Women of NABA in Leadership - 2019 Spring Spectrum Magazine

iWnOLMeEaNdOeFrsNhAiBpA Women are changing the face of leadership in business, and By Maya Francis some former board chairs of NABA are no exception. PEARSON RAMONA PEARSON, CPA, KIM GRIFFIN-HUNTER, CPA RUSSELL CRPC (chairman, 1985-87), is the owner (chairman, 2003-2004), is the managing of Ramona H. Pearson, CPA, P.C., which partner of Deloitte South Florida, where AVANT focuses on tax compliance; Business Office she leads a multidisciplinary group of Consultants, LLC, which provides financial professionals representing Audit, Risk and HGRUINFFTIENR- management consulting services; and the Financial Advisory, Tax and Consulting Pearson Group, LLC (dba Health, Wealthy, Services. In addition, as the East Region SKILLERN Wise, LLC), which specializes in individual Health Care market leader, she mobilizes financial services and products. Her career Deloitte’s partners and resources to solve spans more than 30 years and she continues clients’ complex issues. In her client service to serve a wide range of governmental roles, she enhances client business value agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit through large-scale transformations, organizations and individuals in eight states. including cost reduction, revenue cycle, finance, digital and automation and mergers GRETA RUSSELL, CPA, CGMA and acquisitions advisory services. (chairman, 1988-1990), recently retired as GWENDOLYN SKILLERN, the controller for the Ohio State University, where she directed the university’s CPA (chairman, 2006-2008), retired in April Divisions of Accounting, Accounts Payable, 2018 as chief audit executive of CareFirst Cost Allocation, Financial Training and BlueShield, a not-for-profit managed health- Documentation, Systems Development, Tax, care insurance company, where she served Asset Management, Equipment Surplus and as senior vice president and general auditor. Travel. She formerly served as comptroller At CareFirst, she was responsible for directing of the Ohio State Treasurer’s Office and internal audit services for all essential as the assistant vice president at Buckeye operations. During her career, she has held Federal Savings & Loan. She is the recipient various positions in public accounting, of the Honorary Doctorate of Community corporate finance and internal auditing, and Leadership from Franklin University and has also served as a partner with Williams Adley had an endowment created in her name. & Co. (San Francisco) and owner/operator of her own CPA firm in Oakland, California. She ANGELA AVANT, CPA, CGMA began her career with Deloitte, Haskins & Sells in San Francisco. (chairman, 1994-1997), is president of Enterprise Advisory Solutions, a multifaceted These short bios represent only business and financial management a fraction of these women’s firm. She is a former president and chief experience. They have all held executive officer of NABA, where she led the numerous leadership and board development of the association’s strategic positions in NABA, as well as in the plan. She has served as partner, Internal community and in the profession. Audit, Risk and Compliance Services, Spectrum interviewed them on the partner-in-charge of diversity, and director, subject of leadership and they had Management Assurance Services for KPMG. plenty to say. Prior to that, Avant was the inspector general of the District of Columbia and held management positions at Corning Inc. and Arthur Andersen. 14 SPECTRUM | SPRING 2019

SPECTRUM: What specifically prepared you for SKILLERN: I joined the San Francisco Bay Area chapter leadership in NABA? of NABA upon graduation from graduate school. At my first chapter meeting, I was appointed chapter secretary PEARSON: Destiny (I was destined to lead) and desire by NABA icons Ralph Grant and Donald White. Thus, I was put me on that road. There also was encouragement of the given the opportunity to lead at the start of my NABA NABA pioneers –­­both local (such as Benjamin L. King Sr.) journey and was mentored by NABA greats over the and national. Positions as a local leader (treasurer, then course of my career. I went on to hold every leadership chapter president) of NABA and then a national leader position in the SFBA chapter, and served as Western (director, treasurer, then chairman) were all important in Region director and on the NABA National Board prior to becoming NABA’s national leader. Specifically, observing serving as NABA board chair. Having the opportunity to the behavior of our pioneering leadership – Cecil Flamer, work with passionate NABA members across the country Paula Cholmondeley, Julia Richie, Tom Watson, Tom on a variety of projects, tasks and committees to improve McCrae, and the list goes on – was most impactful. opportunities for our members and the profession allowed me to develop and enhance my leadership skills. In RUSSELL: I joined NABA at the mid-point of my career, addition, my undergraduate degree in business from UC so I had previous leadership experience. However, getting Berkeley and an MBA from Stanford University gave me a involved as a founding member of the Columbus chapter sound foundation in accounting and finance and taught and serving in several leadership roles in the chapter important critical thinking skills. leading up to president, and then serving as a