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I’m the CEO & Managing Director of Bright Balance, a fractional accounting and finance…
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Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA shared thisHey all! Still looking for a financial analyst (US/Dallas) to join our growing team! Let us know if you know of anyone we should talk with!
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Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA reposted thisPatrick Tam, CMA, CPA reposted thisWe were all smiles yesterday for our first Bright Balance Media Day. It was a great day to connect with our team and celebrate all that Bright Balance has accomplished in the last 5 years. We’re excited for what’s ahead and grateful to keep building something special together. Shout out to 101Media and a special thanks to Natalie Draeger, Mitali Ghuge, Jasmine Collazo helping our vision come to life!
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Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA shared thisTook a much-needed pause this week for Spring Break! For those of you who emailed me and got my out of office reply - it’s the first time I’ve turned that on in 5 years! Some time with family, a little perspective, and a few great views 🌊🏝️ Grateful for the chance to step away and recharge; but also reminded how much I enjoy getting back to it. Ready to reconnect with our clients and the Bright Balance team next week and keep building. Hope everyone else found a little time to reset as well.
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Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA reposted thisPatrick Tam, CMA, CPA reposted thisAccountant salaries are going up. And it's not because of AI. In a world of AI apocalypse headlines... this is just good news. Starting salaries for tax, audit, and assurance roles are rising 3.7% for 2026. Nearly double the average across all accounting roles. EY announced a 10%+ salary hike as part of a billion-dollar talent investment. Why now? Because supply and demand always win. The profession spent decades making it harder to become an accountant. 6 years of education to get a CPA. Declining pay relative to finance, tech, and consulting. And then they put you in a windowless room on the worst floor of the building and called it "audit." The number one reason accountants cited for choosing the profession in our research? Job security. Not passion, impact or money. Job security. What a painful reason to dedicate 6 years of your life to something. So what happened? People stopped choosing it. CPA exam candidates dropped 27% in a decade. Only 1.4% of college students picked accounting as a major last year. 300,000 accountants left the profession since 2020. Supply went down. Demand stayed the same. And basic economics did what basic economics always does. Prices went up. But here's what makes me optimistic. Accountants aren't just getting paid more. Because the industry is finally recognizing what accountants actually are. They're the doctors of business. They see the patterns before the patterns become problems. That work has always been important. But the software never enabled it. Accountants got buried in data entry and month-end close because the tools kept them there. Not because the work wasn't strategic. Because the software wasn't. That's changing now. AI is handling the routine work. And for the first time, accountants have the time and the tools to do the work they were trained for. - Higher pay. - Better tools. - More strategic work. A profession that's finally being valued for what it actually contributes. In a sea of bad news about AI and jobs... this is a story about a profession getting stronger, not weaker. And I think that's worth celebrating. 🥳
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Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA posted thisFor those of you considering an exit for your business, I want you to remember a few things… Valuation is correlated to your preparation and organization leading up the the sale. The more interest you have from others the more leverage you have and therefore better outcome potential. So run a process don’t just respond to those who seek you out. Work with professionals, they generate value. Who you sell to is as important to what deal structure you have. Not all buyers are equal in the way they operate, handle disappointments, their values and philosophy and culture they shape in the company that you worked hard to build. Remember you will likely be tied to all of that for a few years to come and there will be gray areas you need partnerships on to avoid tension and unecessary pain in your (and your team’s) life post-transaction. Business owners are sought after because buyers are always searching for more deals, so take your time and try and stay grounded.
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Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA shared thisI'm proud to say that Bright Balance was fortunate enough to find Basis early and join some of the early clients - the team is amazing and they are doing great things in our industry. And now they raised at >$1B. Truly awesome job Basis. can't wait to see where the story goes from here!Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA shared thisWe've raised $100m at a $1.15b valuation from Accel, GV (Google Ventures), and existing investors to accelerate deployment of the most capable and accurate accounting agents across CAS, tax, audit, and advisory. Basis is used by 30% of the Top 25 accounting firms and dozens more across the Top 150. Today we're announcing the first accounting agent to complete a business tax workbook end-to-end. Our focus on production-grade, long-horizon agents means that 12 months from now, the work Basis handles will make even this look routine. We're looking for a few very intense people who want to build at the frontier.
