Tommye Barie, CPA – 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?

In my experience, working with businesses and CPA firms, they typically spend 40-70% of their time doing basic compliance work. That compliance work becomes all-consuming and professionals get complacent about providing higher level services such as advisory, visionary, and change management.  As more and more of this lower-level compliance work moves globally and/or goes the way of AI and technology, practitioners must take the advisory space seriously or they risk losing a significant part of their revenue stream because clients will replace them with someone who will provide those higher-level services.  One of the biggest challenges that firms must address in providing such higher-level services  is attracting, developing, and retaining talent to deliver such services.

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

In anticipation of embracing the delivery of higher-level advisory services, it would be beneficial for firms to create a roadmap as to how they are going to evolve to ensure they have proper skills and experience to leverage this incredible opportunity before them

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

Often times women, whether getting started in their career or whether a seasoned professional, will not speak up or proactively seek opportunities. I recommend that young women master assertive behavior which will demonstrate an ability to speak up for themselves in a way that is honest and respectful while projecting self-confidence.  My message for them is to be bold, be brave, and be diligent about what they want and use their assertive skills in doing such.

======

Read more about the 2022 Most Powerful Women in Accounting Winners.