regional vice SPECTRUM: How did leadership in NABA prepare you president, prepared me to serve as national president. for leadership in the profession? Serving in my local chapter, and then participating on the regional and national levels allowed me to understand PEARSON: There is no doubt that being a youthful (at how NABA functioned and also to build strong professional the time) leader in a national organization put me ahead relationships with other leaders in the organization across of the curve in terms of comfortableness with being in the country, which helped me succeed in leadership. the boardroom. One thing that was noticed early in my national NABA career is that the NABA national leaders AVANT: What prepared me was the collective had no gray hair compared to our counterparts in the larger society of the profession (AICPA, MACPA). In fact, I impact of a solid education, my experiences and roles would almost say that exposure to NABA may have given at Andersen, Corning, and as the inspector general of the larger organizations of the profession the impetus to the District of Columbia, the support of my employers take on younger folks to their leadership. Much like Tiger (monetary and administrative) coupled with my desire to changed golf, I think we changed the profession’s attitude make a difference, and my “can-do” attitude. In addition, about younger folk in the boardroom. my NABA colleagues provided me a family away from home that expanded and broadened my network and reach, that cared about my success, and that I could go to for those “questions” and provided me all the vision, RUSSELL: Being in NABA, both on a local and national direction and energy needed to reach for the stars and level, helped me build many strong relationships through achieve my heart’s desires. serving on numerous boards and committees with other leaders across the country. I became active in AICPA, GRIFFIN-HUNTER: My upbringing and education was selected to serve on the Ohio Board of Accountancy helped me build the confidence and skill set needed and served in leadership roles with both organizations. for leadership roles and a successful career. As an only Locally, I served as treasurer of political campaigns and was child, I was given a lot of time and focus by my parents. I selected to serve on both city and state commissions as a was treated as an adult from the beginning. Building on result of my leadership in the Columbus Chapter. that foundation of confidence, I got involved in school groups including high school student government and AVANT: NABA provided a safe place to identify and college sorority initiatives. After graduation, I sought out community organizations to contribute my skills and develop/refine my gaps essential to becoming and being was naturally attracted to NABA so that I could inspire a successful leader in the profession. While I was able to other people of color to pursue a career in accounting. bring skills to NABA from my experiences in the profession It was there that I met an African American partner at a in early leadership roles in NABA, my experiences as a professional services firm, which I did not realize existed national leader provided me the opportunity to develop before joining NABA. and/or refine a number of skills that would serve to enhance my overall leadership profile and continued success potential. NABA also provided me a broader platform to demonstrate my commitment to and passion SPRING 2019 | SPECTRUM 15

iWnOLMeEaNdOeFrsNhAiBpA for diversity, equity and inclusion in the profession, as well SPECTRUM: Have there been challenges as a as being of service/giving back, and to helping others to be woman leader? their best. While not planned, my appointment and return to NABA PEARSON: There were no challenges in NABA as a as president and chief executive officer allowed me to woman leader. I think that is rooted in the strong role bring back the totality of my experiences and skills gained the mother plays in the African American community. I as a leader in our profession and as a leader and volunteer definitely received different treatment as auditor general in NABA and other organizations. Ultimately, I believe it and emergency financial manager in the City of Highland has been a win-win for me personally, and for NABA and all Park, Michigan. By different, I mean not as many privileges, of the organizations that I have served. also questioned, ignored and subject to end-around GRIFFIN-HUNTER: I began my professional career strategies, etc. It’s as old as the Bible, but we simply have at Deloitte over 30 years ago and the NABA chapter to continue to fight these tendencies from generation to was an integral part of my professional development. generation. Getting involved with the organization early in my career provided an amazing opportunity to build and shape my RUSSELL: The challenge earlier in my career was that professional and personal relationships. Serving on NABA I was often the only woman – or one of very few women committees and boards inspired me to start building – in many of the rooms I was in, and the challenge has diversity in the workplace, and I encouraged others to do always been equal pay and being equally respected. I the same within their organization. consistently observe that men are given respect initially My experience serving on committees