Statements of fact and opinion are the authors’ responsibility alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of PICPA officers or members. The information contained in herein does not constitute accounting, legal, or professional advice. For professional advice, please engage or consult a qualified professional.
Mentoring is generally seen as a more experienced person guiding a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. It has been accepted as a one-way street: wisdom flowing down from the senior mentor to the mentee. That’s really not how it should be.
When it comes to a diversity strategy, the focus is often on hiring more minority candidates. However, there is another, just as important, flip side of the coin: inclusion.
In May 2017, an EY team of 10 representing all of the firm’s functional service lines boarded a steamboat in the Peruvian Amazon. This was all part of the Earthwatch Ambassadors program, an effort that demonstrates EY’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and minimizing environmental impact.
The controller is one of the most recognizable roles in financial leadership, but if you want to continue on into the role of chief financial officer you will need to embrace some new ways of thinking.
Ten or 15 years ago, businesses were developing inclusion programs to attract women into the accounting profession. There has been some success: more than 50 percent of accounting grads were women for many years. But those additional young professional women didn’t translate into growth in the number of women holding leadership roles.