Shayna Chapman, CPA.CITP – 2015 Most Powerful Women in Accounting

What advice would you give to female college students about the opportunities for women in the accounting profession?

When talking to female students, I like to tell them accounting isn’t just about working in public accounting firms with 60 hour weeks. There are so many options with an accounting degree. You can climb the ladder at a large public firm or you can work in house at a large or small business. You can design your life around your accounting career or you can design your accounting career around your life. Accounting opens up so many possibilities for those who want to focus on their careers, those who want to focus on their families, and for those who want to balance both.

What advice would you give accounting firms on ways in which they can better retain and advance more qualified female staff?

Accounting firms have traditionally been managed by men and have very set ideas on work hours and the way work is done. I’d ask that they think about more quality-of-life issues. Just because a firm provides a better atmosphere and a little flexibility for quality of life for women (and men) doesn’t mean the quality of the work drops. With cloud computing, the ability to have 24-7 access, and proper management, I think firms will find they will retain better employees who will work harder to provide quality output to work for those firms that recognize a home life is important, too.

What is the name of one book that has been a great influence to you?

Implementing Value Pricing by Ron Baker.

In what ways do you participate in the professional community to change/improve the accounting profession?

My peers and I are known to be a little different in the accounting profession. We have pushed value pricing, more flexible scheduling, and virtual offices. We mentor younger accountants through the groups we belong to. We write articles, put our messages out at conferences, help with software innovations, and let people know we LOVE our profession, but we LOVE doing it OUR way; a way that focuses on a quality work product for our clients and quality of life for us.

In what ways do you participate in your local community to help others?

Helping locally is as much a part of my life as my accounting career. Most of my non-work time really is spent within my community to help it be a great place to live and thrive. I have sat on many boards of civic and charitable organizations. All of these boards have required a great deal of my time. But it is worth it to see the impact they have on the local community either by helping people or helping with economic development. The boards and organizations I currently participate in are The Holzer Heritage Foundation Board (a hospital foundation), The Downtown Revitalization Project Board (economic development), The Gallipolis Junior Women’s Club Board (constant fundraising and distribution to women, children, and charities in need), Marshall University Lewis College of Business Accountancy and Legal Environment Advisory Board, American Cancer Society Relay for Life, and America in Bloom, among many other community and fundraising events. I love the impact these organizations have and I love knowing that I’m helping them make it.

What changes do you foresee in the accounting profession of the near future (3-5 years)?

I truly believe technology is going to keep changing the profession. We have all watched as technology has changed rapidly over the last decade. I believe this affects many aspects of the profession. With mobile devices, the way we work is changing. We aren’t tied to our desks. We can have a life with our families and still get our work done. Technology also plays a part in the way we price. I can get something done much quicker now due to many technologies, but does that mean I should bill less? No. The value of that product is still the same. I believe the accounting profession is going to start pricing more on a value base and less on an hourly. Technology also changes how I interact with my clients. As more cloud products become available, the profession is able to get information to/from clients quicker. We can have access to real time bookkeeping information and this will allow us to expand our services into a variety of proactive services (as opposed to reactive) that we couldn’t do easily before. I’m looking forward to the future!

How do you see yourself participating in shaping the future of the accounting profession?

I plan on continuing my mentoring of other accountants, writing blogs regarding technology, participating in the conversations within our professional organizations, and leading by example.

Describe one person who has been an important mentor to you and how that person helped shape the direction or focus of your professional life.

I can never say too much how my father, Steven B Chapman, CPA (inactive), has shaped my professional life (and life in general). So many amazing people in the accounting industry have helped me and I am grateful for every one of them. My past firms have taught me so much. And, I’m blessed to have met exceptional people at conferences who stay in touch and let me pick their brains regularly. However, my father, a recovering CPA, is my greatest mentor. He’s taught me not only about the profession, business, and how to succeed at being a successful firm, but he’s also taught me about life, community involvement, and how being a wonderful, thoughtful person provides positive results for everyone including yourself. It’s not ALL about making money. It’s about doing the best job you can, embracing your clients like family, providing services in your community for which you will never get paid, and always doing things for the right reasons. My firm and my desire to see myself and my clients succeed and grow are a result of the values and lessons he has taught me.
 

 ————————
Click here to see the other honorees of the 2015
“Most Powerful Women in Accounting” awards.
————————