and as board chair, and have to lose it, while women have to earn it from the presenting in front of peers, and resolving conflicts all start. contributed to my professional development. The extent of my involvement in NABA was one of my differentiators AVANT: Very early in my career, a partner who when I was being considered for partner at Deloitte. SKILLERN: Serving in my various roles in NABA, I had I worked very closely with for a long time told me, the opportunity to develop my leadership, communication, “Remember, sometimes you will need to toot your own facilitation and technical accounting skills in a safe horn.” I understood what he was saying. However, at environment. NABA also exposed me to a diverse group of the time, and even as I progressed in the firm, I often personalities, ethnic backgrounds, and business models. felt that as a woman, particularly a black woman, no As a chapter, regional and national officer working with matter how obvious the impact/results/accomplishments corporate sponsors, I enhanced my marketing and fund were as leaders, acknowledgement/recognition was development skills and had the opportunity to engage with not comparable to that bestowed upon men of all corporate executives individually and at the NABA regional ethnicities. The guys didn’t necessarily have to “toot the and national conferences. All of my NABA experiences horn” since they were the majority and predominantly enhanced my ability to successfully own and operate a the leaders. While the percentages of female graduates CPA firm, attain positions of increased responsibility in and new hires in our profession and the business world public accounting, and successfully navigate in corporate as a whole are leveling out, retention and advancement America. Also, I was able to apply these skills in my to the executive ranks continue to represent an area volunteer work in the community serving on numerous ripe with opportunities for improvement. The woman nonprofit boards over the course of my career. NABA affinity groups in place in most firms and businesses also facilitated the development of lifelong friends and today have great programs and have certainly made a colleagues, always willing to counsel, mentor, open doors difference. Unfortunately, as I look at the successes across of opportunity and cheer me on over the course of my all ethnicities of women, in the firms and business sector career. In fact, such NABA greats as Cecil Flamer and Larry as a whole, there are significant disparities. As all people Bailey provided invaluable guidance and assistance to me are not treated equal, nor are all women. There are still in obtaining the chief audit executive position and over the challenges, thus opportunities, related to unconscious course of my tenure. bias, equality, inclusiveness and belonging. Until there is visible progress for all women, there is no progress. 16 SPECTRUM | SPRING 2019

iWnOLMeEaNdOeFrsNhAiBpA So, ladies, reach out and support, empower another SPECTRUM: How do corporations, government, woman. If we, as women, all women, formed a true educational institutions and other entities sisterhood, built on the basic principles to support and benefit by including women in leadership? empower each other, our Girl Power, Girl Magic will truly show its rightful place at all levels, across all sectors and PEARSON: A significant part of the consumer base industries. That would be true diversity, equality and is female, and our leadership is helpful in addressing inclusion. the needs and concerns of female audiences as well as GRIFFIN-HUNTER: Deliberate Voice: Female voices the audience of non-adults and young adults. Most will can sometimes be harder to hear at the table – some admit women are “wired” different from men and that is women may be silent in their agreement while men are important in obtaining a broader view or opinion on all typically more boisterous with acclaim. I’ve learned over matters of business and life. Women are a large part of the years to be very deliberate with speech, so that each the workforce and customer world. Having women leaders word has meaning, and I am creating a deliberate and helps address those markets’ needs. distinctive voice. RUSSELL: Women bring a different perspective than Having an integrated life: Let’s face it, we all have a men, which ultimately leads to better decision-making and personal life and need to find the right balance between better outcomes overall. I believe that diversity in opinions home matters and business. As a partner with the largest and perspectives always leads to better results. Plus, professional services firm in the world, a devoted mother women comprise half of the population; so why would and wife, and serving as the CEO of my family, I have you want to eliminate half of the talent and skill in any learned to juggle. Exposing the caring side while needing profession? to be a strong leader sometimes creates an image paradox GRIFFIN-HUNTER: It’s no coincidence that I have of “demanding yet caring” in work versus life. remained at Deloitte for more than 30 years. Our values Gender Inclusion: Deloitte creates a sense of belonging align and Deloitte has consistently fostered my growth. and inclusion in the workplace. We were the first In my personal experience, Deloitte understands that professional services