B.B.A.'80, Building Stryker's Tax Organization from the Ground Up
Eric Lum started his career in accounting at PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP (formerly Price Waterhouse & Co.) as a staff accountant. He was eventually promoted to tax manager and worked in that role until he left to take a job as tax manager at Stryker Corporation, which is headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan and is one of the world’s leading medical technology companies, in 1987. At Stryker, he was promoted to director of tax in 1991 and then to his current position, vice president, tax in 2001.
This position comes with a great deal of responsibility. Lum’s global duties include tax accounting/reporting, tax strategy and planning, tax compliance, tax controversy and tax risk management. In his 24 years at Stryker, he has helped build the tax organization from the ground up, which now includes 35 professionals who are, “high-energy, driven, focused professionals who care very much about what they do and deliver exceptional results and value to Stryker and its shareholders year after year,” explains Lum.
So what else does he pride himself on, other than being an engaged executive at an $8 billion U.S. multinational company? Giving back to Western. As many Broncos past and present are aware, Stryker is a significant recruiter of WMU students for internships and full-time positions as well. “We have many WMU alumni in various Stryker senior finance positions, including our current vice president, chief accounting officer, director, global tax operations, and myself to name a few, as well as at the managerial and staff levels,” says Lum. He describes Western alumni employees to be “intelligent and well grounded with a strong work ethic,” and continuously works with professors at Western to make this sound partnership even stronger.
He also frequently finds himself back on campus, serving as a member of the department of accountancy advisory council and serving as guest speaker in graduate level classes, where he leaves students with these three pieces of advice:
- Work hard; never taking anything for granted.
- Treat people fairly and with respect.
- DREAM BIG, because you can do it.