FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     March 4, 2022

 

Contact:

Mary Marshall

Public Relations Coordinator

Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance

859.684.2275

Mary.Marshall@afwa.org

 

Joanne Cleaver

President

Wilson-Taylor Associates, Inc.

Office: 980.224.8781

Cell: 414.232.3181

jycleaver@wilson-taylorassoc.com

 

 

2022 Accounting MOVE Project to Equip Firms with Buoyant Talent & Diversity Strategies

in the New “Career Fluid” Era

 

May 24 Virtual Mini-Summit Will Show How Allyship Propels Retention and Advancement of Diverse Talent

 

Lexington, Ky., February 25, 2022

 

The balance of power has shifted at accounting and advisory firms, as it has for all employers: employees are taking full charge of the terms and direction of their careers.  Even the most traditional accounting and advisory firms must align to a new reality, especially as they compete nationally and even internationally, to win and keep talent.

 

Continuing with its 12-year tradition of leading the profession’s conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion, the Accounting MOVE Project will concentrate its 2022 report on the implications and realities of constantly shifting career paths and expectations for women, diverse talent and firm leadership. To be released in October at the annual conference of the Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance, the report, “Navigating the New Career-Fluid Culture: Redefining Retention and Talent Engagement,” will both illustrate the current status of women and diverse talent in the profession’s pipeline and will bring fresh insights about how the career-fluid culture creates new streams of professional and firm growth.

 

“The pandemic has made us assess our careers and has inspired people to approach their careers as a lattice,” said Tricia Bencich, Inclusion & Social Responsibility Associate Director for Moss Adams. “We are now seeing the advantages of exploring a variety of development opportunities which brings value to our firms and our own careers.  This year’s Accounting MOVE Project report will dig deep into emerging practices that can help both women and firms identify milestones for this new kind of journey.”  Moss Adams is the Founding Sponsor of the Accounting MOVE Project.

 

Flexible work now dissolves country and seasonal borders, creating new currents that can take accounting professionals in fresh directions. This year, the Accounting MOVE Project welcomes SAPRO, an international firm that positions the right talent at the right time and place.

 

SAPRO’s experience proves that diversity inclusion and belonging (DIB) delivers a competitive advantage, said Mary Maguire, Chief Operating Officer SAPRO. “My commitment as a leader is to lead with purpose, which includes how we prioritize and integrate DIBs into the SAPRO experience. I am proud that this year we are an advocate of women in finance, and I am pleased to announce the launch of the Grow Retention of Women program which will match high-performing, high-potential women in the firm with experienced leaders who can serve as their career advocates.”

 

Even while “Navigating the New Career-Fluid Culture” is in process, the Accounting MOVE Project will bring a suite of tools to firm leadership, talent and human resources professionals, with its May 24 mini-summit. Hosted by CPA Academy and the AFWA, the four sessions will explore current best practices for retaining diverse talent through the power of internal and external allies.

 

“Cultivating allies in the workplace is essential in order to make your business feel safe, comfortable and welcoming to everyone,” said AFWA Executive Director Cindy Stanley. “It can lead to the retention and satisfaction of talent, which ultimately leads to greater profitability and boosts company appeal to the highest skilled candidates. It can inspire others to embrace allyship in their own lives or business as a core skill for leaders and managers.”

 

Registration is now open for all firms to participate in the Accounting MOVE Project, at https://wilson-taylorassoc.com/move/accounting. “The powerful combination of data and dialogue effects real change at firms,” said Joanne Cleaver, who designed and manages the Accounting MOVE Project. “The MOVE Project provides the transparency that all employees, especially women and diverse talent, need and deserve to invest their aspirations in firms that are equally invested in their success.”

 

 

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

 

Methodology

 

Since 2010, the Accounting MOVE Project has measured and supported the advancement of women at accounting and consulting firms. MOVE is the only annual benchmarking project that both counts and advocates for women in the profession.

The MOVE Project advisory board includes leaders from association partner the Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance and founding sponsor Moss Adams.

MOVE is made possible by support from its sponsors and by administrative fees paid by participating firms. Firms receive benchmarking reports based on the MOVE Project.

See the archives of MOVE Project reports at https://wilson-taylorassoc.com/move/accounting.

 

 

About the Accounting MOVE Project Partners

 

Founding Sponsor Moss Adams brings more West to business. More than a location, it’s a way of doing business in which innovation thrives and optimism abounds. At Moss Adams, we’re excited by the greatness of possibility and the extraordinary potential for companies and individuals to prosper. With more than 3,800 professionals across 30-plus locations in the West and beyond, we provide the world’s most innovative companies with specialized accounting, consulting, and wealth management services to help them embrace emerging opportunity. Visit www.mossadams.com to discover how Moss Adams is bringing more West to business. For more information, visit www.mossadams.com.

 

National Sponsor SAPRO is a full-service assurance, tax and advisory consulting firm providing a world-class workforce perfectly optimized to meet public accounting industry needs. We are dedicated to revolutionizing the accounting industry by bringing balance to the public accounting world and the communities surrounding us. Our rotating and mobile network of experienced professionals creates a significant impact in our communities, leaving a unique legacy for future generations. For more information, visit www.sapro.com.

 

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 83 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 their profession. Visit www.afwa.org for more information.

The Accounting MOVE Project is the basis for two recognitions of excellence for women in the accounting and advisory profession, both awarded by the AFWA:

 

  • Best CPA Firms for Women: To earn a spot on the list, an employer must have both a proportionate number of women at most or all levels of management and proven success with the MOVE factors. An employer cannot win by having a rich array of programs but few women in leadership. We believe that if a firm’s MOVE factors are effective, it will have a healthy and growing proportion of women in its leadership pipeline.

 

  • Best CPA Firms for Equity Leadership: This list recognizes firms with at least 30% women partners and principals, as roughly a third is the widely recognized ‘tipping point’ or members of any identity group to have individual impact.  The Equity Leadership list recognizes firms that have achieved that milestone through any combination of culture, programs, initiatives, and growth.

 

 

CPAacademy.org offers an easy-to-use platform for knowledge sharing and idea exchange through the marketing and presenting of the most up-to-date educational content and developments important to the accounting profession. On CPAacademy.org, members have access to the highest quality webinar presentations by thoug