organization to establish women’s inclusive leadership empowers people with actionable and diversity initiatives, in 1993. With that commitment steps on how they can personalize, identify, model, and and leadership from the top, standards evolved in the advance business objectives. workplace. Deloitte was the first of the Big Four to elect a woman SKILLERN: I am hopeful that times have progressed CEO, a minority CEO, a woman CEO of a large consulting from when I started in the profession as only one of a organization, a minority chairman, and a woman chairman. few women in my firm and as I was rising through the The leadership commitment and innovative thinking leadership ranks. However, I wonder if the racism and have landed us on several best-places-to-work lists, sexism are simply harder to recognize, especially in including Working Mother’s 100 Best Companies and Best organizations making diversity an imperative in their Companies for Working Mothers and the FORTUNE 100 corporate culture. In my role as chief audit executive, Best Companies to Work For®. as a woman, I felt that my authority was challenged For the past four years, more than 50 percent of new more and my credibility questioned more than my male partners, principals, and managing directors have been counterparts’. As our parents schooled us, if you are black women and/or minorities. Currently, more than 50 percent you must be 10 times better, I felt the same challenge as of our Board of Directors are women and/or minorities. a woman executive, especially in my role as chief audit Why does inclusion matter to an employer? Studies by executive where I often had to inform primarily white such groups as the Alliance for Board Diversity and the male executives that processes in their departments National Association of Corporate Directors suggest that represented control and business risks to the company, organizations with inclusive cultures are more likely to which required corrective action. In addition, as a woman, meet or exceed financial targets, are high-performing, and communication and negotiation skills are critical as you achieve better business outcomes.  must maintain your composure and professionalism or run the risk of being labeled “aggressive” or “angry.” SPRING 2019 | SPECTRUM 17

iWnOLMeEaNdOeFrsNhAiBpA This is because happy employees are typically more may not be your mentor and the individuals in these roles motivated and diverse business teams better align with may change over time. Finally, get involved. Whether it client composition. is through your company’s employee network groups, SKILLERN: Women bring a unique perspective to the NABA, or outside community activities, find a way to give workplace not often possessed by their male counterparts, back. Success comes through hard work, and by being which contributes to diversity in thought leadership and passionate about everything that you do. As the saying problem solving in the workplace. In addition, I believe goes, if you love what you do, you will never work a day in that women have more nurturing tendencies, which your life. I am a witness to that. results in a more inspiring and motivational culture within GRIFFIN-HUNTER: Be deliberate in developing your their teams and the company. core skill set and build relationships with a wide range of SPECTRUM: What advice do you have for women practitioners. Career progression is not linear and having in accounting who aspire to be leaders in their a broad network will be beneficial on a winding, and respective organizations. sometimes long, road. Keep in mind, there should also be give and take in relationships; sometimes you’ll find PEARSON: Sometimes leaders just fall into place. giving is more fulfilling than receiving. While building your Most of the time it requires some self-grooming. In career, I believe it’s important to remain true to yourself our profession, one needs to know the business that and your values because at the end of the day, the level they are in – public accounting, corporate accounting, of happiness you feel in your career will contribute either management, etc. Learn what it means to lead and be positively or negatively to your success. responsible for others and outcomes. Hone in on soft SKILLERN: Above all, you must be highly competent skills – sharpen them. Shore up your communications and possess a high level of skills in accounting, but also abilities, verbal and written. Learn the non-business work in risk management, business processes, consulting, environment and how to negotiate it. Find out who you negotiating and leadership. In addition, women must learn can trust in the organization and who you cannot. Show to be political in the workplace, recognizing who in the that you care about others and can work with others. organization are powerbrokers. This starts with the CEO, Show that you are willing to take the risks associated however, you must also learn who are the key influencers with influence and leading. Pick opportunities to shine and ensure that you have a good working relationship for the decision-makers; this assumes you have learned with them. This can be accomplished by delivering value- how the ascension of leaders takes place (i.e., sponsors/ added services, as well as cultivating mentor/champion mentors). Every organization is different as each individual