Utah's Jonyce Bullock's inspiring rise from an intern to CEO

When Jonyce Bullock walked into Squire as a college accounting intern in 1999, she never could have known what was ahead of her. Nearly two decades later, she became the firm's CEO, serving on national boards and helping shape the future of the accounting profession.

Like most business leaders, Bullock's rise to the top wasn't built on shortcuts. It started with curiosity, personal initiative and a willingness to embrace new opportunities.

Her story is a reminder to professionals in every field that remarkable careers often begin by recognizing the needs in front of you — and having the courage to do something about them.

Seeing an opportunity

In her early days at Utah-based Squire, she was working on QuickBooks consulting, which the firm considered a technology service. But she soon realized it was much more than that. What her clients really needed was to understand and run their businesses better.

"I was a small business consultant to businesses who knew nothing about accounting, and I fell in love with it," Bullock told the Journal of Accountancy in a 2021 interview. "Ultimately, we reimagined our services and combined technology and consulting into our advisory team."

That advisory department has since become the firm's largest, with dedicated employees focused on helping clients solve complex business challenges.

The company benefited as well. After Bullock launched Squire's QuickBooks support and consulting team in 2000, the firm eventually became Utah's first — and only — Intuit Premier Partner.

Bullock led Squire's Advisory practice from 2012 to 2017 before becoming CEO in 2018. In that role, she shifted her focus to governance, strategic planning and operations, helping guide Squire to recognition on Forbes' list of America's Best Tax Firms and Accounting Today's list of Best Accounting Firms to Work For, among other honors.

The lightbulb moment that changed everything

In 2020, Utah Business magazine named Bullock CEO of the Year and asked her to name the biggest turning point in her career. Her answer centered on a conversation with one of the firm's partners, who asked whether she aspired to become a partner herself.

"He told me I couldn't just assume that people knew about my career goals, I needed to own them and talk about them," Bullock said. "That conversation completely changed the way I approached my career development."

She realized that progress wouldn't come from simply hoping for an opportunity. She would need to pursue it intentionally and speak openly about her ambitions.

That mindset has served her well. In 2025, Utah Business named her Executive of the Year, adding to a growing list of professional honors.

Mentoring and inspiring other women

Bullock also recognizes the unique role she plays in mentoring and inspiring other women in her field. She told Utah Business about an eye-opening experience that showed her just how important it was to set an example and show women that they deserve "a seat at the table" — literally.

At one meeting, she noticed the women taking seats around the perimeter of the room while the men who arrived later filled the chairs at the conference table.

"Since then, I challenge myself and others to not hold back; recognize you belong at the table," she said.

It's a lesson that extends far beyond accounting. Whether someone is launching a career, starting a business or pursuing a leadership role, confidence often begins with believing you belong in the room.

Named one of America's top CPAs

While Bullock's leadership is well known in Utah, her achievements have also earned national recognition. In 2024, Forbes named her one of the Top 200 CPAs in America. The publication also included her on its list of America's Best-in-State CPAs for 2026.

"In a world in which accountability—even verifiable reality—is at a premium, Forbes' list of America's Best-In-State CPAs is increasingly valuable," the Forbes website says of the awards.

"Behind each listed CPA is a professional serving businesses, non-profits, governments, entrepreneurs—and ultimately the taxpayers of America."

Although Bullock called the recognition "an incredible and humbling honor," she was quick to credit her colleagues.

"I truly believe that this is not an individual award, but rather one that reflects the hard work and incredible motivation shown by the entire team at Squire," she said after being named one of Forbes' Top 200 CPAs in America.

That response may say as much about her leadership style as any award ever could.

Lifting others as she climbs

Every milestone in Bullock's career points back to the three pillars of her leadership philosophy: Personal Connection, Proactive Ownership and Thoughtful Innovation.

In the end, her story is about more than climbing the ranks of the accounting profession. It's proof that recognizing opportunities, speaking up about your goals, embracing innovation and investing in others are the qualities that define great leaders.

To discover more stories of leadership, innovation and business success, visit the Utah Valley Chamber website.

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