For most company executives, meeting with the head of a traditional Big Five accounting firm is like arranging an audience with the Pope, replete with last-minute cancellations, scheduling conflicts and other logistical nightmares.
But when Orange County entrepreneur Scott Blum wanted to deal with the heads of Arthur Andersen a few weeks ago, partners with the firm made sure the rendezvous took place within days. They flew to Denver to meet Blum, who was at a business meeting, and from there hitched a ride on his private jet to Florida. There the group picked up Steve Samek, the firm’s area managing partner for the United States, and Paul Keglevic who heads the Pacific region. And while en route to Chicago to rush Samek to the firm’s headquarters, the group conducted business 40,000 feet above sea level.
“I’m a coach flier usually,” says Greg Goodman, an Orange County-based partner who arranged the meeting. “We just thought it was very important that Scott get the proper visibility in our organization. That’s the type of thing we have to do to keep pace in this environment.”
And that sort of zeal is exactly what Andersen hopes will set it apart in a sea of consulting and outsourcing services hoping to ingratiate themselves to the high-risk, lightening-fast,and in some cases, wildly lucrative,Internet segment.
