James Wesberry, Jr.

Chief of Party
MSI Philippines Integrity Project
Manila, Philippines

“What I like about accounting,” James Wesberry says, “is that it is purely logical.” So how does he explain some of the less-than-logical things about his life and career?

Like the fact that he ran for and was elected to the State Senate at age 28, even though he was already running his own accounting firm? Or that he used to leave the house at 6 AM and not get home until nearly midnight, thanks to all the community service projects he worked on? Or how about that he moved back to Manila, Republic of the Phlippines for a new international consulting assignment and has gone back to work full-time on the other side of the planet after nearly four years of "semi-retirement."

But it all does make sense, in a strange way, at least to James. “I could never stand to do the same audit more than once,” he said. Other people might have preferred the predictability of a familiar project, but not him. “I’ve always volunteered for new challenges.”

That willingness to take on the unfamiliar has taken James to Peru, Mexico and Ecuador and also headed the regional Western Hemisphere Anti-Corruption project for USAID. He’s also been international advisor to the U.S. Comptroller General, as well as Financial Consultant for The World Bank.

And to James, this is all perfectly logical – once you consider where he came from. “A CPA career is what you make of it,” he says. If you work hard and look for variety and challenge, you can get plenty of very unusual opportunities.” And as if James hasn’t already packed plenty of accomplishments into his very impressive life, he wishes he had taken accounting in high school so that he could have moved “even faster.”

Stats at a Glance

Years practicing: 54

Best job: Advisor to Comptrollers General of Peru & Ecuador

Worst job: Chief Auditor, Organization of American States

Hobbies outside of work: Internet, reading, swimming, politics

Pets: 8 chihuahuas, 2 Persian cats, rabbit, peacock, pheasants, guinea fowl, chickens, alpacas

Words to live by: A person who does not recognize their duty to be accountable to a higher power is unlikely to recognize their duty to be accountable to others.