Larry Pociask.

• Position: Tate & Lyle global tax head and vice president - Interview

Tax is sometimes viewed as an amalgam of social, political, and economic influences. And it was precisely that combination that galvanized Larry Pociask's interest in tax as a profession: "My interest in tax started with a great professor at Michigan State, Ed Outslay, who found a way to weave politics, social issues, economics, and, of course, funny stories into tax, and that's what got me hooked.

"In addition," he says, "my participation in Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA, which is sometimes called Ladder Up) also served to strengthen my connection to the profession by providing an opportunity to give back to the community in a unique way that utilized my professional skills."

Pociask, vice president, global head of tax, at Tate & Lyle, spent a dozen years at Ernst & Young working in its Detroit office, its national tax office in Washington, D.C., and the EMEIA Tax Centre in the United Kingdom. "I was fortunate enough to work on a wide array of tax technical issues over the years," he says, but more important, he gained "valuable professional relationships that offered differing perspectives on issues."

In the end, he notes, Tate & Lyle has been a great fit for him for several reasons. "At the time I joined, the company was moving their US headquarters from Decatur, Illinois, to the greater Chicago area.

So there was an opportunity to build a new tax function with new resources, new technologies, and a new attitude. This is unique inasmuch that most tax function leadership transitions stem from corporate M&A activity, longer-term succession planning, or unplanned departures. The company also had specific tax areas that aligned well with my areas of technical expertise. Last, but not least, the firm was a UK company that provided me an opportunity to stay connected with friends and colleagues from my time in the UK."

What's the most interesting tax issue he's worked on at Lyle & Tate? "There have been a wide variety of tax planning initiatives that we have undertaken over the years," he says. "In addition, the changes brought on by the 2017 tax reform legislation continue to be the 'gift that keeps on giving.' However, I would say some of the most satisfying work is connected to incentives. When the company is growing, hiring new employees, deploying new capital...