggs centered on the critical skills that drive professional success and how leadership is evolving in today’s ever-changing workforce.
Griggs began the main lecture by introducing PwC—one of the largest professional services firms in the world, employing more than 370,000 people across 150 countries and territories. He explained the firm’s three major practice areas: assurance, tax, and consulting, each powered by professionals from diverse disciplines, including accounting, data science, and engineering.
Reflecting on his own journey, Griggs shared how he came to accounting “by accident.” Growing up in a small South Carolina town, he initially aspired to become a doctor, until a hospital visit made him reconsider. “I realized quickly I wasn’t cut out for medicine,” he joked. Instead, he turned to accounting—“the language of business”—because it offered stability and opportunity. That “accident,” he said, led to a 30-year career at PwC that opened doors he never imagined possible.
Throughout the conversation, Griggs emphasized that accounting provides a foundation for limitless career paths. “Once you understand the language of business, you can do anything,” he said, noting that many PwC alumni now lead in industries from banking to health care.
A major theme of the discussion was technology and artificial intelligence. Griggs urged students not to fear technological change but to “play, experiment, and explore.” He noted that PwC professionals already integrate large language models and AI tools into their daily work. “AI won’t replace your job,” he said. “But someone who knows AI might.”
President Anderson steered the conversation toward soft skills, asking what qualities matter most in the future of accounting.
Paul Griggs encouraged students in attendance to believe in themselves and take chances: “Say yes, even when you’re not sure you’re ready. You belong in every room you walk into.”
Griggs’s response was passionate and personal: “You already have what it takes—grit, attitude, curiosity, and the ability to connect with people.” He reminded students that success is built through hard work and persistence, quoting Kobe Bryant’s philosophy that “the journey itself is the dream.”
He also spoke candidly about failure and resilience, recounting career disappointments that ultimately led him to his current leadership role. “Sometimes you don’t get what you think you want,” he said. “But that’s often because something better is waiting.”
When asked about mentorship, Griggs credited both professional and personal mentors—from professors to parents—for shaping his journey. “You’re already a mentor and a mentee,” he told students. “People are watching you and learning from you every day.”
Griggs also fielded questions from students. Closing the event, he encouraged them to believe in themselves and take chances: “Say yes, even when you’re not sure you’re ready. You belong in every room you walk into.”
About the Presidential Lecture Series at Brooklyn College
The Presidential Lecture Series features Brooklyn College President Michelle J. Anderson in conversation with high-profile leaders, exposing students and the extended college community to inspiring ideas, courageous leadership, and models of civic engagement and civil discourse.