Women of the profession

While the field of accounting has historically been dominated by men, a remarkable shift has occurred in recent decades. Women have been making substantial strides, shattering glass ceilings and leaving an incredible mark on the profession. According to the AICPA’s 2021 Trends report, women make up around 46% of employees at CPA firms.

We asked four women who lead different areas of the Society to share their experiences as female CPAs.

Women in the Spotlight

Corey Coleman, CPA, is involved with the OSCPA’s Peer Review program. Coleman has served on several disagreement panels and is a Peer Reviewer herself. She is currently a Partner at Peters & Chandler PC in Oklahoma City and has been an OSCPA member for 20 years.

Rachel Johnson, CPA, is a sole practitioner. She serves as the current chair for both the OSCPA's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and Financial Literacy Committee. Over the course of her 9 years of membership, Johnson has served in many leadership roles including a director at large for the OSCPA Board of Directors. Her involvement with the Society has garnered many honors including an OSCPA Pathfinder Award (2021) and an Oklahoma Society of Association Executives Excellence in Community Development and Service                                                Award (2020).

Christie Little, CPA, is involved with the OSCPA's Peer Review program. She is an active member of the OSCPA Peer Review Committee and Reviewer Performance Task Force and is a reviewer herself. Little is a current partner at HoganTaylor in Tulsa and has been an OSCPA member for 19 years. 
 

Vicky Petete, CPA, is chair of the OSCPA Board of Directors. She has been a member of the Society for 42 years and has served on numerous committees. Petete is the recipient of the OSCPA's Public Service Award (2010), has been inducted into the OSCPA Accounting Hall of Fame (2012) and is a member of the inaugural Pathfinder class (2019). 

The Power of Mentoring

For women, entering the accounting profession has not always been an easy endeavor.

“When I first started interviewing for accounting positions, I couldn’t let anyone know that I was a mother, let alone a single mother," said Rachel Johnson, CPA. "I felt like I had to do more to prove myself."

Many professionals suggest finding a mentor. However, finding and creating that mentor/mentee relationship can be a challenge, especially for women who are CPAs.

“It seemed difficult to find women mentors who were able to balance the demands of the public accounting career with a life outside of the office,” said Corey Coleman, CPA.

However, there is no doubting the power a mentor can have early on in a career in accounting. 

Christie Little, CPA, says she feels grateful to have found supportive mentors early on in her career. “I feel very fortunate to have started my career working for a mentor who focused on people and their strengths rather than gender,” said Little.

Facing Obstacles 

With or without the guidance of a mentor, navigating through a male-dominated profession continues to be a challenge for women in the accounting profession.

According to a 2020 survey by Human Development Perspectives, 93% of women said that they fear reporting non-inclusive behaviors at work because of the fear of losing their jobs. Navigating these obstacles takes persistence and self-evaluation.

“The hardest part for me was learning to speak up for myself and to work on my confidence,” Johnson said. She says listening to "The Confidence Code" by Claire Shipman and Katty Kay helped her to work through this.

Vicky Petete, CPA, combated many of the obstacles women face in the profession by getting involved early on in her career. “You can navigate through a male-dominated field if you work towards being involved and being a part of it," Petete said. 

Different industries and areas also pose different obstacles, and developing a skillset can be difficult when limited mentorship is available.

For the women in Peer Review, specifically, many of the challenges faced are technical and require complex solutions.

“I think the biggest contributor to overcoming obstacles in my firm’s own peer review was becoming qualified to perform peer reviews,” said Little. 

The path to leadership can sometimes be less technical but still be a tumultuous journey, and learning how to process and overcome those obstacles can be difficult.

For Johnson, developing both soft and hard skills helped her overcome obstacles as a sole practitioner.

“I did a lot of self-reflection," Johnson said. "One thing that I found important was differentiating between being a boss and a leader and which one I wanted to be.”

For Petete, continued growth helped her excel throughout her career in banking. She attributes her willingness to actively immerse herself in the profession to help her overcome many obstacles.

Advice for Future CPAs

Through perseverance, skill and a pursuit of excellence, these women have redefined the boundaries of their profession and shattered preconceived notions. What's their advice for the next generation?

"Focus on making yourself the best version of you and find the people who will value [you] and lift you up," said Little.

"This is a profession that can be molded, can be flexible and is ever evolving," Coleman said. "Be willing to always learn, be flexible and chart your own course." 

"Learn more from everyone you work with," Johnson said. "Observe the qualities in people that you find favorable and adopt them for yourself. Observe the qualities you don’t find favorable and work on making it better for the next generation, so they don’t have to go through what you had to."

“Immediately begin building your network in every area of your life. Even if it’s on a small level," said Petete. "Be willing to recognize that sometimes you have to say no...be willing to say 'Okay, these are the key things I have a passion for, so these are the things I’m wanting to put the emphasis on at this time in my life.'”