Thomas Kinder is the Partner in Charge of Blackman Kallick's Audit Services department and serves as our Director of Recruiting. Since 1988, Tom has added an entrepreneur's viewpoint to the audit, accounting and business consulting services he provides to his clients. A member of Blackman Kallick's Construction and Hospitality specialty teams, Tom's expertise extends into the service, distribution, manufacturing and printing industries. Tom comes from an entrepreneurial family. He grew up in the family's construction business, which his two brothers now run. This gives him a unique insight into the needs of a family business, the importance of building networks and making friends, the fact that managers need direct and specific answers to their questions, as well as the speed at which the business world can sometimes move. "My clients are always surprised at how quickly I call them back. I believe sooner is better. Why wait?" Tom belongs to the AICPA, the Illinois CPA Society, the Chicago Building Congress and the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA). He is also an executive board member of the Right Angle Educational Foundation, an advisory board member of Tsunami Foundation and a former officer on the Board of Directors for the Indiana University Alumni Association of Chicago. He and his team work for some of the most prestigious hospitality and construction businesses in the Chicago area. Tom believes his core strengths are building client relationships and making sure the right people are involved in every aspect of the account. Not surprisingly, he was tapped to head up the firm's recruiting function. "The comment I get most is: 'You are about as far from the stereotypicalaccountant as I've ever met.' I take that as a compliment."Born in Indiana, Tom received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University and his M.B.A. from DePaul University. He now lives in Chicago with his wife and twin daughters, who he describes as "my life." Tom believes there is no halfway when it comes to family, work or play. Throughout his life, Tom has thrown himself into a series of sports, which his wife says are obsessions that change as his knees age. In high school and college, it was basketball, where he played for a Division II college prior to transferring to Indiana. After college, he joined the Midwestern Beach Volleyball Professional League where he was listed as one of the top 50 players in Chicago. Currently, he is an avid golfer swinging an 8 handicap. "To be good, you have to really work at it. You can't just want to be good. Whether it's for sports or business, I hustle to outwork everybody else