Tessie Johnson

For over a decade, Tessie has managed the PricewaterhouseCoopers Des Moines, Iowa office. In addition to running the Des Moines office, she currently serves as the lead engagement partner on various life and annuity company audits under PCAOB and AICPA auditing standards in Iowa and the Midwest. As a member of the Trust Solutions practice with over 27 years of experience, Tessie has relationship responsibilities on behalf of PwC for many of Iowa’s insurance companies.

Prior to Des Moines, Tessie spent eight years in PwC’s Deals practice based in Chicago, advising financial services clients on technical accounting and financial reporting matters, including initial public offerings, 144A offerings, private debt, and equity offerings, carve-outs, acquisitions, IFRS and US GAAP conversions and cross border transactions. Tessie’s time in Deals also included an overseas tour to London for five years.

Tessie has served on various nonprofit and community boards in Des Moines, including the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Children & Families of Iowa (serving as President), One Economy Financial Development Corporation, and the United Way of Central Iowa (Executive Committee member, Chair of Finance/Audit Committee).

Tessie joined the firm in 1993 after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin and has worked in the Houston, Austin, London, and Chicago offices of PwC. She is a licensed CPA in Iowa and Texas. Tessie has been married John Owens, a portfolio manager for Morningstar, for 25 years. They have one daughter, Kathryn Owens, who was recently accepted to study neuroscience at Washington University in St. Louis. Tessie enjoys the vibrant Des Moines restaurant scene in her free time, traveling and shopping.