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Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA reposted thisPatrick Tam, CMA, CPA reposted thisHappy President’s Day from your friends at BILT! 🇺🇸🔥 Today we celebrate leadership, legacy… and the fact that it’s beginning to look a lot like grilling season. Whether you’re channeling your inner Washington, Lincoln, or just stepping up as Commander-in-Chief of the grill, BILT makes assembly fast, easy, and frustration-free. From first bolt to first burger, we’ve got you covered with interactive guidance right on your phone. This President’s Day, declare independence from paper manuals and get ready to fire things up. 👉 Download BILT to get started. #app #instructions #3D
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Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA shared thisProud to share that Bright Balance has expanded the team to Colombia 🇨🇴 We’re investing in exceptional talent to support clients with faster turnaround, extended coverage, and even stronger execution. Colombia is full of outstanding finance and accounting professionals; and we’re excited to build for the long term. Beyond cost efficiency, we’re especially excited about: - Native Spanish to support for cross-border teams - 100% US time zone overlap for natural synchronous work - Deep experience supporting U.S. companies and a strong work ethic We’re building a truly global firm; with strong U.S. client-facing leadership supported by the best global talent, designed for low friction and high output.
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Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA posted thisHey everyone!! Looking for any introductions you can give to high quality, good character US Sr Accountants, Financial Analysts, Controllers, and the like. As we start 2026, Bright Balance continues to grow and we're looking at expand our non-CFO US team where the right candidates present themselves. Let me know if you know someone in your network who wants growth in their experience, career, and the independence that comes from being a part of a fractional firm, not tied to a single company, management team, or industry but instead a portfolio of clients! If we hire the person, who knows maybe I'll buy you a $700 Breville espresso maker for your trouble!
Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA commented on a post
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As Accountants we need to stop equating the human effort to produce work product with our value. Production is going to drop but that doesn’t mean the attention to relationships and the intellectual engagement with our clients businesses has to shrink, it just has to change. Value is actual value now.
Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA commented on a post
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Love seeing the things you guys do to live differently than so many PE firms!
Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA commented on a post
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You meet some good sales people, then there is Neil who not only is exceptional, but even better has an exceptional ability to self examine, analyze and understand what he’s actually doing to be exceptional and apply that diagnostic and those approaches to others! It’s incredible.
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Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA liked thisPatrick Tam, CMA, CPA liked thisGetting uncomfortable just generating conversations. That's the hard part when you are getting started in BD. Here's a clip from I Hope This Email Finds You Well during the interview with Kelly Krone and Mali Krone where I discuss the uncomfortable start my managers tasked me with in my first role. We have to get over our fear of not knowing, rejection, and headtrash to get started generating conversations that matter!
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Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA liked thisPatrick Tam, CMA, CPA liked thisJoin us in celebrating Shane's incredible achievement—earning his Expert designation status! 🎉 Shane's passion and dedication have made a profound impact, empowering entrepreneurs worldwide to achieve their dreams. We are so grateful to have him as a member of our community! 🧡
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Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA liked thisPatrick Tam, CMA, CPA liked this🚨 Your Banker Shouldn’t Feel Like Customer Support If they don’t return calls… that’s a problem. Most banking today feels transactional. But the right banker? They’re proactive. I recently connected with Christina Bartlett, who shared how she helped a client save $1,000/month in fees—simply by paying attention and offering the right solution. ✔️ Calls returned ✔️ Personalized service ✔️ Real results If you want a banker who actually shows up—Christina is one to know. “The right banker doesn’t just manage money—they help you keep more of it.”
