CeCe Morken – 2017 Most Powerful Women in Accounting Honoree
Employer: Intuit
Title: EVP/GM Strategic Partner Group
Website URL: www.intuit.com
Twitter: @cgmorken
Education (Degree/school): North Dakota State University BS in Economics and Business Administration; University of Chicago Booth’s Executive Development Program.
What opportunities do you feel women in accounting have now that they didn’t have when you started in the profession?
Leadership. In several studies including one by Korn Ferry, women lead in emotional quotient (EQ) and people with a higher EQ experience a higher degree of success. While this has been known for some time, it has become a declared leadership characteristics in the last decade or so. Leadership and coaching are the crux of successful organizations and women rank almost 10 points higher as coaches.
How important is work/life balance and what suggestions do you have for those who are struggling to attain this?
Work-life balance is critical to being a well- rounded person. In fact, it makes you more interesting and more effective in everything you do whether it is family, community, faith or wellness, all of this encompasses being your whole self. I believe we are close to a tipping point where this will become expected in the workforce. Much of this is driven by the millennial generation who will comprise almost 50% of the workforce in just 2 more years and they have an expectation of balance. In the book Essentialism, there is a story from Clay Christensen where he simply says no to working on a Saturday or a Sunday because it conflicts with the promise he has made to himself and his family…he says it politely but with conviction.
What is the most difficult part about being a woman in the accounting profession?
I had a slightly different approach to this question. There are still fewer women in executive positions in the profession and certainly fewer in the board room. This lack of diversity of opinion, style and contribution hurts the effectiveness of the profession overall and therefore those of us in it.
What is the best part about being a woman in the accounting profession?
Making a difference in people’s lives and experiencing the emotional impact it has. I learned this by working side by side with accountants to see how they make a difference, how they are part of the families of their clients, how emotionally connected they are to their clients and how together we have been able to help improve lives.
How do you see yourself participating in shaping the future of the accounting profession?
I think the future is very exciting because the combination of technology and human compassion will come together to help deliver better financial outcomes for both small business and consumers. Our mission at Intuit is to Power Prosperity and my goal is to inspire teams to deliver humanized technology to accountants that enables them to move into this future state and reimagine how they deliver advice and guidance…before their clients ever think to ask them. enabling people to have a level of prosperity they never imagined
Looking back at your career, what would you do differently given the knowledge you have today and how can women who are entering the benefit from that knowledge?
I love this question and there are 3 areas I would recommend. Always start with the customer and obsess over them, everything else will follow. Think bigger and bolder on what is possible and then ratchet it up again, embrace constructive debate…it leads to breakthrough outcomes.
Learn more about the 2017 Most Powerful Women in Accounting.
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