TJ Strickland
Senior audit manager
Rives & Associates
Personal bio: I grew up in a small town in eastern North Carolina, called Roanoke Rapids. I was lucky to find a passion for growing our insurance services niche so early in my career. My beautiful wife and two kids are happy to call Lexington our home. Our free time is spent mainly entertaining our four and one-year-old, but we enjoy craft breweries and wineries, weekends at the lake, and volunteering at our church.
Professional profile: After graduating from East Carolina University, I started my career with Rives & Associates in Lexington, North Carolina. At Rives, I specialise in providing assurance, advisory, accounting, consulting and taxation services. I have played an instrumental role in leading internal training and have expertise in internal control evaluation and technology implementation, improving processes for this clients by recommending internal control enhancements and implementation of policy and claim management information systems. I was recently named as a 2018 “Top 30 Under 30” recipient with the Insurance Accounting Systems Association.
What is your impression of the industry?
The industry is influenced by economics and regulation. Significant changes can affect the strategic direction of the captive industry. As we have witnessed in recent events, court decisions or recession can certainly affect how a captive is formed and funded. As with any industry, there are companies out there that can give the industry a bad reputation. Over the next few years, as more tax court decisions come out, I think you will see some of the ‘bad eggs’ in the industry jump ship or evolve their operations to gain compliance. I enjoy being at the forefront of regulation changes and determining best practices to ensure compliance across the board. Some call this job security — I just call it fun!
What are your aspirations for your career in the captive industry?
I like solving problems. When a captive is struggling with regulatory issues or evolving their operations, it gives me an opportunity to step in and help. Serving as a partner to work through complex structure issues, complicated accounting treatments, or regulatory issues is what I strive to be an expert in. Though cliché, I aspire to be a thought leader and influence the direction of the captive industry.
What advice do you have for someone considering a role in the industry?
Take it! There is plenty of work to go around and we have fun in the process. I see a wave of professionals moving to shore (retirement) that is not being followed with enough talent to fill their shoes. Especially with the continued growth of captives across domiciles, there are great opportunities for young professionals.
Martin Eveleigh, chairman, Atlas Insurance Management “Over the last several years, TJ Strickland has been responsible for auditing many of Atlas’s client captive insurance companies. Working with TJ is a pleasure. He is professional, knowledgeable and responsive and, as he has gained experience in the captive field over the years, he has grown in confidence and become a credible, trustworthy representative of his firm at conferences and in meetings with clients and our account management teams.”