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Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA liked thisThis week, I want to highlight a common observation in growing companies: strong systems are in place, yet cash flow often does not align with leadership's expectations. On paper, everything appears to be in order: - An ERP system is implemented. - Billing tools are operational. - Dashboards provide insights. However, revenue does not consistently convert into cash. The instinct is often to examine the tools, leading to upgrades or additional automation. Yet, in many cases, the issue lies elsewhere. The real challenge is understanding how revenue flows through the business. It spans sales, operations, and finance, but is rarely managed as a cohesive process. Each team fulfills its responsibilities, but ownership of the overall flow can become unclear. Hand-offs rely on individuals rather than established processes, and while teams may act in their best interests, they do not always consider the broader outcome. Individually, these factors may not seem significant, but cumulatively, they create friction in the conversion of revenue to cash. As a result, even with robust systems, outcomes can feel inconsistent. From my experience, companies that excel in this area prioritize three key elements, in this order: 1. Process - clearly defined and consistent. 2. People - aligned, accountable, and collaborating across functions. 3. Tools - to support and scale effective practices. When this foundation is established, systems can function as intended. Without it, even the most advanced platforms may struggle to meet leadership's expectations. #RevenueOperations #FinanceLeadership #CashFlow #OperationalExcellence #CFO
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Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA liked thisPatrick Tam, CMA, CPA liked this1 month ago, I flew my team to Cancun! 🌴 We're scattered across the country. Different cities, different time zones. Our paths all crossed at different points, but we'd never been in the same place together. I wanted this trip to be special. Somewhere people would actually enjoy. Somewhere they could bring the people they love. So we did exactly that. Families came. Real conversations happened. We learned more about each other in a few days than we had in years of Zoom calls. Grateful for this crew and already looking forward to the next one. If you're thinking about doing a team trip, it's worth it.
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Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA liked thisVista Bank is winning the great Texas banking talent migration!Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA liked thisPlease join us in welcoming Michael P. Grace, MBA to Team Vista! Michael joins as Senior Vice President, Middle Market Banking Manager in Fort Worth, bringing a dynamic background across banking, private equity, and executive leadership. From leading investment platforms and delivering strong returns for investors to serving as CEO of a major nonprofit and building companies from the ground up, Michael brings a unique, well-rounded perspective to serving our clients. His experience, leadership, and entrepreneurial mindset make him a valuable addition as we continue to grow our middle market presence in Texas. #EntrepreneursBankingEntrepreneurs #TeamVista #PeopleFirst #TexasBusiness
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Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA liked thisPatrick Tam, CMA, CPA liked thisWe are looking for Enterprise Architects who can build at scale and think beyond the obvious. Coimbatore | Chennai If you have the drive, the hunger to succeed, and ready to step up, I like to connect with you. Let’s talk. #Hiring #EnterpriseArchitect #AI #Healthcare #ChennaiJobs #CoimbatoreJobs #TechCareers #Droidal #NowHiring #CloudArchitecture #DigitalTransformation VINITHRA L Devarajan Ganesan Droidal
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Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA liked thisElevating Pollen Sense Inc through the #Utah venture ecosystem is an incredibly inspiring adventure, I’m here for it all, and grateful for those taking notice and lifting us through connections and mentoring moments.Patrick Tam, CMA, CPA liked thisThe exchange goes both ways. During UTAHVERSE, guests and founders Lisa de Ruiter from Amsterdam and Cassandra Shand from London stepped into a series of 3-minute startup pitches alongside Utah founders Kris Klein and José Rojas—sharing their companies directly with the group and the local ecosystem. Short format. These 3-minute startup pitches wouldn’t have happened without the support of Ray Smithson and Matt Warnock. Ray supported the international founders in preparing from across the globe—including while being in Taiwan. That afternoon was hosted at Pelion Venture Partners headquarters—appreciate the support. During the same session, Tyler Jennings interviewed Brendan Noud (Ireland) and Andy Lin (Taiwan) on building and operating across multiple continents—sharing perspectives with the Utah business community. A consistent theme across the conversations: Sterling Snow on why Utah works as a place to live and build. Parker Ence on the strength of the local talent base across customer experience, sales, and operations. Doug Barnett on the trajectory of the tech ecosystem—and where it’s heading. Thanks, tyler hogge for moderating.
Experience & Education
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Bright Balance
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Licenses & Certifications
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Certified Management Accountant
IMA | Institute of Management Accountants
IssuedCredential ID 31276
Volunteer Experience
Organizations
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American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
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Institute of Management Accountants
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Insurance Accounting and Systems Association
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