Personal

Eric was born and raised on a family farm ten miles west of Plain City, Ohio, where he learned and developed a strong, dedicated work ethic. His parents instilled the invaluable principles of integrity, honesty, and transparency in relationships. Farming in the 1980s was extremely difficult due to prevailing adverse economic conditions at that time. Growing up during this challenging business environment provided Eric a solid foundation of what it takes to serve business owners: creativity, robust communication, diligence, and most importantly passion.

On the family farm, Eric had the privilege of working in the fields, as well as learning fundamental business management skills. Exposure to risk and utilizing effective risk management strategies is an element of managing a business that always captivated Eric. This background has proven to be beneficial in serving his professional relationships today.

Eric graduated in 1997 from The Ohio State University with dual majors in Accounting and Finance. Upon graduating college, he achieved his goal of immediately passing the CPA exam.

The highlight of Eric’s life was in November 2009 when he met his incredibly wonderful and extremely supportive future wife Lisa on eharmony. He hit the bonus when she introduced her lovely daughter, Caroline. Fast forward exactly a year to the day they met - Lisa and Eric were married on the beaches of the Turks and Caicos on November 20, 2010.

Outside of the office Eric enjoys spending time with his family and friends. Whether it is a weekend trip to the lake, a long excursion to an island or a new country abroad, Eric and his family love to travel. 

Professional

Eric accepted an accounting position with American Electric Power (AEP) upon graduating from Ohio State.

His career progressed at AEP until he transitioned to public accounting in 2015. In October 2021 he ventured out on his own, establishing his practice – Hessen Consulting. The name of which is an homage to his German ancestry.

He has an amazing team of associates that work together to serve their clients. Hessen serves an array of small and medium-sized businesses located throughout Ohio and nearby states.

Eric focuses on providing strategic tax planning and consulting for his clients, as well as providing accounting and business advisory services. He loves the challenge of advising business owners by providing solutions for complex transactions, as well as navigating daily opportunities and challenges.

Eric enjoys serving both established companies, as well as start-up ventures, the overall goal of which is to help clients grow, prosper, and preserve wealth.