The Accounting and Financial Women's Alliance released its two annual lists of CPA firms that distinguished themselves in their commitment to the advancement of women, based on the results of the Accounting MOVE Project.
The Best Firms for Women list celebrates employers who have an equitable number of women at most or all levels of management, while the Best Firms for Equity Leadership list recognizes firms with at least 30% women as partners and principals.
"Now more than ever, women need a third-party stamp of approval like the MOVE Project lists and the Accounting and Financial Women's Alliance to find firms where they can grow and thrive," said AFWA executive director Cindy Stanley, in a statement. "Traditional career paths are changing so quickly that firms can hardly keep up. The 2022 Move Project shows fresh avenues of advancement."
The 2022 Best CPA Firms for Women include (in alphabetical order):
- Abbott, Stringham & Lynch;
- BeachFleischman;
- Bland & Associates;
- Clark Nuber;
- Eide Bailly;
- Frazier & Deeter;
- HBE;
- James Moore & Co.;
- Jones & Roth;
- Kerkering, Barberio & Co.;
- MCM CPAs;
- Moss Adams;
- Novogradac & Co.;
- Rehmann;
- SAPRO; and,
- The Bonadio Group.
"The Bonadio Group is committed to supporting the ambitions of our talented female leaders with greater opportunities for career development and the continued enhancement of our DE&I practices," said Bruce Zicari, managing partner and CEO of The Bonadio Group, in a statement. "We will continue to foster a culture that promotes the professional growth of women at our firm, as each and every one of our people play a critical role in the success of our business."
"We provide our employees with an environment where they are empowered to follow their passions, deepen their knowledge, and continue to achieve their highest potential as employees and as people," said Lori Leutwyler, human resources manager for Kerkering Barberio. "We do this by providing opportunities at all stages of career and personal life to support the diverse needs of our employees. We recognize that each employee's path to self-fulfillment is unique, and we strive to support the version of fulfillment that each employee identifies for themselves."
"As a founding sponsor of the Accounting MOVE Project since 2010, we're uncovering strategies to develop and advance women, both within our firm and the profession more broadly," said Tricia Bencich, inclusion and social responsibility associate director at Moss Adams. "We're proud of the progress we've made to date in transforming our women's experience and continue to prioritize making our firm a place where women can thrive on the paths they define.
The 2022 Best CPA Firms for Equity Leadership, listed by the percentage of women in the firm's leadership team (in parentheses) are:
- Kaiser Consulting (100%);
- KWC CPAs (74%);
- RoseRyan, a ZRG Company (63%);
- Kerkering, Barberio & Co. (55%);
- Clark Number (51%);
- James Moore & Co. (50%);
- Jones & Roth (50%);
- BeachFleischman (47%);
- SAPRO (44%);
- Bland & Associates (44%);
- HBE (42%);
- Abbott, Stringham & Lynch (41%);
- Johanson & Yau (38%);
- MCM CPAs (37%);
- The Bonadio Group (37%);
- Rehmann (36%);
- Novogradac & Co. (35%);
- Frazier & Deeter (35%);
- Councilor Buchanan & Mitchell (35%);
- Lurie LLP (32%); and,
- Eide Bailly (32%).
"Equity leadership is a critical part of our mission, both internally and externally for our company and the broader industry," said RoseRyan chair Kathy Ryan. "We've seen progress on this topic over the years, which is very gratifying."
"Kaiser Consulting is honored and excited to be a MOVE award winner in 2022," said Lori Kaiser, CEO of Kaiser Consulting. "We are proud to be advancing the careers of women on our team, including providing a pathway to senior leadership roles."
"We are honored to be named to the 2022 Best Firms for Equity Leadership list in addition to the 2022 Best CPA Firms for Women list based on the Accounting MOVE Project," said Carol Wagner, managing principal at Abbott, Stringham & Lynch. "At AS&L, we put an emphasis on employee engagement and close collaboration as we continue to grow and expand remotely. As a firm that has a partner group comprised of 41% women, we stress the importance that continuous work intensity leads to burnout, so rebalancing work into a steady flow year-round is beneficial to everyone, and keeps employees happy and engaged in the work they're doing."
Changes at the MOVE Project
Concurrent with the naming of the firms, the Accounting MOVE Project released its annual report.
"This year's study highlights how firms have shifted their approaches to developing and providing career opportunities," said Tricia Bencich, inclusion and social responsibility associate director for Moss Adams, in a statement. "Firms are accelerating the advancement of women based on the success of the new strategies they implemented in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic."
Since 2010, the MOVE Project has reported on the progress of women in accounting and consulting firms. Developed by research partner Wilson-Taylor Associates Inc., the MOVE methodology examines what women need to achieve their professional goals.
As part of this year's release, it was announced that Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk, president of marketing and DEI consulting firm
"Bonnie has provided invaluable behind-the-scenes guidance that has helped the MOVE Project anticipate emerging trends and provide insight to participating firms," Cleaver said in a press release. "The profession is fortunate to have her energy and insight to propel the MOVE Project to even greater relevance."
