Karen Abramson – 2017 Most Powerful Women in Accounting Honoree
CEO Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Website URL: WoltersKluwer.com
Education (Degree/school): George Washington University BA
What opportunities do you feel women in accounting have now that they didn’t have when you started in the profession?
There has never been a better time to enter the accounting profession. Accountants have become a critical part of business continuity and success and have truly earned a seat at the table, serving as consultative, strategic partners for both corporations and individuals. Plus, the profession is transforming rapidly as new software tools emerge that streamline and automate workload, creating more opportunity to integrate and balance job and life.
How important is work/life balance and what suggestions do you have for those who are struggling to attain this?
Every time I’m asked this I always go back to one of the best pieces of advice that I received as a working woman. “…Don’t approach your job as work will always come first, or your children will always come first, or your spouse will always come first…because you will have a day when one comes first and other days when the other comes first. It’s all about balance – find the balance, understand the balance. And what I would add to that today is that work/life balance is really about work/life integration. The technology and tools we have available both in our working lives and that we offer in our products provides the ability to manage work/life integration to achieve the right balance
What is the most difficult part about being a woman in the accounting profession?
Women are still a minority in the accounting profession, especially in leadership positions. I understand what that feels like – I started my career in 1992 in the US Defense industry, this was not a welcoming place for a 22-year-old woman but I did not let that stand in my way and I’d like to think I learned from that experience and have taught many along the way to treat an individual like a person, not a gender.
What is the best part about being a woman in the accounting profession?
The world we live in today values diversity and female leadership; for example, Wolters Kluwer, in particular makes it a practice to cultivate female leadership across the globe. This means there are more opportunities for women to be leading voices and to shape change with an equal seat at the table where gender isn’t a differentiator.
How do you see yourself participating in shaping the future of the accounting profession?
Wolters Kluwer has played such an important role in shaping the profession to-date with CCH Axcess, the profession’s first cloud-based, modular tax workflow solution suite operating from a single, core database.
Today accountants are in the midst of a transformation that is reshaping their practice and changing how they work. Technology can be instrumental in helping navigate this challenging landscape and Wolters Kluwer leverages technology to drive innovation. We constantly look at how artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotic process automation and many other technologies can help accounting professionals be more efficient, productive and ready for growth.
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 am very sure there have been mistakes along the way that would have been nicer to avoid, but every experience along the way creates the learning and the opportunities that come later. I believe in being a lifelong learner; make mistakes once, learn and move forward.
Please share any other comments or insights you would like to share with our readers about what has driven you to be a person who is recognized as a leader in this profession.
Wolters Kluwer is focused on understanding customers’ pain points and solving them. We focus on how accounting professionals work and then provide innovation that enables them to shift away from less profitable tasks, to the services and strategies that help them grow, manage and protect their firms and businesses.
Learn more about the 2017 Most Powerful Women in Accounting.
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