After 40 years in public accounting, Tom Sponsel is a fixture in the Central Indiana business community. He has helped countless people achieve their personal and entrepreneurial dreams.
Nearly eight years ago, he had the idea to launch a new kind of CPA firm, gathering a team of trusted professionals with a diverse set of skills and unified in the mission of providing clients not just financial acumen, but executive-level counsel to bring more value to their endeavors. Tom is proud of the fact that in most cases, our clients become friends, the ultimate endorsement of a trusted relationship.
Under his leadership as Managing Partner, Sponsel CPA Group has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing firms in the Midwest. Tom provides comprehensive strategic advice to corporations, family-owned and closely-held businesses and nonprofits at every stage in their growth cycle. He is also recognized for his experience in succession/estate planning and mergers & acquisitions.
In addition to being a CPA, Tom is Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) and Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF), and provides expert testimony in legal proceedings. He often makes public/media appearances, has been profiled in The Indianapolis Star, and has received awards and professional acclamations, for which he is humbled.
Tom’s lifelong passion for community service has become a core staple of the firm’s culture. Tom and his six siblings are very proud of their heritage of growing up on the near-eastside of Indianapolis. He has held many volunteer positions or donated his time to numerous community endeavors, including the Catholic Community Foundation, Arsenal Tech High School, St Philip Neri Parish & School, St. Vincent Health, Perry Township Schools, the Indiana CPA Society and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
He takes great delight and comfort in his wife of 42 years, Barbara, their two grown children and five grandchildren. When he’s not working or volunteering, Tom likes to read – especially business profiles and self-improvement books – watch the Colts and Pacers, and play with his grandkids, who “make the world a lot more joyful.”
“Clearly the last eight years have been the most exciting times in my professional life. We’ve worked hard to get here and enjoy the success that we have,” Tom said. “I think a lot about the promising future that lies ahead of us, and cultivating the people who will take us there. I get a great deal of personal satisfaction in seeing young people recruited out of college, join the firm, progress and grow into leaders.
“We truly do it all as a team. We all work together in a very unselfish way, and that’s been the key to what we’ve achieved — TOGETHER!!! … and WE HAVE FUN EVERYDAY!!!