Lindsay Stevenson, CPA, CGMA – 2020-2021 Most Powerful Women in Accounting

What advice would you give others following in your similar path about the opportunities for women in the accounting profession?

I believe the opportunities for women in the accounting profession are infinite. We are experiencing a shift within the profession allowing for more flexibility and greater compassion for creating harmony between our personal and professional roles. My advice is to speak up and speak often. Share what is important to you from a career perspective and don’t be afraid to prioritize what matters most. Women have many allies in the profession who are willing to listen and use their influence to help us achieve our greatest goals.

What steps would you offer to employers to be more effective in retaining and advancing women?

The AICPA Women’s Initiatives Executive Committee have published a number of resources I believe employers can leverage in their efforts to retain and advance women on their teams. From coaching to sponsorship to creating an organizational women’s initiative, employers can find step-by-step guidance to engage women at all levels and create a powerful collaborative leadership team that has been proven to result in bottom-line wins.

Why did you choose to work in – and stay in – an accounting related field?

I was lucky enough to start my motherhood journey VERY early in life and the accounting profession allowed (and still allows) me the opportunities to work a schedule that supports my role as a mother. In addition, I love puzzles and accounting was an opportunity to get paid for solving puzzles while helping non-finance colleagues achieve meaningful results.

What book(s), blog(s), or podcast(s) do you recommend that have guided you on your journey?

Simon Sinek’s podcast “A Little Bit of Optimism” is one of my new favorites. I also recommend reading anything by Simon Sinek and Brene Brown. I am also now a fan of Kat Cole and follow her Substack blog posts.

McKinsey & Company issued their 2020 Women in the Workplace study that basically says that the current pandemic is starting to impact the strides women, especially women of color, have made in the profession. What advice would you give to employers to support women during this time so that the future of our workforce isn’t negatively impacted?

I believe this pandemic has allowed each of us to better understand the challenges of harmonizing the demands on women at work and at home. We are seeing it firsthand on our Zoom calls and in our own homes. Be cognizant of the lessons you are learning about those challenges and listen to what your women team members are telling you. Think about the small things your organization can do to lighten the burden for women who are being called to show up in all of their roles (professional, mother, wife, care-giver to elder parents, etc.) all of the time. If you listen, women will tell you what they need.

What advice would you share with young women CPAs striving to achieve similar success in this profession?

Believe in yourself as much as you believe in the women who inspire you. More likely than not, you don’t give yourself enough credit for the incredible work you are doing and the amazing things you have accomplished. Find yourself a mentor and consider being a mentor yourself, it is a game changer in the professional development arena when you leverage the experiences of others and allow your experiences to be leveraged in the same way!

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

There are so many individuals who have been a mentor and/or sponsor to me over the years and I wouldn’t be who I am without each of them. My current mentor, Carl Peterson, has helped me to think outside the box when I am feeling stuck and to consider opportunities I couldn’t readily see. I am grateful for his advice and his humor more than he will ever know!

Please share a personal rule or principle that you follow.

Walt Disney said it best “Keep moving forward.” I believe the next great thing is just around the corner. Every challenge, every failure, every frustration is our training program so that when the next great thing arrives we are ready to shine. And of course, #AmazeBalls

Read more about the 2020-2021 Most Powerful Women in Accounting Winners.