N. Randolph Scott, CPA
Founding Partner
B: 1957- D: 2012
Randy Scott, the charismatic and visionary founding partner of Scott and Company LLC, considered public accounting to be one of the world’s finest professions. He established the firm in 1995. Having previously been with two of the “Big 4” accounting firms, Randy’s idea was to start a firm that offered the quality of service of the larger accounting firms at lower rates. Part of Randy’s vision was to start a successful CPA firm that would become so established in Columbia and South Carolina that its name would become synonymous with high-quality service and continue for generations. With the help of his partners, Randy pursued this vision. Together they built one of the premier accounting firms in South Carolina, with the expertise to perform services for not only small- to medium-sized businesses, but for very large and complex clients as well, including businesses registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
As Managing Partner of Scott and Company LLC until his passing in 2012, Randy oversaw the administration of the firm and provided business consulting in a diverse group of disciplines. Randy was also the audit partner-in-charge of the firm’s assurance services division, and practiced before the Securities Exchange Commission. In 2010, the firm opened an office in Greenville, South Carolina.
Randy held over twenty years total accounting and auditing experience, including five years audit experience with “Big 5” accounting firms, where he served major clients in the manufacturing, healthcare, governmental, not-for-profit and financial services industries. Prior to organizing Scott and Company LLC, Randy worked for two international accounting firms in Columbia, South Carolina, and was partner-in-charge of the auditing practice for a local accounting firm.
In 1992, Randy became a member of the South Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (SCACPA), where he served on the Managing Partners Task Force. He received SCACPA’s Distinguished Public Service Award in 2004 and was posthumously granted the association\’s most-prestigious Award – Service to the Profession – in 2012. During SCACPA’s November 2015 Centennial Gala, Randy was again distinguished, being posthumously named by the SCACPA as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Accounting.
Randy was also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (NCACPA); he held CPA certifications in South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin.
In 1999, Randy completed the “Leadership in Professional Service Firms” course at Harvard University’s School of Business
As a community volunteer, Randy served on the following boards or committees: Boy Scouts, Indian Waters Council-President; Richland County Sheriffs’ Foundation, Inc. – Treasurer; USC Friends of Accounting – Chairman; Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce – Board Member; Junior Achievement-Board Member; Juvenile Diabetes Foundation; Columbia Urban Lending Project, Keep the Midlands Beautiful and Rotary Club of Columbia – Finance. Randy’s tireless work on behalf of Scouting earned him the 2007 Silver Beaver Award for Outstanding Service. Regarded as a consummate professional, Randy will long be missed by his community, family and friends.
To read more about Randy, please see Randy Scott Leaves a Legacy Beyond His Profession.