Andy Call was formally installed as dean of USC Leventhal School of Accounting on Monday, January 27, 2025. In USC tradition, the installation ceremony at the Town and Gown featured a procession of current deans at the university before Call was welcomed into the Trojan community.

“I’m honored to be one of you. I’m honored to be part of the Trojan Family,” said Call during his speech. “Thank you for your commitment to this university and to the Leventhal School.”

Call was announced last summer as the next Leventhal dean following William Holder’s retirement, but it was USC President Carol Folt who recognized Call as the sixth dean of the nationally ranked accounting school in her opening remarks.

Reading through his bio of many accomplishments, Folt “checked” boxes in the air for each of the new dean’s impressive qualities: acclaimed scholar; entrepreneurial builder; forward thinker; impactful researcher; and most of all, a dedicated teacher.

“For 45 years, Leventhal has been synonymous with one word and that word is excellence,” remarked Folt. “And today we honor an exceptional leader, teacher, and researcher who now leads one of our finest schools.”

USC Provost Andrew Guzman joined Folt on stage for a presentation of Call’s chair — a miniature replica of the Alan Casden Dean’s Chair, symbolic of the title that Call now holds.

To begin his speech, Dean Call thanked those who helped guide his transition to USC, especially his wife, Charis, and four children, Mallory, Andrew, Dylan, and Gavin, all of whom were instrumental in making the move from Arizona.

As a native Angeleno and youngest child in his family, Call also gave a shout-out to his parents and siblings and made a confession: he grew up a dedicated fan of another illustrious L.A. university and Big 10 rival.

“When it came time to make a final decision about whether to make this move, I looked in the mirror and said to myself, you know what? It’s never too late to right a wrong. After all these years, I’m tired of being the little brother. Fight On!” Call exclaimed to the whooping crowd.

Leventhal Looking Forward

The crux of Call’s speech focused on his vision for Leventhal and the leading role it plays in the industry.

“The Leventhal School of Accounting is an institution that matters and I feel the weight of the responsibility to lead the school to continued prominence, continued excellence, and continued impact,” Call stated.

The new dean is “bullish” on accounting, speaking to its importance as a “bedrock upon which investment decisions are made and facilitates the efficient flow of capital.” Accounting offers boundless opportunities for Leventhal graduates to build a meaningful career.

Call highlighted the dynamics of three pillars he sees as essential for the profession and for cultivating the next generation of accounting professionals: the emergence of technology, the rise of sustainability, and the unmet demand for accounting talent.

According to Call, technological advancements such as artificial intelligence (AI) are not a threat to accounting, but an opportunity. The emergence of tech has automated low-level mundane tasks that once occupied young accountants early in their careers. Without that busywork, accounting professionals are more empowered to focus on the services that add real value to their clients.

“This type of client engagement asks more of our graduates and certainly of our academic offerings on campus,” remarked Call. “It requires students to develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and communication skills that they need in order to contribute on day one.”

In line with Marshall’s commitment to the business of sustainability, Call believes Leventhal and accounting play a major role in ensuring corporate America reaches its goals in disclosing certain Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) information.

“The reality is that firms are being asked and potentially mandated to take account of their efforts in these areas of sustainability,” Call explained. “You cannot have sustainability without sustainability reporting. Typically, this is done in the context of financial information, but increasingly, the call is for this to take place with corporate sustainability activities. The Leventhal School has already taken and will continue to play a leadership role in this area.”

The national shortage of accountants is well-known, but Leventhal will continue to find innovative ways under Call to attract interested students and prepare graduates to meet the demand for high-quality talent that companies, investors, and markets require.

“The imperative to address these issues is real, partly because of the leadership role this school plays and also because frankly, the quality of our graduates is unparalleled,” Call continued. “The depth and quality of the employers that come here on this campus to meet and recruit our students is unmatched. The more Leventhal graduates we can prepare and send into the profession, the better it will be for the entire industry.”

Call shared one last resonating thought for the business-focused crowd.

“Accounting truly is the language of business, and this is because it is the foundation upon which so many business decisions are made,” Call said.

It’s a new era for the accounting school, and Call is ready to continue the legacy of excellence at Leventhal.