San Jose, CA (June 27, 2019) – Abbott, Stringham & Lynch (ASL) was named to the 2019 Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance (AFWA) Best CPA Firms for Equity Leadership list, based on the Accounting MOVE Project.
The 2019 Accounting MOVE Project delves into the perceptions and misperceptions that women and firms have about how and why women pursue partnership and other senior leadership positions. The report also outlines tactics that women, advocates for women, and firm leaders can take to ensure that all women CPAs can fully achieve their aspirations for their careers and drive firm growth in the process.
The organic culture at Abbott, Stringham & Lynch (50% women partners & directors) of promoting and hiring women shows that the snowball effect works: Women are attracted to and trust firms where they see other women given positions of leadership and influence. ASL ensures that every staffer – not just managers and directors – has a mentor.
Highlights from the 2019 Accounting MOVE Project:
- Peer Power: Women’s peer networks are both horizontal and tend to be powerful retention factors. By comparison, men’s peer networks tend to be vertical and transactional. Leading MOVE firms shape women’s initiatives to make the most of how women organically cultivate networks.
- Piecing the Future: Women plot their expectations based on what they observe and experience. Firms that show women the benefits of partnership and that build confidence and results with early business development wins seed ambition for partnership.
- Intervention Builds Retention: Women don’t want to choose between coasting and quitting. Firms strengthen retention by cultivating multiple paths to senior positions, and by working with women before they reach the point of no return.
“Firms of all sizes are engineering new ways for women to excel. And when women excel, firms win new clients and grow their relationships with existing clients,” said Joanne Cleaver, President of Wilson-Taylor Associates, Inc., the content strategy firm that manages the Accounting MOVE Project.
“This year’s MOVE Report is especially important to AFWA,” said Cindy Stanley, executive director for the Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance (AFWA), the association partner for the Accounting MOVE Project. “As a women’s organization, we see first hand the value of a strong women’s network at all stages of the career pipeline. This year’s report shows that as women advance in their career they have fewer peers, and each peer becomes more valuable. From entry-level to partner, women benefit greatly from the support and example of other women in their network. AFWA’s goal is to help women connect, advance, and lead. The MOVE Project is important to us, as the report heightens awareness of the changes that are necessary for women to advance in this industry.”
An executive summary of the 2019 Accounting MOVE Project is available at the Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance website: https://www.afwa.org/move-project/
About Abbott, Stringham & Lynch (ASL)
Founded in 1977, ASL offers a wealth of experience in delivering high-quality services and specialties to its clients. The firm works with emerging- and middle-market privately held businesses to help them thrive in their markets. It also partners with high net worth individuals – owners, founders, and executives – to help them protect and grow their wealth. ASL identifies untapped opportunities, challenges, and solutions, enabling clients to make effective and timely decisions today that lead to a fuller and more secure tomorrow.
Designed to facilitate quality decisions, ASL’s services cover corporate tax planning and compliance, assurance and accounting, estate and gift tax planning, litigation support, succession planning and valuation. The firm’s services are contextualized by its specialties in real estate, construction, technology, family wealth and individual tax, emerging businesses, manufacturing and distribution, nonprofit organizations, renewable energy, and recreation and entertainment.
About the Accounting MOVE Project
The Accounting MOVE Project is based on the MOVE methodology, developed by research partner Wilson-Taylor Associates, Inc., which investigates the factors proven to be essential to women’s career success:
M – Money: fair pay practices;
O – Opportunity: advancement and leadership development;
V – Vital supports: work-life programs that remove barriers;
E – Entrepreneurship: operating experience for managing or business ownership
About Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance (AFWA)
The Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance promotes the professional growth of women in accounting and finance. Members of the association benefit from opportunities to connect with colleagues, advance their careers, and become industry leaders. For 80 years, the organization has proudly upheld its mission to enable women in all accounting and related fields to achieve their full potential and to contribute to the their profession. Visit www.afwa.org for more information.
