Program Propels Women Toward Partner Track at Accounting Firm

The accounting and business consulting firm Armanino  has announced a new Executive Access Program that pairs high-potential female managers with firm executive committee members to provide them the opportunity to build relationships with key leaders and help drive career advancement. The firm also announced a Transparency to Partnership educational track to provide clearer insight and more transparency about what it takes to be a partner. Both initiatives were developed by Armanino’s Women’s Advancement Network (WAN) and comes after extensive survey findings of male and female Armanino partners and managers provided insights on barriers and opportunities for female partner promotion. The WAN was created by the firm to address the gender gap at the partner level, by creating initiatives and events that foster an environment encouraging women’s leadership at the highest levels.

“Armanino is committed to not only meeting but exceeding the industry average of female partners,” said Andy Armanino, managing partner of Armanino LLP. “In the past three years, 29 percent of internal partner promotions were women, a trend we would like to see increase in the future.”

The nationwide Accounting MOVE Project, an annual report that has compiled and analyzed data surrounding women’s advancement for more than 30 years, conducted an internal survey for Armanino LLP that showcased several areas of disconnect between men and women in pursuing partnership. Results revealed that women were opting out of the partner track at twice the rate of men and that executive sponsorship was one of the most important factors in achieving partnership. The survey also revealed gaps in the understanding of the qualifications and benefits of partnership for both men and women.