Accounting Alumnus of the Year Award

The Accounting Alumnus of the Year award was created in 1990 to honor the achievements of distinguished Fisher accounting alumni.

The recipient must not only exemplify Fisher's core values, but must meet three basic criteria of noteworthy career achievement, significant humanitarian effort, and outstanding contribution to the Fisher community.

2021/22 Recipient

Carol Anthony (John) Davidson ’76

Chief Accounting Officer of Tyco International

Davidson is a certified public accountant with more than 35 years of leadership experience across multiple industries. He has served on the boards of major multinational public corporations and U.S. financial systems regulatory organizations since 2010, and has a strong track record of building and leading global teams and implementing governance and control processes.

From 2004 to 2012, Davidson was senior vice president, controller, and chief accounting officer of Tyco International, where he was responsible for overseeing financial reporting, internal controls, and accounting policies and processes. In this role, Davidson worked as part of Tyco’s new senior leadership team in establishing financial integrity, operational excellence and strong ethical practices across Tyco global operations.

Prior to joining Tyco in 2004, Davidson served as vice president, audit, risk, and compliance for Dell Inc. During his six-year career at Dell, he served in other senior capacities including chief compliance officer, vice president and corporate controller, and vice president of internal audit. In addition, Davidson spent 16 years with Eastman Kodak Company where he led the company’s internal audit function and previously served in a variety of accounting and financial leadership roles. He began his career in public accounting with Arthur Andersen & Co.

Davidson spent five years on the board of governors of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) which regulates and oversees the U.S. financial industry in the interest of investor protection and market integrity. He also previously served as a member of the board of directors of Legg Mason, DaVita Inc., Pentair Plc, Allergan Plc, and as a trustee of the Financial Accounting Foundation which oversees financial accounting and reporting standard setting processes for the United States. In 2016, Davidson was inducted into the Financial Executives International Hall of Fame.

Davidson along with his wife, Michele, and their children have also endowed a scholarship to provide financial assistance to incoming undergraduate students.

Past Recipients