Michigan Ross Accounting Alumni Honored for Significant Contributions to the Industry
The Ross School of Business recently announced the 2025 Honorary Paton Fellow Award recipients: Jonathan Peck, MAcc ’17 and Matthew J. Howell, AB ’85. Peck and Howell will be recognized during the Paton Fellow induction ceremony on April 8.
Founded in 2016, the Honorary Paton Fellow Award recognizes individuals each year who have made significant contributions to the accounting industry. A track record of community or professional service and a positive impact on Michigan Ross accounting education is common among Honorary Paton Fellows.
Jonathan Peck – Rising Star
Peck was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He earned his undergraduate degree with honors from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where he studied economics and accounting. He then attended the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, where he earned a Master of Accounting degree with distinction. Peck is an Eagle Scout, Certified Public Accountant, Certified in Financial Forensics, and Certified Fraud Examiner.
Peck started his career at Google, where he participated in a rotational accounting and finance program for new college graduates. Peck has experience on many different teams at Google, including operating expenditures controllership, Ads revenue accounting, internal audit investigations, and YouTube financial planning and analysis. At YouTube, Peck has worked on the Business-to-Consumer Marketing, Global Operations, Originals, Spaces, Music, Content Partnerships, and Strategy finance teams.
Peck was part of the Google.org Crisis Connectivity team, deploying to disaster zones to restore internet and cellular connectivity to critically enable first responders to communicate with each other and with survivors. He went to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, to the Florida Panhandle after Hurricane Michael, and to Panama for training with the non-profits Information Technology Disaster Resource Center and NetHope.
Peck has volunteered as an Emergency Medical Technician with Rock Medicine, a non-profit that provides emergency medical services at music festivals and large public events to ease the burden on local hospitals and first responders. He served as a Ross MAcc alumni ambassador and has formally and informally mentored numerous Michigan Ross and Cal Poly accounting students. Peck also served as the Secretary for the Cal Poly Alumni Association SF Bay Area Chapter, Treasurer of the University of Michigan Alumni Association SF Chapter, Board Member for the Cal Poly Alumni Association, and board member of the Cal Poly Orfalea College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council.
Matthew J. Howell – Lifetime Achievement
A Detroit native, Howell joined Touche Ross & Co. (now Deloitte & Touche LLP) in 1985 and became a partner in 1998. Howell served over thirty-three years at Deloitte, taking on numerous career-defining roles and leaving an indelible mark on Deloitte and the profession. He started his career in Detroit serving on many of the office’s most important clients; from 1996–1998, he worked for Deloitte in Belgium; from 1998–2002, he was on assignment for Deloitte in Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan; and then returned to Detroit for the remainder of his career. Howell’s strategic global assignments helped strengthen the firm’s global network. In addition to serving public and private clients in various industries, Howell held several audit leadership roles, including Michigan audit quality leader and U.S. audit quality leader for Deloitte’s private company audits. In this last role, he was instrumental in updating Deloitte’s private company audit approach to achieve both efficiency and effectiveness. This updated approach continues in use today.
Howell’s legacy extended well beyond Deloitte with an impact on the profession, in the community, and giving back to the University of Michigan. From 2010 through 2018, Howell served on the State of Michigan Board of Accountancy. He continues to be associated with the State since his retirement as a consultant to the Board on accountancy matters. Examples of his commitment to his community and the university are through serving as Treasurer for several non-for-profit organizations and serving as a member of the Paton Advisory Board at the Ross School of Business.
Howell holds a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Howell has demonstrated a lifetime commitment to the accounting profession through his dedicated service to clients and professionals within Deloitte, the profession, the community, and the University of Michigan.
