Women and Accounting

When I interviewed at Deloitte, my first accounting job after finishing school, I met with a woman who was a manager in the firm. She told me that what she really wanted to do as a child was be a major league baseball player, but since having a woman in that role was likely never going to happen in her lifetime, she decided on accounting because she was good with numbers. She didn’t get to play baseball, but she still got to play on the boys’ team. Accounting was a man’s profession then, and, many will argue, still is.

I’ve lost count of how many conversations I’ve had with people who are trying to change attitudes toward women from within accounting firms. People who are looking for more tolerance, work/life blend, equalized pay, better opportunities for advancement – the list is long. What strikes me about these conversations is that those who seek change are going to the men, the alleged leaders in the profession, and saying, “We want this,” “You need to do this,” “Please consider these changes.”

What I would really like to see are more women who stop asking and start doing – women who are unhappy with conditions at their firm starting their own firm. Grow your own company from the ground up, make it so perfect and attractive to other women that they will clamor to join you, and you will get the best candidates, attract the best clients, provide the best services, achieve the best reputation. When will we see a top 10 accounting firm comprised mainly of women, leading, following, learning, engaging, providing the best services, and being recognized as a leader in the profession?