College of Business: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Stephen Dill
Tax Consultant and former Vice President, Taxes
USF Corporation
(30+ years of tax experience)

Advanced tax education is a prerequisite to success in today's demanding business environment. Broad based knowledge and skills are the keys to coping with the many challenges tax executives now face. The ILLINOIS MS Tax Program's holistic approach provided a focused, fast-paced learning environment where I could quickly enhance my technical skills in a one year, executive style program. This program made me better equipped to deliver value to my clients today and in the future.

Jamie McKenzie
Senior International Tax Analyst
Abbott Laboratories
(4 years of tax experience)

The MS Tax Program at the University of Illinois has been quite the journey. Not only have I become a better tax professional, but I have also learned some softer skills that are greatly needed in today's business environment. Going to work full-time, attending U of I's one-year program, and raising my family were all very important aspects of my life that I had to learn to manage. With only three years of tax experience, I was able to work hard and meet my educational goals. The one-year program offered an end in sight that kept me going. In addition to the technical knowledge I have gained, I was also able to build a strong network of individuals within the tax profession. Since the completion of the program, my career has significantly progressed and I am now able to give back to my family.

Venta Norvilas
Senior Manager
Aon Corporation
Class of 2007
(9 years of tax experience)

One of the great assets of the program is the small class size and group organization providing an interactive nature for the course work. The diversity of the participants' abilities and experiences enhanced the learning environment and made quality networking opportunities abundant. I leave the Program not only with new technical knowledge but also valuable relationships with other tax professionals.

Gary Rademaker II
Tax Manager
KPMG LLP
(8 years of tax experience)

Based upon my experience over the past year, the courses offered in the MS Tax Program really demonstrate that ILLINOIS has identified the areas and issues that my clients deal with on a daily basis. The courses address the specific areas where the most significant benefits can be gained through a broad theoretical and practical analysis. The value of the opportunity to meet, learn and interact with, the exceptionally talented and diverse professionals who participate in the Program really cannot be overstated. I've been consistently impressed by the caliber of my classmates and am honored to have been among the class of 2007.

Ed Sutton
Tax Consultant
Deloitte Tax LLP
(5 years of tax experience)

The ILLINOIS MS Tax Program has given me the tools I need to further my career with Deloitte. I work on numerous tax-related projects for clients operating in various industries. The Program provided me with a more detailed technical background to take my tax skills to the next level and expand my awareness of tax issues. The classroom team environment gave me the opportunity to interact with a broad cross-section of top tax specialists within the Chicagoland area. I know that I am a better tax professional because of this program.

Tetsuya Yamagishi
Manager
PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP
Class 2007
(7 years of tax experience)

The MS Tax Program provided a very exciting learning experience for me. It gave me an opportunity to learn a broad range of US tax laws, and the accounting and macro-economics associated with tax. It was very interesting to share and listen to my instructors' and classmates' real life experiences and views on specific tax and business matters. The best part of the ILLINOIS MS Tax Program was the opportunity to apply what I learned each week to my daily work. The MS Tax Program helped me to become a more trusted and confident tax advisor.