Janet Foutty – 2022 Most Powerful Women in Accounting

TRAITS OF AWARD WINNERS

1. She has been the driving force to create a culture of excellence, innovation, and inclusion. If she is a vendor, she has helped to develop the technologies and solutions that will empower organizations to be more productive and profitable.
2. She is one of the top leaders in the accounting profession and her leadership has had a demonstrable effect upon the accomplishments of the organization with which she is associated.
3. She is a mentor, sponsor, and a role model, someone who stands out in her ability to encourage and help those around her thrive and flourish.
4. The work she does is influential and is having a positive impact on the accounting profession as a whole.

PERSPECTIVES

What do you feel is the most important issue facing the accounting profession today?

The accounting profession is facing digital disruption which is creating opportunity to transform and innovate around new ways of working. With that, comes the increased need for diverse talent to lead the accounting profession into the future. Deloitte is working to generate more advisory, auditing, and tax career opportunities and leadership pathways for the next generation of CPAs. The MADE initiative led by a fellow honoree, Lara Abrash our Audit business CEO, is  Deloitte’s commitment to broaden the pipeline starting in high school by addressing major barriers faced by racially and ethnically diverse students and to grow the population of diverse talent.  It combines both financial support in collaboration with our non-profit Deloitte Foundation which I chair, and a breadth of resources to attract diverse individuals into the accounting field, and support them on their path to business professional and leadership.

What one thing would you recommend accountants do to prepare for the future?

Technology continues to be a driving force behind change and growth in the business world, and all professionals need to be conversant in and have a foundational understanding of how emerging tech such as AI, automation, cloud, and blockchain impacts how they work and how it impacts the clients they serve. Emerging technologies create an opportunity to augment, not replace human expertise. So not only is this an opportunity to understand disruptive tech, the future of work also gives space for professionals to hone their strategic thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills and create the inclusive environments that helps all professionals thrive.

What one skill or experience would you recommend that young women getting started in the accounting profession master?

In an era of disruption, I am a firm believer that we all need to stay curious. So, commit to continuous learning and reinvention because regardless of where each of us are in our careers, the things we are focused on today, won’t be the same in the years to come.

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