Her Story
About Kara
I started my career in tax accounting right after graduating from Wharton Business School in 1999. I began at KPMG doing work on the banking capital market side, but about 4 years in, I did a rotation in asset management and never looked back. I really fell in love with the asset management industry and have been in it ever since. When PwC, who I viewed as the leader in that industry, offered me a role in 2011, I couldn't resist. I've been a partner at PwC since then and have had a number of different roles. Most recently, I ran the National Asset Management Tax Practice for about 4 years, taking over in the midst of COVID, which presented a lot of challenges from a people perspective. I'm proud of being able to navigate that and bring the whole group through that really challenging time, dealing with connectivity, upskilling, training, and the Great Resignation. Now I'm back to client service and very much enjoying that. My main area of expertise is taxation of alternative investment funds, primarily serving larger institutional clients. What I love most about my role is that no day is the same - I could be at a client meeting, putting on a training, developing our people, or speaking at a conference. At the end of the day, it really is more of a people business, and I think to be successful in this field, you really have to love being around people, whether it's clients or the people that you work for and with, because those relationships are really what drive the whole business.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kara
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would attribute my success to my family, particularly my parents, Curtis and Nancy. I was a very hard worker, obviously, but I think that they gave me the upbringing that allowed me to take risks and know I was supported, and they sort of instilled a lot of those values of hard work into me. Having their support and the values they instilled in me made all the difference in my career.
02What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think one of the greatest things, particularly about public accounting, is that we have people from all walks of life, from all socioeconomic backgrounds, and really, anybody has the opportunity with hard work and dedication to make it to the top here. There's plenty of opportunity in this field. In terms of challenges, I honestly don't have any major, significant, huge issues that have happened, but I think just being able to navigate day-to-day challenges with clients and people is sort of part of the job. During COVID, there were a lot of challenges from a people perspective - trying to drive connectivity, making sure people were still upskilled and trained, and dealing with the Great Resignation. It was a lot that all came at the same time when I first took over the national practice, but I'm proud of where we ended up.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are honesty and trust. Those are probably the two key values that I look for in other people, both in my work and personal life.
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