Teresa Mackintosh, CPA.CITP – 2014 Most Powerful Women in Accounting

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Click here to see the other honorees
of the 2014 “Most Powerful Women
in Accounting” awards.
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1. What advice would you give to female college students about the opportunities for women in the accounting profession?

   Iwould advise women in any profession to seek the balance that makes you feel content and successful. This varies person to person. There are no surefire ways that will lead you to get promoted or find balance. The reality is that “work-life integration” is about as good as it gets. If the partner/executive path is what you are seeking, go after it. And make sure you continually push yourself to grow by regularly taking on assignments and projects that are outside of your comfort zone.

2. What advice would you give accounting firms on things they could do to better retain and advance more qualified female staff?

   From my perspective, the most successful accounting firms embrace technology and the flexibility it can bring to attract and retain the best staff regardless of gender. As balancing work and family has historically fallen heavily on women, this need for current technology and workflows that allow for greater flexibility and efficiency can especially impact the attraction and retention of female professionals.

3. Do you think that there is still a glass ceiling in accounting firm senior management and partner levels, or that the profession has moved to a mostly gender neutral state?

   I believe the profession has largely moved to a gender neutral state.

4. How have you managed to balance your professional and personal life obligations, whether that includes family, etc?

   I’m a firm believer of work/life integration. Because the demands of my position entail both a heavy workload and extended hours, I use technology and mobile devices to stay connected. This allows me to keep on top of things whether I’m at work or home. I also recognize the importance of prioritizing and protecting those priorities. For key activities, I make every effort to multitask less and be fully engaged.

5. How mobile are you regarding your work? How have mobile devices and apps impacted your productivity and work-life balance?

   Because I am often traveling or working from home, I rely completely on the combination of my iPhone, iPad, and laptop.

6. What single piece of technology could you absolutely not live without, and why?

   My iPhone – it does everything in a pinch.

7. What is your favorite professional mobile app, and why?

   My favorite mobile app for business purposes is Salesforce1 (Salesforce.com app). It has a great design and I can access a tremendous amount of activity and client information quickly and easily.