John Petrizzo likes to joke that two months after he joined Hartford Financial Services as its assistant director of corporate financial reporting, the bottom fell out of its financial statements. Then, since joining Quinnipiac University as a financial reporting specialist at the beginning of January, the company has rebounded.
But Petrizzo, 41, didn’t leave The Hartford after 18 months because of any uncertainty about his position. Instead, he was looking for a change after more than 15 years in the insurance industry. Prior to The Hartford, he worked for 14 years at The Phoenix after receiving a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Central Connecticut State University. “I always enjoyed what I was doing. I was looking for a new career, a new experience. This is different from what I had been doing,” said Petrizzo, a certified public accountant.
In his new position, Petrizzo is responsible for the university’s internal and external financial reporting and procedures. At The Hartford he had more focused responsibilities. “I’ve been given a wider range … because of the size [of the department] there’s a lot more crosswork,” he said.
Petrizzo said it’s an exciting time to be at Quinnipiac. The school recently announced it will be opening a medical school with a target date of either the fall of 2013 or 2014 to enroll its first class of students. “Everything has been great so far here. It’s been a very pleasant surprise making the change,” Petrizzo added.
The campus environment appeals to Petrizzo.
“Being on campus again, I find that enjoyable,” he said, adding, “I’ve come full circle. It’s been a few years since I’ve been on a college campus.” Petrizzo likes being able to watch a sporting event after work or attend other offerings.
“It’s kind of nice being able to do it,” he said. He also plans to take advantage of his new employer to pursue higher education.
When not catching on-campus sporting events, Petrizzo’s extracurricular activities are more fair-weather based.
“I’m more of a summer person,” he said, with interests in golf and hiking.
