Robert McDonald, MBA, C.P.A.

Robert McDonald Headshot
Professor Emeritus

Accounting, Taxation & Law Department
Pompea College of Business
Education

Advanced Professional Certificate in Managerial Accounting, New York University, 1975.
Major: Managerial Accounting

MBA, New York University, 1970.

About Robert

I am a member of the full-time accounting faculty at University of New Haven where I teach courses in financial statement analysis and cost accounting.  My research interests are in financial accounting; mainly case studies of current accounting practice.  I have published several articles and case studies in refereed journals and have given presentations before several professional accounting conferences.

I have an MBA and Advanced Professional Certificate from New York University, and am a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified in Financial Management (CFM).

I have ten years of accounting experience in internal auditing and controller/treasurer responsibilities with Merck, Shell Oil, and Thermo Electric Company.

My consulting assignments have included: Bayer AG, Aetna Life & Casualty, GTE Corporation, Texas Instruments, Connecticut Bank and Trust, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Interstate Commerce Commission, Connecticut Savings Bank, Shawmut Bank, Fleet Financial, and Yale University.

Published Intellectual Contributions

McDonald, R. A. (02/21/2014). The Demand for Water Drops But The Price Rises - How Can This Be?. South East Case Research Conference.

McDonald, R. A. (02/28/2011). Two Cruise Lines. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: South East Case Research Association.

McDonald, R. A. (02/28/2010). An Incubator For Non-Profits? A Novel Idea. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: South East Case Research Association.

McDonald, R. A. (02/28/2009). Fair Value Accounting - A New Problem or a New Opportunity?. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: South East Case Research Association.

McDonald, R. A. (02/28/2008). US GAAP Out and International Standards In - How Soon?. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: South East Case Research Association.

 

Other

McDonald, R. A. (2013). Starting A Restaurant- Do We Cook or Calculate First?. South East Case Research Journal. 

McDonald, R. A. (2005). Goodwill- How Good Does It Have To Be?. South East Case Research Journal.

Bierstaker, J., Brody, R., McDonald, R. A. (2004). Banner Corporation: To Grant Credit or Not To Grant Credit. Journal of Accounting Case Research.

Brody, R., McDonald, R. A. (2004). The Next Scandal: The Undisciplined Use of Pro Forma Financial Statements. The American Business Review.

 

Refereed Journal Articles

McDonald, R. A. (2011). Don't Put Your Hand in the Cookie Jar. IMA Educational Case Journal, 4(4).

McDonald, R. A. (2010). Will the Third Acquisition Be The Charm? Pfizer's Integration of Wyeth. South East Case Research Journal, 1-10.

McDonald, R. A. (2008). Cash Flow From Operations- Do We Need Any Other Cash Flow Terms? South East Case Research Journal.

Presentations Given

McDonald, R. A., South East Case Research Association Annual Meeting, "The Demand For Water Drops But The Price Rises- How Can This Be?," SECRA, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (February 21, 2014).

McDonald, R. A., South East Case Research Association, "Opening A Restaurant- Do You Cook or Count First?," SECRA, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (February 19, 2013).

McDonald, R. A., "Two Cruise Lines," South East Case Research Association, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (February 2011).

McDonald, R. A., "An Incubator For Non-Profits? A Novel Idea," South East Case Research Association, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (February 2010).

McDonald, R. A., "Fair Value Accounting - A New Problem or a New Opportunity?," South East Case Research Association, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (February 2009).

McDonald, R. A., "US GAAP Out and International Standards In- How Soon?," South East Case Research Association, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (February 2008). 

McDonald, R. A., "Pfizer-How Much Cash Do You Need?," South East Case Research Association, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (February 2007).

McDonald, R. A., "Whose Hand Is In The Cookie Jar?," South East Case Research Association, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (February 2006). 

McDonald, R. A., "Cash Flow From Operations-Do We Need Any Other Cash Flow Terms?," South East Case Research Association, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (February 2005).

McDonald, R. A., "How Good Is The Goodwill?," South East Case Research Association, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (February 2004).

McDonald, R. A., "Rounding EPS- Is This On The Square?," Northeast Business and Economics Association, Montclair, New Jersey. (October 2003).

McDonald, R. A., Brody, R., "Too Many Terms in Pro Forma Accounting," American Accounting Association, Stamford, Connecticut. (May 2003).

McDonald, R. A., "Is It Make Or Buy Or Capital Budgeting?," South East Case Research Association, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (February 2003). 

McDonald, R. A., "Distortions in EPS Calculations," American Accounting Association, Baltimore, Maryland. (April 2002).

McDonald, R. A., "Electronic Manufacturing Services Industry- A Case Study," North American Case Research Association, Memphis, Tennessee. (October 2001).

McDonald, R. A., "Movie Theatre Industry- A Case Study," North American Case Research Association, Memphis, Tennessee. (October 2001).

McDonald, R. A., "Treasury Stock and Diluted EPS," Northeast Business and Economics Association, Windsor, Connecticut. (September 2001).

McDonald, R. A., "Teaching the Analysis of the Cash Flow Statement," American Accounting Association, Portland, Maine. (May 2001).

McDonald, R. A., "What Is This New Term EBITDA?," American Society of Business and Behavioral Science, Las Vegas, Nevada. (February 2001).

