Griffs Under 40: Myles M. Abbott '03, MBAACC '04

July 18, 2017

Buffalo, NY - Myles Abbott’s accounting professors knew his drive and ambition as a student would take him far in the field.  They just didn’t realize how far – and how fast he would get there.

Today, less than 15 years after graduation, Abbott is senior manager of the energy, utilities and mining division at the Cleveland office of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).  He and his team help Fortune 500 clients grow revenues, reduce costs and deal with disruptive business challenges in order to deliver superior investor value.  Abbott also develops new business opportunities to support PwC’s growth. 

He began working at the Big 4 accounting firm after graduation.  His first job was as an associate at PwC’s Buffalo office. But Abbott’s superiors soon saw in him the same qualities his Canisius professors did.  That drive and ambition led Abbott to rise quickly within PwC’s ranks, before he eventually found his niche within energy and utilities. 

Indebted to the guidance and mentoring his Canisius education provided, Abbott gives back to both alma mater and the Cleveland community. 

In the past 10 years, Abbott was a catalyst in recruiting more than 60 Canisius accounting students for internships and full-time positions at PwC. The alumni board member also started an annual gift matching campaign for the nearly 40 Canisius graduates who work at PwC.  The initiative saw donations levels increase from 20 percent to 70 percent from 2015-2016 with a number of these gifts meeting the threshold for membership in Leadership Society.

In addition to alma mater, Abbott is a board member for the Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland, helping to fundraise for the organization and identify scholarship opportunities for disadvantaged students.  He also brainstorms solutions for community and civic issues as a member of the Cleveland Leadership Center Leadership Council.