Happy National Women’s History Month! Windham Brannon marks the occasion by spotlighting some of our female leadership. Windham Brannon proudly affirms that 57% of our employee base and more than half of our leadership team is female. We support several different women-based and women-owned organizations including: Commercial Real Estate Women, Women’s Global Leadership Summit, Women in Pensions Network, Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance, Kate’s Club, American Women’s Society of Certified Public Accountants.
International Tax Senior Manager Brandi Samuel shares her thoughts.
Everyone has a story about how they decided to enter their career field. What made you want to pursue accounting? Did you always know or did you discover it in school?
Brandi: My love for being a tax accountant started right at home. My father started his tax business right in our living room table. By the time I graduated from college, he had 10 different locations. All of my siblings and a few cousins and friends all at one point in time were employed by my father’s business. He has since sold the business, but no doubt my entrepreneurial spirit, and love for taxes was passed down from my father. He never received his CPA, and therefore encouraged me to go on to get certified, and that’s exactly what I did.
How has public accounting evolved since you entered the workforce?
Brandi: It’s been over 12 years since my very first public accounting internship. For one, the tax laws have completely changed with the passing of TCJA. The culture has also changed a great deal as well. I remember when I started, the idea of working from home, during normal business hours, on a regular basis was completely foreign. Back then it was called a flexible working arrangement, you know “get in before the partner, leave after the partner” type arrangement. With the influx of new generations entering the workforce and the growing voice of the working mom, everyone had to re-evaluate that old arrangement to make it inclusive of not just younger staff, but also working parents, and also any employee that wanted to have a life outside of work. Yeah, imagine that! The advancement of technology also played a significant role in flexibility.
What has helped you get to where you are, and what advice would you share with people who are interested in following a similar path?
Brandi: Honesty, integrity, kindness, and God. I grew up in what many people would call an “at-risk” neighborhood, yet the only thing I’ve been “at risk” of was being successful. I was able to learn the importance of honesty and integrity growing up in my environment because it’s what people respected most. Being kind to everyone, regardless of differences or similarities has also helped me along the way, as it allowed me to recognize when I or others were being treated with the opposite effect. That gave me the opportunity to step in and stand up for either myself or others. The advice I would give to anyone interested in following a similar path is to be honest, be kind, and be fair.
To face the future effectively, what are the most critical changes we need to make in the industry?
Brandi: Technology and AI is an easy answer. However, I believe a shift towards understanding diversity and inclusion with regards to recruiting new staff, the types of clients we serve, and the industries in which we operate is essential to being a well-rounded firm in our industry.
