Her Story
About Samantha
Samantha Sobel is a Senior Financial Analyst at Kiewit in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, where she has built a progressive career in finance since graduating from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. For nearly seven years, she has worked exclusively with Kiewit, a construction company she did not initially set out to join, but one that quickly became a strong professional fit. Her role sits at the intersection of finance and accounting, where she partners closely with project teams to support budgeting, forecasting, and financial decision-making across complex construction projects.
In her current position, Samantha helps ensure that projects are operating within their financial targets by analyzing budgets, monitoring costs, and providing clear forecasting to guide operational decisions. She plays a key role in the month-end close process, maintaining data integrity so project leaders can rely on accurate information when making decisions. A large part of her work also involves bridging the gap between finance and operations, earning buy-in from field teams while ensuring financial discipline is maintained. She is deeply focused on identifying where projects succeed or fall short financially so the organization can apply those lessons to future work and improve overall performance.
Throughout her career at Kiewit, Samantha has taken on increasing responsibility, including mentoring and developing junior analysts and contributing to the company’s long-term success through improved financial processes and insights. One of her most meaningful accomplishments was leading a project setup from the ground up, where she helped establish foundational cost reporting structures and financial processes as one of the first to implement that approach within the company. Early in her career, she was also honored with Kiewit’s Hardhat Award, recognizing her work ethic and dedication. Known for her adaptability, leadership, and commitment to continuous improvement, Samantha brings both technical expertise and a people-focused approach to every aspect of her work.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Samantha
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to hard work, adaptability, authenticity, and a willingness to speak up and take initiative in challenging environments. Staying true to myself and remaining confident even when I am the only woman in the room has been essential to my professional growth and has consistently guided how I show up, contribute, and advance in my career.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received came from two important mentors in my journey Morgan in Houston and Jen in Kansas both of whom played a significant role in shaping my professional development. They consistently encouraged me to trust my instincts, stay curious, and not be afraid to take on challenges before I felt fully ready. Their guidance helped me understand the importance of resilience, continuous learning, and building confidence through action, and it has stayed with me throughout my career.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
It is a little intimidating because, even though finance and accounting is pretty 50-50, construction and engineering is definitely male-dominated. So I would say don't be afraid to speak up, and don't be afraid to be the only woman in the room, because you probably will be. And also don't be afraid to be a girly girl, because it's not going to hurt you to be yourself in a room full of men. That would be my advice - be yourself and do your best, because they're going to see that you're awesome and respect you for being you. That's how I've earned my place.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I would say the biggest thing, and this is both a challenge and an opportunity, is that there is so much construction work. There's a ton, a ton of work - there's a ton of backlog happening, so there's just so much opportunity there. But the challenge is, who's going to do that work? We need to win the right work at the right time, because if not, are we even going to have the people to do that work, both in the office and in the field? There's so much construction that has to happen, but there's only so many craft workers and only so many people who can do a trade. That's a challenge too.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
In both my work and personal life, I value authenticity, perseverance, teamwork, growth, mentorship, and empowerment. I strive to remain true to myself while supporting others, fostering collaborative relationships, and continuously pursuing opportunities for both professional and personal development.
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