Interview with Chris Bergin, President and Publisher of Tax Analysts: The Increased Velocity of News and HR as an Integral Part of All Business Decisions

October 15th, 2014
Written by: TPO

This interview is part of a yearlong retrospective blog series commemorating TPO@20!—TPO’s 20th Birthday. These conversations with TPO partners, clients and executives focus on what has and hasn’t changed in “how we work” over the last two decades—and what we can learn for the next 20 years. This interview is with Chris Bergin, President and Publisher of Tax Analysts, which has been a TPO client since 2004.

TPO: Chris, thanks for taking time to chat with us.  Let’s start with an easy question: What do you do?

Chris Bergin: I’m President and Publisher at Tax Analysts, a nonprofit organization that is the leading independent provider of tax news and analysis for the global community.

TPO: Tell us more about Tax Analysts.

Chris Bergin: We’re basically an independent, non-partisan publisher and educational institution that fights for informed debate on tax policy.  It’s a bit tough in the tax area because some of the most important information is hidden from the public.  So we force Federal and State governments to release info on how tax laws are applied to the public—via FOIA and the courts. We don’t exist to sue governments, but when we do, our success rate is almost 100 percent.

TPO: What were you doing around 1994, the year TPO was founded?

Chris Bergin: I was editor of Tax Analysts’ flagship publication, Tax Notes, which was a big deal in our industry. It was a perfect job for me because it combined my two loves: taxes and writing. I focused on making Tax Notes the best it can be in the industry—when you’re the best you’re competing against yourself. In 1994 I was thinking about what the Internet would mean to publishing relative to our niche.

TPO: In 1994, Netscape introduced the browser and America Online provided Internet access. Do you remember the first thing you did on the World Wide Web?

CB: I’m really not a tech person, but I probably tried to use it as a research tool to begin with. At the time, I could find stuff in the print version of Tax Notes, our flagship publication, faster than in the electronic version. We produce a lot of background documents used by lawyers, and we also had print magazines where you could reference documents. We were the go-to place for any obscure document you needed, all stored on microfiche.

TPO: What else do you recall about the changes in technology?

CB: Before ’94 I was at Prentiss Hall, and we were digesting documents that the IRS published every week called “letter rulings.” We had a machine that printed on demand in two minutes any documents I needed. I remember thinking: “This will change the world one day.”

TPO: In terms of changes in your industry that have had a significant impact on “how you work,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

CB: Speed. The velocity of doing business. The quickness with which you can get news into customers’ hands. The IRS could issue a revenue ruling or pronouncement and a couple guys in a law firm in Cincinnati could write a response—either positive or negative. And within two weeks of writing it, it could be published in Tax Analysts. Now it is instantaneous. Recently I was tweeting from a press conference about what the U.S. Treasury Secretary had to say about corporate inversions, which is an extremely hot topic in today’s tax information market.

The other big change is the tremendous level of information overload and noise. The good news for us is that there’s a more critical need than ever for experts to separate wheat from the chaff. The amount of bad tax information on the web is infuriating. People incorrectly explaining the law creates confusion. Often, telling people what they don’t need to read is as important as what to read—it saves time for lawyers who are billing $1,000 per hour. So in a way, our clients pay for the lack of clutter.

TPO: Has the increase in real-time, always-on communications been a positive thing for you—or not so positive?

CB: It’s been mostly positive for us. It’s good for news and getting news out with speed. Our readership wants us to get them the news fast. One of the things that frightens any tax lawyer the most is not knowing.

TPO: Thinking back 20 years, what was your definition of Human Resources then and what is it now?

CB: The definition of HR has changed tremendously. My perception of it as a manager over 20 years ago was the “nurse’s office,” where you could get a Band-Aid or aspirin or fill out a form. It was completely tactical. I’m an enormous believer in strategic HR and have been for a number of years. With tactical HR, you say, “the handbook says this.” With strategic HR, you see the issue and where you’re going and say, “Let’s see if we can solve this problem.” It’s critical in an organization like ours that relies so heavily on people. Strategic HR to me means that, as you plan the organization’s goals one, three and five years out, HR needs to have as much input as editorial, finance and IT teams.  HR is an integral part of every decision your organization makes because of resources and training.

TPO: Has the definition of leadership changed?

CB: Somewhat. More people want to be proud of what they do; employees want to be heard and valued. Strategic HR helps you best guide and lead people. As Peter Drucker said, “Management is about doing things right. Leadership is about doing the right things.”

TPO: What impact has TPO had on your business?

CB: As I mentioned, I’m a huge proponent of strategic HR, and I’ve found that TPO is around the cutting edge of strategic HR as well. I care about the people here, which is why I engaged TPO for many projects over many years. They’re the best in the game. I wouldn’t consider using anyone else. Our association with them has been nothing but fruitful on our side.  I’ve relied heavily on (TPO Founder and Chairperson) Karen Usher—she’s had an enormous influence on me as a leader. I go to her with tough issues, and she has been invaluable as an advisor.  So I’ve been a big fan of TPO for a long time and will be for a long time to come.

TPO: Chris, this conversation has been fascinating. I want to thank you so much for your insights and for taking part in the celebration of TPO’s 20^th year in business.

CB: You are quite welcome.  It’s been a pleasure.