relationships. Women often find it challenging to tie into in organizations is different. Leaders possess an awareness the political network of an organization as we sometimes and enable their success. Don’t give up on yourself. may feel that we do not have much in common with our peers, in particular in white male dominated organizations. RUSSELL: Aspiring leaders should certainly look This may require you to expand your interests to gain more to build their leadership experience and skill through exposure to your counterparts, such as learning to play organizations like NABA, and to develop professional golf. The business environment is also changing as more relationships through being active on boards, committees women attain leadership positions in their organizations. and other community work. It goes without saying that However, as I tell my daughter, who is a manager in a being a leader requires doing excellent work and staying major corporation, just be aware of what is going on on the leading edge of the industry with your skills and around you. capabilities. SPECTRUM: As a leader, how have you fulfilled NABA’s motto:  Lifting As We Climb? AVANT: I offer three pieces of advice. First, focus on PEARSON: I love the NABA motto. My entire career developing your skill set for your area of focus. Continuous success was the execution of the NABA motto. As I said learning and professional development will help you in earlier, every job I ever got was because of a NABA your career. Second, find a mentor who can help you person lifting me as they climbed. I quickly put it to work navigate your career as well as your organization. You will from my end by recruiting employees who look like me, also need a sponsor and a champion. This person may or 18 SPECTRUM | SPRING 2019

iWnOLMeEaNdOeFrsNhAiBpA tutoring would-be accountants who look like me, when life, it’s important to remember my roots and the path I’ve in high positions, contracting with folks with firms whose traveled to be where I am today. I have served as a role employees looked like me, and using my influence to make model and mentor for the next generation, lifting others the larger, white society aware of the barriers to entry and up and encouraging them to use their voice. I feel strongly upward movement people of color suffer in the workplace. about giving advice each day that may positively position That also may have meant chastising folks who looked like another in the workplace. In addition, it’s important to me to do their part to be ready for the opportunity, but the open doors and make introductions for others, giving them proof comes every time someone walks up to me and says the opportunity to shine. Simply put, I find the time to do “thank you for employing me, thank you for referring me, it every day – sometimes in small ways, sometimes in large thank you for remembering our firm, thank you for helping ways. It all matters. me with that license situation, or thank you for helping my SKILLERN: Throughout my professional career as I son, or daughter or whomever.” I hear it all the time. progressed in my responsibilities, I hired, mentored and And the Lifting as we climb has results in many, many promoted black accountants. In addition, I mentored lifelong relationships that still exist. I am so grateful and NABA professionals across the country throughout their thankful for NABA and all who have been a part of it and careers, in some instances meeting them while they loved it and lived out its motto. I know I have been a were high school or college students, many of whom are beneficiary of it, and there are thousands of others who now corporate executives, business owners or partners would admit the same. in CPA firms. I fondly refer to them as my NABA sons RUSSELL: I have always been very active with bringing and daughters. One example is Okorie Ramsey, who I young people into the accounting profession and helping met when he was in high school. Okorie is now a senior young people succeed. For years, I have been active with executive with Kaiser Permanente. Also, as owner and Junior Achievement and the ACAP Ohio program, annually operator of my CPA firm and as a partner in a minority sponsoring the awards for the case competition. In fact, CPA firm, I hired and mentored young professionals to the motto Lifting As We Climb was the tagline I used during achieve success. In addition, having lived in California, my NABA presidency before it was adopted as the motto Georgia and now Maryland, I always support the local for the organization. I believe that you’re only successful in NABA chapter with my time, talent and financial resources, the No. 1 position if you’ve prepared someone else in the as evidenced by the appreciation and service awards that No. 2 position to succeed as well. Helping others succeed I have received from the San Francisco Bay Area, Atlanta is the very essence of who I am as a person and as an and Baltimore NABA chapters. In addition, by volunteering accountant. in the community working with nonprofit organizations, I GRIFFIN-HUNTER: Every day and in every interaction, have secured funding for organizations, served as officers I can lift people up. I believe that no matter where I go in and members of boards of directors and positively impacted the lives of those less fortunate. ▲ SPRING 2019 | SPECTRUM 19