The California Society of CPAs (CalCPA) honored three top women in the accounting profession. Honorees were recognized as 2022 Women to Watch Award winners. The celebration took place during Elevate, CalCPA’s long-running Women’s Leadership Forum, on April 22, 2022.
The annual Women to Watch Awards recognize female CPAs and financial professionals across all stages of their careers. It celebrates exceptional leadership, community and public service, advocacy, mentoring of other CPAs and overall contributions to the profession. Awards include three categories: Emerging Leader, Experienced Leader, and Trailblazer.
“The women who received the Women to Watch Award continue a legacy of leadership,” said Denise LeDuc Froemming, CPA, CAE, president and CEO at CalCPA. “Considering the growing number of women with diverse backgrounds entering and staying in the accounting profession in California — their impact on organizations, companies, and government agencies is impressive. It gives me great pleasure to honor these important women in leadership. This year’s winners serve as strong examples to peers in the profession. They are an inspiration to women considering careers in accounting and finance.”
2022 Women to Watch Award honorees:
Emerging Leader Award
- Cynthia Spensieri, CPA, audit manager, HCVT, Los Angeles
Experienced Leader Award
- Anu Joshi, CPA, MST of Abbott, senior manager, Tax & Advisory at Abbott, Stringham & Lynch in Campbell, California
Trailblazer Award
- Brenda Kahler, Director, Client Engagement at Armanino LLP, San Francisco
“Recognizing women in leadership who have accomplished great things be it in tax, personal finance, business evaluation, estate and trust planning, financial literacy, in business and industry and in government serving the public interest – will support better cultural and performance benefits in the organizations they service,” said Froemming. More cultural connection and recognition leads to less cultural conflict and supports overall DE&I efforts.”
Recently, the IMA (Institute of Management Accountants), CalCPA (California Society of Certified Public Accountants), and IFAC (International Federation of Accountants) released “Diversifying Global Accounting Talent: Actionable Solutions for Progress” report. As a joint effort, the report assessed deeply rooted issues prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) progress within the accounting profession, and offers more than 70 actionable solutions to attract, retain, and promote the next generation of accountants.
About CalCPA
CalCPA traces its heritage to 1903 when the California State Society of Certified Public Accountants was organized. In 1909, it merged with two other state CPA associations to form CalCPA. CalCPA serves more than 43,000 members in public practice, private industry, students, academia, and government, and has 14 chapters across California. CalCPA also offers more than 1,400 live courses, conferences, webcasts and on-demand self-study courses annually. More information is available online.
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