David Greenberg (’13)

I led the federal and international tax components of The Home Depot’s largest integration, which followed the company’s acquisition of HD Supply. In this role, I managed our outside advisors, our internal implementation teams and ensured the project met our internal deadlines. I also participated in the risk management and planning aspects of the project with our internal and external subject matter experts. The IRS reviewed both this planning and the implementation and determined we did everything in a way that ensured the transaction was tax-free. For this work, I and the rest of the team were honored by our CFO.

Five years ago, I volunteered to help establish the Finance Early Career Committee (FECC) that sought to improve our intern recruitment, internship program and our onboarding and support of newly hired associates. I was made responsible for the newly hired finance associates. When we established the committee, less than 40% of recent graduates hired into the Finance organization were still at the company after two years. Our team developed and implemented mentorship, training and networking opportunities to ensure every new associate (regardless of their background) thrived during those first years. Today, nearly 70% of recent college graduates hired to the THD Finance organization are still at THD. Of that first class five years ago, nearly all are now in leadership or management roles at THD or another organization. Those who left, left because they had opportunities too good to refuse instead of for failure to do their work. The CFO gave our committee a special DEI award for this radical transformation (particularly for students from HBCUs, former Pell Grant recipients and THD’s “Field to SSC” program).

In my 11 years of practice, I represented hundreds of businesses and individuals of all sizes (including THD) before the IRS and in U.S. Tax Court. In the audit and litigation space, I have always met my client’s expectations. It is a major accomplishment for two reasons. First, it is evidence that I was honest and forthright with my client’s expectations about their case. I didn’t hide the ball or let them think things would go better than they would. The second is that my relationship with the IRS and its agents is built on mutual trust and mutual respect. We seek to be professional people, respect the viewpoints of the other side and find solutions that my client can accept and that are sufficient for the U.S. Treasury.