McDonald, R. A., "Mirage Resorts- A Case Study," North American Case Research Association, San Antonio, Texas. (October 2000).

McDonald, R. A., "Starter Corporation," North American Case Research Association, San Antonio, Texas. (October 2000).

McDonald, R. A., "Which PE Ratio Are You Using?," Northeast Business and Economics Association, Long Island, New York. (September 2000).

McDonald, R. A., "Starter- A Case Study," Society for Case Research, Birmingham, Alabama. (June 2000).

McDonald, R. A., "Is Conservative Accounting Inflating The PE Ratio and Dividend Payout Ratio?," American Society of Business and Behavioral Science, Las Vegas, Nevada. (February 2000). 

McDonald, R. A., "Echlin- A Case Study," North American Case Research Association, San Francisco, California. (November 1999).

McDonald, R. A., "Is Conservative Accounting Inflating Two Important Financial Ratios?," Northeast Business and Economics Association, New Haven, Connecticut. (October 1999).

McDonald, R. A., "Complying With the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: Advice for Small and Mid-Sized Firms," New England Business Administration Association International Conference, New Haven, Connecticut. (October 1995).

Professional  Positions

Academic

Associate Professor of Accounting, University of New Haven. (1984 - Present).
Served as Chair of department (1988-1992), coordinator of MBA & M.S. accounting programs (1985-2000); taught 9 undergraduate & 5 graduate courses, taught in EMBA for 17 years.

Associate Professor of Accounting, Quinnipiac University. (1976 - 1984).
Taught undergraduate and graduate courses. As Director of Managerial Accounting developed track in managerial accounting.

 

Professional

Assistant Treasurer and Trustee of Profit Sharing Plan, A Thermo Electric Company.
Assistant treasurer and trustee of profit sharing plan for Thermo Electric Company with all accounting and financial functions.

Internal Auditor, Merck & Company.
Internal auditor for Merck & Company- various operational audits for US facilities.

Consulting

Academic

Yale University. Training under new MIS installation. (1978 - Present).

 

For Profit Organization

Aetna Life & Casualty. Competitor studies, merger and acquisitions, and budgeting. (1978 - Present).

Bayer AG. Management Training. (1978 - Present).

Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Management training. (1978 - Present).

Connecticut Bank and Trust. Branch personnel training. (1978 - Present).

Connecticut Savings Bank. Transfer pricing and internal reporting. (1978 - Present).

GTE Corporation. Management training. (1978 - Present).

Knudsen Products. Capital budgeting. (1978 - Present).

Shawmut Bank and Fleet Financial. Training for commercial lending officers. (1978 - Present).

Texas Instruments. Management training. (1978 - Present).

 

Government  

City of Waterbury. Personnel training. (1978 - Present).

Interstate Commerce Commission. Management training. (1978 - Present).

Town of Shelton. Property development studies. (1978 - Present).

 

Nonprofit Consulting

National Association of Investor Clubs (NAIC). Nicholson Judge- evaluated transparency of financial reporting for three annual reports of major US corporations.   Superior annual reports receive Nicholson Award. (1995 - 2005).

Institute of Certified Management Accountants. Institute of Certified Management Accountants- CMA Exam- grader for three parts of CMA exam- maintained high level of technical competence in assigned topics in management accounting, finance and economics- responsible for developing grading key and grading several hundred of papers.  Fellow graders were professors of accounting and senior corporate accountants. 
Developed many questions for the CMA and Certified in Financial Management (CFM) exams. (1989 - 1997).

CPA Review. CPA Review course- presented advanced accounting topics to degreed accountants seeking certification. (1984 - 1987).

CMA Review. CMA Review course- helped to develop New England鈥檚 first CMA review course.  Presented advanced accounting and finance topics to corporate accounting executives seeking certification.  Many of these executives had graduate degrees and the CPA. (1979 - 1987).

CFA Exam Candidates for the Hartford Chapter of the Institute of CFAs. CFA Review Course- presented financial accounting topics to CFA exam candidates for the Hartford chapter of the Institute of CFAs.

Sisters of Mercy - Mercy Center at Madison. Mercy Center at Madison- pro bono consulting for retreat and conference center owned by Sisters of Mercy. (2007 - Present).

West River Development Association. Pro bono consulting for New Haven self-help neighborhood group. (2006 - Present).

Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts. Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts-CFA Exam- senior grader for levels 2 and 3-  maintained high level of technical competence in assigned topics in accounting and investments- responsible for developing grading key and grading several hundred papers.  Supervised a team of graders to maintain grading consistency.  Fellow graders are professors of finance and senior Wall Street portfolio managers and security analysts. 1998-2005, 2012, 2013. (1998 - 2013).

Professional Service

Senior grader and member, Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Senior grader for CFA exam- determine the grading key and grade hundreds of papers for the exam.

Assistant treasurer, South East Case Research Association, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Ready to stand in for treasurer; assist in setting up accounting system for dues and collections.

Courses Taught
  • ACCT 3323 Cost Accounting
  • ACCT 6620 Financial Acct for Managers
  • ACCT 6621 Managerial Accounting
  • ACCT 6654 Fin Statement: Report & Anly
  • ACCT 6661 Managerial Accounting Seminar