The DEI Journey of Accounting Professionals – A Research Study Analysis

Mary is the CEO of MLBennett Consulting LLC, a consulting firm formed in 2010. Mary Bennett is a well-known expert on organizational behavior and organizational strategy. Much of Mary’s work is focused on inclusive talent development in support of firm business strategy; incorporating customized approaches to cultural change.

For twenty-five years Mary held various leadership positions as client service professional in the accounting and consulting industry. Mary spent the majority of these years as a partner with a large top ten global consulting Firm. Mary led practice areas, office locations, and large engagements consulting with clients in strategy, ERM and operations. Mary was also the founder and partner in charge of the diversity initiative and a member of the global inclusiveness board.

Mary consults on a variety of topics including but not exclusive to: diversity, equity and inclusion strategic design, leadership development, sponsorship programs in support of building robust and inclusive leadership pipelines. She is an expert in organizational change, behavior and strategy.

Mary is most widely known in North America as the expert in building inclusive leadership pipelines. Her approach is known for its strategic business focus and unique customization to organization and individual. Mary is also in demand as an executive coach specializing in diverse populations and contexts. Mary has served as an executive coach for many executive leaders seeking to effectively maximize their potential as well as clarify and reach their aspirations. Mary also serves a coach and advisor to leaders of DEI efforts.

Mary has won several national awards for her work: Women of the Year, ASWA; Presidential Citation Award, AWSCPA; Torchbearers Award, Indiana Commission of Women; and more. She has been active on the executive boards of many charitable organizations. Mary is also the past chair of the AICPA Women’s Initiatives Executive Committee, and a past member of the AICPA National Commission of Diversity and Inclusion. She has served as a longtime member of the CPA Canada Women’s Leadership Council. She is the author of several books published by CPA Canada and the AICPA:

• Career Navigation Tool Kit for Women Leaders (Canada)
• Diversity Tool Kit for Firms (Canada)
• Organizational Strategies for Retaining and Developing Women Leaders (USA)

Claire Costin received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She received her Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas and her Bachelor’s of Music in piano performance from the University of Texas at Austin. Claire’s dissertation is about the impact of social capital on earnings management, and she is interested in how cultural factors affect managerial decision-making. She is working on several projects related to implicit bias and how it affects accounting professionals. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., Claire worked in practice as an auditor in Austin and remains a licensed CPA in the state of Texas. She is also a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). Her teaching interests are in the areas of financial accounting, auditing and forensic accounting, and she enjoys sharing her researching findings with students and engaging them in conversations about how human behavior impacts the accounting profession.