Alex Pompa is a Senior Director with Alvarez & Marsal’s (A&M) Taxand practice in Miami, Florida. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami Herbert Business School and a master’s degree from Florida International University. 

In the Q&A below, Alex discusses his career journey, his mentors Alex Joya and Ben Diaz, the skills he has acquired and his reasons for returning to A&M. 

What led you to pursue a career in consulting? Were there any notable “ah-ha” moments that led you to that decision?

I interned with Arthur Andersen during my senior year of college. I quickly determined that the “tax consultant” was considered a valuable member of the client’s team. I witnessed executive-level colleagues and their interactions with clients. They were consulted on sensitive business matters, brought to the decision-making table, and often became personal friends with their closest clients. Serving others in such a fulfilling way was attractive, leading me down the tax consulting path.  

Tell us about your experience in Taxand and the skill sets you strengthened or acquired at A&M.

I joined Taxand in 2005 as a young Director fresh out of a six-year stint in the Big Four. Those early A&M years were founded on entrepreneurship, developing “making it happen” genes and leadership skills, relationship management and incredibly hard but satisfying work. It was a memorable period in my career spent working with people I admired as colleagues and loved as friends.

You recently rejoined A&M in January 2023. What were some of your reasons for returning? 

I left A&M in 2015 to start my own practice and later led another firm's Florida State and Local Tax (SALT) practice. During that time, I always maintained a healthy connection to my ex-colleagues at A&M. These were individuals that were foundational in my development as a professional and as an adult during my 20s and 30s. They were relationships that I cherished, and I kept them close while working elsewhere for many years.  My wife joined A&M during that time, creating another lifeline back to the firm. In some ways, I felt like I never fully left.

I returned to the firm seeking an opportunity to modulate my career. While still able to lean on my SALT expertise, I was offered a role within the Global Transaction Tax (GTT) practice. My return to A&M meant a shift away from core SALT compliance and consulting, which I welcomed. In many ways, the extent of my professional experiences while I was away from A&M reinforced important skills that allowed me to return to the firm and join the GTT practice.

What would you tell someone who has left and is contemplating coming back?

The firm has grown since I was last here, so be prepared for some changes. However, the roots of the firm and its foundational beliefs are constant. Expect many things to be as they were, with some significant improvements and expansion. This is a great place to work, where unique contributions that help the firm and its people to grow are welcomed and rewarded. 

What was your favorite and most beneficial class in the master’s program?

My favorite was an undergraduate class, Accounting Information Systems (AIS), where I learned how to code macros and automate processes in Excel. Luckily, I was employed with the University of Miami’s financial aid department, where I interacted with spreadsheets every day. This afforded me a unique opportunity to apply learned concepts in the classroom to my student job, almost in real-time. I was able to improve the efficiency of various preexisting data management processes while also engraining a lifelong love of Excel. I know I sound like a total Excel nerd, but that’s because I am!

Whom do you consider to be your closest mentors at A&M?

My closest mentors at A&M have been Alex Joya and Ben Diaz. I have worked with Alex and Ben since my early days as an intern at Arthur Andersen. They showed me the way, so to speak, and are part of a generation of professionals that helped me grow into who I am today. 

What are some of your hobbies and passions outside of work?

The hobbies I come back to the most are piano and songwriting. It takes discipline these days to find time to write music while juggling family and work commitments, but I find ways to sneak it in. I’ve written what I would call some “A&M hits,” which were famously played (during my first stint with the firm) in the Miami office during late, busy season nights to help lighten up the mood. Fun times!

I also have taken up disc golf over the last year. It’s been a newfound activity of mine, and I try to get out and play a round at least two to three times per month.

I love spending time with my wife, Jessica, and son, Luca. Luca turned six in March and just graduated from kindergarten. He’s a fun kid with a huge heart, and I plan my life around maximizing the time I can spend with him!

What are some fun facts about you?

One fun fact is that in my mid-30s, I was licensed as a recreational skydiver.  I was skydiving as a hobby for two years and logged about 50 jumps. That’s relatively low in the skydiving world, where professional skydivers can log thousands of jumps. I stopped jumping to start a family, but I have a mental placeholder to get recertified in 12 years and jump with my son for his 18th birthday. That will hopefully begin my return to skydiving as a senior jumper in my late 50s.