The majority (60%) of accountants and auditors are women, according to a 2006 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and a recent article in the St. Louis Business Journal. The AICPA also reports that half of its new members are women.
But at least one female CPA and firm principal asks, “Where are the women rainmakers?” In her on-line article, Gale Crosley, CPA (Crosely+Company) identifies the cultural and professional biases—some held by women themselves—which may prevent their ascendancy to profit-making positions, including firm partnerships. Crosley’s observations are easily adaptable to the BV environment; her identification of the ways partners can change the culture and structure of the workplace to encourage women rainmakers—and female analysts can hone their specific skills—makes worthwhile reading today.