Finding mentors to provide guidance earlier in my career would have helped me both personally and professionally. Success is a combination of hard work and luck, but the more people you have in your corner, the better your chances of reaching your long-term goals. It’s also critical to find your voice and use it constructively to advocate for yourself and others. Learning how to navigate conversations with passion and professionalism is an extremely valuable skill.
What advice would you give to empower your younger self?
It sounds simple, but… staying positive. To me, positivity is about acknowledging adversity but focusing on developing solutions to overcome it. It’s important to maintain transparency and consistency in communication to convey the positive aspects of change. I also rely heavily on humor to get through difficult situations. Keeping it light and laughing every day can defuse stress and leave others with a smile which is never a bad thing!
This year’s theme for Women’s History Month is resilience and hope. What is one concrete way you’ve remained resilient in your personal or professional life over the last two years?
My current role — without a doubt. I am surrounded by an amazing group of dedicated team members who strive to improve the employee and client experience every day. I’m most proud of the growing group of leaders that are running IT Solutions. Sharing my experience and helping them to navigate the complexity of managing and growing a business has been very gratifying. This has resulted in a highly functional leadership team which is poised for growth.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
Managed Services Group Principal
SUSIE CUMMINGS
Learn to silence the noise. Don’t let the opinions and negativity of others influence how you live your life. Life is a journey and it’s up to you to control your own destiny.
What advice would you give to empower your younger self?
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance has been key. Working from home during the pandemic makes it hard to disconnect from work, so I’ve made a conscious effort to prioritize my work-life balance. Time to recharge away from work is so important and has helped me so much throughout the past two years.
This year’s theme for Women’s History Month is resilience and hope. What is one concrete way you’ve remained resilient in your personal or professional life over the last two years?
My brother is a major reason why I chose to go into accounting. When I was in high school, I took an accounting class and loved it — my brother was an accounting major at the time, so I originally didn’t want to follow in his footsteps. We talked and he told me that it was a great career, so that’s when I decided to look more into accounting. Throughout my career, he’s been a huge motivator and cheerleader. He always made me feel like I could obtain success even though accounting is a male-dominated profession.
Who is one person that supported and inspired you as you navigated a career in a still predominantly male profession?
Tax Experienced Manager
MISSY HUNT
I would advise my younger self not to be so hard on herself and to fight for what she deserves.
What advice would you give to empower your younger self?
I think the past two years have been tough on everyone. I’ve realized how important it is to stay positive because that not only affects you in all aspects of your life, but also those around you.
This year’s theme for Women’s History Month is resilience and hope. What is one concrete way you’ve remained resilient in your personal or professional life over the last two years?
I started kindergarten at the age of four, was fifth in my high school graduating class out of over 1,000, and I graduated from Florida International University at 19 with a Bachelor’s in Accounting (double major in Management) and at 21 with a Master of Science in Taxation. I’m an avid “CrossFitter” and placed first in my first local competition.
What’s something about yourself that might surprise others?
Assurance Director
ILEANA SALORT-HORTA
Challenges in life will never disappear, but that’s okay. Set goals and work toward them.
What advice would you give to empower your younger self?
My mother. Her strong work ethic has always pushed me to do more. She gives amazing advice and inspires me every single day.
Who is one person that supported and inspired you as you navigated a career in a still predominantly male profession?
Through the pandemic, commitment has made all the difference. As a supervisor, I need to stay committed to my work and help my team stay motivated to reach their goals.
This year’s theme for Women’s History Month is resilience and hope. What is one concrete way you’ve remained resilient in your personal or professional life over the last two years?
Business Service Center Tax Supervisor
YVONNE OFORI
