Small town roots, big city dreams: Jay Dawdy, B.S. Acc. ’89, blazes his own trail in forensic accounting

This article originally appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of Trulaske Magazine.

While searching for internship opportunities during his junior year at the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business, Jay Dawdy, B.S. Acc. '89, stumbled across an intriguing application for a post with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. His heart raced with excitement.

"Wow! This is cool," he thought. "Maybe I'll give it a shot."

Dawdy, the son of entrepreneurial parents, had never ventured far from his Mid-Missouri home, where his parents owned and operated an equipment rental business. Growing up, he had always helped with the family business, but the young accounting student felt a pull to see more of the world. An internship with the FBI in Washington, D.C., seemed like the perfect opportunity to spread his wings. 

Not only did Dawdy land the internship, but the big city experience became a pivotal moment in his life, pointing him down a pathway he was meant travel. Today, Dawdy has embraced his entrepreneurial roots and big city spirit as president and CEO of Gryphon Strategies, a leader in the investigations and business intelligence fields. His office is in New York, but he often travels to the company’s other locations in Los Angeles, London and Miami. 

“I love the Midwest, but for me, I wanted to experience things on a bigger stage and really challenge and push myself,” he said. “You can’t match the pace, pulse, energy, diversity, excitement and opportunities that a place like NYC offers.”

Embracing strengths

When he first arrived at the Trulaske College of Business, Dawdy wasn’t sure what his focus would be. Eventually, he settled on accounting, reasoning “it’s the language of business” and would provide a solid foundation. 

“I certainly didn’t think I wanted to be an accountant forever, but I thought it was the best preparation,” he said. “It turned out to be a good choice for me.”

Over the years, Dawdy has worked at IBM, J.P. Morgan and Lehman Brothers. In 2000, he joined Gryphon, where he has conducted a wide range of financial and fraud investigations and has worked extensively on due diligence inquiries, complex litigation support cases, asset investigations and other multi-jurisdictional engagements. He regularly contributes to panels and seminars and has been featured on television and radio, as well as in print, discussing a variety of investigative topics. 

Among the most important lessons he’s learned so far in his career is that when he leans into his strengths and manages to the strengths of others, everyone becomes more productive and happier, including himself. 

“Experience has taught me that you are never going to make people do something they aren’t cut out to do,” he said. “You might be able to elevate them in those areas, but you are better off embracing the areas where they are strong and build on those. The same is true for me."

Dawdy said that at one point in his career, he found himself spending too much time on efforts that weren’t working. 

“I was just frustrated, creating negative energy and not moving the ball,” he said. “Today I ask, ‘Where are my strengths and where can I move the ball most efficiently and effectively?’” 

Opening eyes 

As his career advanced, Dawdy frequently reflected on how his FBI internship had opened his eyes to the vast array of job opportunities he had never imagined as an accountant. The experience had expanded his horizons, and he wondered how he could do the same for other accounting students with an itch to explore something different. 

In 2008, Dawdy returned to the Trulaske College of Business as a professor for a day. During his visit, he and Vairam Arunachalam, then chair of the School of Accountancy, hatched the idea for a lecture series focused on fraud examination, forensic investigations, and related regulatory matters. A year later, the Dawdy Speaker Series was born, featuring an impressive roster of speakers over the years. Lecturers have included Kenneth Feinberg, the claims administrator for victims of Sept. 11, the Virginia Tech shootings and BP’s Gulf oil spill; white-collar criminologist William Black; H. David Kotz, inspector general of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; and Tom Hardin, a financial analyst turned FBI informant known as “Tipper X” during the 2008 and 2009 insider trading investigations.

“The lecture series is a way to introduce students to the topic and show them that fraud examination is one way they can use their accounting skills,” Dawdy said. “I really wanted to open the students’ eyes to the opportunities that exist.”

He also reminds students that landing their dream job straight out of college isn’t as important as breaking into the workforce and getting experience. A broad vision is all that is necessary to get started. 

“When you’re young, you think the first job is where you’re going to work forever or that you have to have your career all mapped out,” Dawdy said. “Chances are you aren’t going to end up where you started. There are going to be a lot of twists and turns along the way. In the beginning, it’s about getting out there and charting a path. It is good to have a gameplan, but that will change over time, and the long term will take care of itself.”

Arunachalam, now associate dean for partnerships and engagement at the Trulaske College of Business, said Dawdy’s contributions to the college have been immeasurable. 

“Jay has been an incredible alumnus, so supportive and filled with energy and exciting ideas,” he said. “ Working with him to establish the Dawdy Speaker Series and to enhance our fraud examination and forensic accounting curriculum has been a tremendously fulfilling experience. I cannot think of a better partner than Jay for academe-industry collaboration! Under his leadership, Gryphon Strategies has also reached incredible new heights. We are incredibly proud of him at the School of Accountancy, Trulaske and Mizzou.”

Riding the wave

Dawdy said among the biggest issue facing forensic investigations today is managing the use of technology. While advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analytics have simplified the search for information, they have simultaneously made the task of identifying the most accurate and reliable data a daunting endeavor.

“It’s all about finding and applying the right balance of technology and people skills,” Dawdy said. 

At this stage in his career, Dawdy relishes the opportunity to meet the diverse needs of his clients. However, with 75 employees at Gryphon, he finds immense satisfaction in witnessing the achievements of his emerging colleagues. Seeing them thrive and advance in their careers has become one of his most rewarding experiences.

“Hopefully, I played a role in that,” he said.

Dawdy readily admits that his work-life balance is a work in progress. As an entrepreneur and business owner, he’s “on” almost every day all the time. While he might not be constantly churning out spreadsheets, he’s always available to colleagues, employees and clients. It’s the nature of his role, but he’s found other outlets for respite.

“I think we all need those recreational activities, that when we do them, we’re not thinking of anything else – our mind is totally focused on the activity at hand,” he said. “We’re just in the moment and captivated by what we’re doing and not thinking about deadlines, problems, business or personal challenges.”

About 15 years ago, Dawdy discovered surfing, an activity that has become his favorite getaway and a powerful metaphor for his life. 

“No matter how long you’ve been surfing or how good you are, you can always learn and get better, just like life and business,” he said. “Sometimes the waves are cranking and you’re in the groove and it’s awesome, while other times the waves aren’t great – or you’re just not in synch – and you’re missing them right and left. But there is always another wave and another opportunity coming – you just need to wait for your wave. Like life, you wait for the right wave and then paddle like a madman to catch it and make it the best you possibly can.”