Another look at our profession

By Eva Lang - I was recently at the Business Valuation Conference of the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts in Las Vegas. The program was quite good with a number of excellent nationally known speakers. One of the most interesting sessions was on the future of the valuation profession by Roger Grabowski.

Roger has been in valuation for more than 30 years and has worked at some of the premier firms including Standard and Poor’s and Duff and Phelps. His overview of the history of the profession was insightful. I think many newer appraisers don’t have a sense of the history of the business valuation profession. He discussed the competitive landscape, the role of professional associations, and the expanding body of knowledge. He concluded by saying that the profession has grown so complex that to keep abreast of the changes you pretty much not only have to do valuation full-time but you probably need to focus on a specific niche.