#004 How to leverage diversity to improve the bottom line with Jenny Okonkwo

Jenny Okonkwo MBA FCMA CGMA CPA FPA CMA, is based out of Toronto, Canada, and is the founder of Black Female Accountants Network (BFAN) who’s purpose is to create opportunities for female accountants of black, African and Caribbean origins to share knowledge and empowering their experiences of diversity & inclusion through a process of engagement and personal reflection. She’s also a women’s leadership ambassador for CPA Canada, a CPA Mentor, a member of the FP&A Certification Development Committee, a DECA Judge, as well as giving back to her local community through her numerous other volunteer roles. Key Points Covered: To move forward in accounting & finance, align yourself with other successful people, choose your networks carefully, choose your circles carefully. Align yourself with other people who want to move forward. If you have gender diversity your firm’s productivity goes up by 15% if you have ethnic diversity, the productivity impact to the bottom-line of that firms jumps up to 35%. [Source: McKinsey] Our value tomorrow as accountants won’t come from the fact that we know how to put a budget together or that we know how to manage a P&L, because the business are already doing that for themselves. So it’s for us to understand what our role tomorrow is going to look like and to carve out those opportunities to make sure we get there. It’s no longer enough to be a good accountant, you must be a more rounded person, goes through the opportunities to build your career so you standout in this global competitive market. Got to full show notes at sitnshow.com/podcast/004