Withum Announces Next Leadership Class of Women of Withum Employee Resource Group
In a traditionally male-dominated industry, Withum prides itself on being historically progressive in raising women through the accounting profession and within the firm. The Women of Withum (WoW) Team Member Resource Group (TMRG), also referred to as an employee resource group, was founded in 1999 as the ‘Women’s Leadership Development Group’ with the mission of motivating, advocating and elevating female team members by empowering them with the tools they needed to succeed.
Since then, the group has evolved to meet the growing needs of Withum’s women professionals. In addition to rebranding the TMRG to WoW in 2018, the team has increased membership as more women enter the workforce, expanded its efforts beyond internal mentoring, created client-facing women professional teams, supported minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs) and women-owned business enterprises (WBEs), and spearheaded philanthropic initiatives that support women everywhere.
This year, as Withum embarks on its upcoming 50th anniversary in 2024, Withum’s next class of WoW leadership will take the helm. The new leadership board will be run by Caroline Kettering, CPA, Partner, Director of Coaching and Talent Development, Lena Combs, CPA, CGMA, Partner, Practice Leader – Hospitality Services, Rebecca Perreault-Alicea, Esq., LLM, Principal, and Brenna Liana, Senior Marketing Coordinator. Each of these women represents different areas of the Firm’s business and regional markets, strengthening the visibility and impact of the program.
I couldn’t be prouder of what we accomplished during my time as a leader in WoW. The fact that we have brought so many women together and expanded the network by creating new ways to support one another is a highlight of my career. I can’t wait to see what the next leadership class does to carry the mission even further.
Theresa Richardson, Partner
Effective July 1, 2023, this new WoW leadership team will take the reins from Withum’s second generation of WoW leadership who have led the TMRG for the past five years: Theresa Richardson, CPA, Partner and Chief Talent Officer, Donna Nevolo, CPA, Partner, Market Leader, Employee Benefit Plan Service, Zsia Rosmarin, CPA, MS, Partner, Head of Tax, Technology and Emerging Growth, and Rhonda Maraziti, Chief Marketing Officer.
We are looking forward to working together to learn each other’s strengths and creating valuable programming and career coaching opportunities for our WoW members. We plan to continue building on WoW initiatives and look to where we can make effective changes to enhance pathways for growth and drive engagement from our regional WoW groups.
Lena G. Combs, CPA, CGMA, Partner
A focal point of Withum’s culture is rooted in its commitment to giving back. This year, WoW sponsored Dress for Success, an organization that supports women in the workforce by creating a network of professional attire. It also sponsored Wings for Wheels, a fundraiser for Wings for Success that empowers women and girls entering the corporate world in the Philadelphia area.
Withum’s Women in Tech and Women in Financial Services teams are vested in building women up, supporting female entrepreneurs and executives in their business endeavors, and helping them achieve their goals. By creating networking events to connect professionals, hosting conversations that tackle business challenges unique to women and drawing from real-life, lived experience, these teams strive to give women a path of opportunity in business.
To learn more about the Women of Withum TMRG, visit Women of Withum.