MAC Alumnus ’09 Making Waves in Bermuda

By Eliana Chow

Six hundred miles east of the North Carolina coast, Andy DeGregorio, MAC ’09, serves as a director of U.S. tax in Deloitte’s Bermuda office. Between riding his scooter to work every day and sporting iconic Bermuda shorts and socks, he’s living out a personal dream. “The lifestyle here consistently balances hard work and real rest, which was a huge draw for me when I first made the transition,” he says.

Yet DeGregorio’s journey to the 21-square-mile island in the middle of the Atlantic wasn’t just inspired by a love of coastal living and balmy weather that rarely dips below 50 degrees. From a young age, he was fascinated by how diverse groups of people combine their skills to help a large business thrive. “I remember my dad taking me to his office and introducing me to his colleagues, many of whom worked in completely different professions,” he shares. “As they explained their roles to me, I learned early on that accounting played a key part in a company’s financial success. Given my affinity for numbers, it seemed like a natural fit as I headed into higher education.”

Building Up to Bermuda

DeGregorio attributes much of his early professional growth to the time he spent studying at NC State’s Poole College of Management. He entered the MAC program immediately after completing an undergraduate degree in accounting, seeking a more technical education that would prepare him for the tax world. By the time he entered the workforce, he was more than equipped with the tools he needed to help organizations forge paths to success. “Poole professors put accounting theories into practice,” he says. “They adopt a hands-on learning approach to help us navigate the finer details of a company’s annual cycles, from income statements and balance sheets to 10-K filings.”

After graduating from Poole, DeGregorio spent a few years working at firms in Washington D.C. and North Carolina. Thanks to the networking skills he cultivated at Poole, his work attracted the attention of a Deloitte recruiter from the Bermuda firm. DeGregorio initially turned down an offer to accept a job in Bermuda, unsure he was willing to take such a major leap. “I wanted to be absolutely positive I was moving to grow my career and not merely for the island charm,” he explains.

He spent the next few months taking a deep dive into the client base and central role of Deloitte’s Bermuda firm in the international tax industry. Contrary to popular belief that it’s just a tourist destination, Bermuda is home to a burgeoning business community, including many big-name, publicly traded insurance companies. “Bermuda offers the best of both international corporate culture and small-town island living,” DeGregorio reflects. “I have the privilege of working with multinational firms while being able to walk down the street and see a familiar face from around the island.”

A Team Effort

In his current director role, DeGregorio leads strategic engagements to help clients meet their financial goals and manage their tax policies and obligations. Reflecting on how quickly he climbed the corporate ladder to leadership at Deloitte, DeGregorio points to the value of Poole’s highly collaborative community in shaping his commitment to fostering collective growth. “Group projects are all about taking responsibility for your individual impact on the group’s outcome,” he says. “That can be frustrating for students whose personal GPA is at stake. But in the workplace, your efforts can be the difference between the success or failure of your team’s objectives and, ultimately, the future of the company.”

When DeGregorio first joined Deloitte back in 2012, the Bermuda office employed close to 150 people representing 35 different nationalities. The firm has only grown since then, he says, affording him ample opportunities to travel and interact with diverse teams. “A team is only as strong as its members,” he concludes. “I am constantly inspired by how our tiny island is a glimpse into what is possible for a united world.”

This post was originally published in MAC Program.