Master of Accounting alumna takes nontraditional career path outside accounting firms
Bailey Proctor combines her love of accounting and wine to find perfect job as a controller for Pacific Union Co.
Bailey Proctor tried education, speech pathology, math and linguistics before deciding on accounting as her major. Proctor graduated with her bachelor’s in accounting in 2015 and completed her Master of Accounting (MAcc) in 2016. After much trial and error, she found her calling in accounting and in her current job as a controller at Pacific Union Co., a beverage manufacturing company in Saint Helena, California.
While still in her undergraduate, the dean of the School of Business at the time, Neeli Bendapudi, came to speak to Proctor’s sorority for a presentation on women in business. Afterward, Proctor spoke with Bendapudi about her struggles with deciding on a major and was told to look into accounting. The next day, Proctor met with an advisor to discuss her coursework and how she could still graduate on time despite being a first-semester junior. Proctor always felt incredibly supported and grateful she was guided to the right path.
Proctor had a job lined up for after graduation at KPMG, an accounting firm in Kansas City, Missouri. This meant she needed to acquire her Certified Public Accounting license (CPA), and participating in the MAcc program was her best shot at doing that.
“The MAcc program was uniquely set up to help me pass the CPA exam,” Proctor said. “I liked the way it was focused on the exam, noting that the significant majority of the material was learned in undergrad. The program was enjoyable because it was a group of focused students and faculty that were committed to seeing success for those of us in the program.”
Having her CPA license has been a huge career booster for her, and she feels it sets her apart from her peers when applying for jobs or when she has been up for a promotion. During her time in the MAcc she was a head T.A. for ACCT 201, which taught her time management.
Proctor believes accounting is the foundation of business and recommends anyone with big career aspirations to go through the MAcc program.
“If you know accounting, you will be successful in corporate business,” Proctor said. “The MAcc program is a time specifically set aside for students to gain accreditation, which is highly regarded and will skyrocket one’s career; time that is unlikely to be as available ever again in the working world.”
When looking for a job, Proctor attended various accounting roundtables and career fairs and met all of the Big Four firms (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG) and decided to go with KPMG. She feels the career search was relatively easy because the recruiters would show up to the School of Business meaning she just had to come with a good attitude and a good resume.
At KPMG she held two positions: audit associate and audit senior associate. Proctor worked with KPMG for almost three years.
“Finding jobs after my time at KPMG has looked different in the amount of effort it takes; however, I’ll continue to reiterate how desirable my educational background has been for potential employers,” Proctor said. I’ve always been a top candidate when applying because of my MAcc degree and CPA license.”
Proctor found herself thinking about her background and realized that with an accounting degree, she could combine her personal interest with her professional skills. She grew up in Kansas but had always been interested in wine. So, she found a job at a winery she had purchased from before, and about a month later she had packed up a U-Haul and drove to Napa, California.
Naked Wines is an online wine retailer where Proctor spent five years working and started as a senior cost accountant. Her primary responsibilities were inventory costing, excise tax compliance and balance sheet management. After two years, she was promoted to senior manager of accounting, where she managed a team of accountants and added on the responsibility of financial statement preparation. Just a year, later she was promoted again to director of accounting, where she managed the entire function of the U.S. business. She added financial statement analysis and review and worked with the leaders of the global business to handle complex technical accounting projects.
While working for Naked Wines, Proctor realized she was looking to switch from entry-level pricing wine to luxury, fine wine. She was interested in working with a business that had more than just wine given the nature of the alcohol industry, which is currently experiencing declines across the board.
This led her to her current job at Pacific Union Co., a beverage manufacturer, which she started in September 2024. She works as a controller and oversees a team of eight accountants who complete the accounting for four family-owned wineries in Napa Valley. She coaches her team on technical accounting issues and reviews the financials to ensure GAAP-compliance (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles).
When it comes to business Proctor believes the little things mean the most.
“Be on time for your interviews,” Proctor said. “Show up dressed and ready like you would if you were going into their office. A lot of first round interviews happen over Zoom-like platforms. Showing up on time and with a good attitude will set you apart from others applying for the role more than you know.”
Learn more about the Master of Accounting at business.ku.edu/MAcc. Those interested in applying for the program are encouraged to apply by March 1.
By Grace Ludes
