Meet TSCPA Members: Lou Alice Funk and Lisa Malone
In recent years, newer generations of professionals have been advocating for more work-life balance, but Companion CPA Group cofounders Lou Alice Funk, CPA, MBA, and Lisa Malone, CPA, MBA, were ahead of the curve. “We were three female professionals working in health care financial management who wanted to gain more control of our work-life balance,” Funk says of herself, Malone and Sarah Clark, the firm’s third cofounder. “We had all been working in industry for a while and decided to take the leap to see how we liked working for ourselves.” Fast- forward to today, and Cookeville-based Companion CPA Group has recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. We reached out to Funk and Malone to learn more about how they got their start.
Up-and-Coming CPAs
Both Funk and Malone started on the path to accounting in high school. “Mrs. Mattie Cooper was my bookkeeping teacher, and she encouraged me to continue in accounting,” Malone recalls. “In my senior annual, she wrote, ‘Best wishes to an up-and- coming CPA!’”
For Funk, her father’s advice was what motivated her to pursue a career in the profession. “My top career choices out of high school were architecture and accounting,” she recalls. “My father influenced me toward accounting because he felt that no matter where I lived, I would have good opportunities.”
Mentorship Matters
As Funk and Malone began their careers, positive mentorship experiences helped propel them forward. In the early years of her career, Funk says she felt lucky to have had mentors in higher management. “I think the most powerful thing all of them did for me was believe in my potential and give me challenging assignments,” she says. “They sometimes forced me out of my comfort zone, especially in communicating with higher levels of management.”
Malone cites her first employer, Sam Sandlin, CPA, as one of her most influential mentors. “Sam has been a wonderful mentor for me throughout my career, both in health care and public accounting,” she says. Malone also views Funk as one of her greatest mentors, adding, “Most importantly, I must recognize the amazing mentor who is also my friend and business partner, Lou Alice Funk, CPA.”
A Dream Comes True
Funk’s and Malone’s paths first crossed when they began working for the same health care organization. “Lou Alice and I worked together for about 10 years prior to forming Companion CPA Group,” Malone explains of the firm’s beginnings. “This business was born from a literal dream! Lou Alice and I were driving to a conference one day in 1999, and I told her I had a dream that we, along with Sarah Clark, started a CPA firm.” All three were working in health care, and Malone says they were all wanting to have more “life” in their work-life balance. “The three of us met to discuss the possibilities accompanied by our five children playing all around us.”
In 2000, Malone’s dream came true when Companion CPA Group opened its doors. Serving clients in the Upper Cumberland area, the firm focuses on tax strategy, financial reporting and business planning. Today, Funk and Malone serve as founding principals and employ nine others. They are also passionate about student outreach and frequently attend events at Tennessee Technological University to connect with students interested in internships and jobs. “We routinely bring in a student intern each tax season now, and we have hired a number of new graduates from Tennessee Tech,” Funk says.
Advice to Future CPAs
For students considering a career in accounting, Funk and Malone urge them to take the leap. “Don’t hesitate at all! It is a great field that is in high demand and has a shortage of people right now,” advises Funk.
“Do it!” echoes Malone. “Accounting opens doors to many career paths since every business or not-for-profit needs accountants. Because of my accounting career, I have been able to be involved in many interesting projects, expand into related industries and travel to amazing places.”
This article was originally published in the January/February 2025 Tennessee CPA Journal.