By: Diana Cummins, Communications Manager, Coulter

Coulter client, the American Society of Women Accountants (ASWA) recently issued The 2012 ASWA Special Report on Diversity in the Accounting and Finance Fields. In the report, ASWA examines the lack of gender and racial diversity in senior positions of accounting and finance firms and explores how a homogeneous workforce becomes a liability. ASWA also reveals how a wider variety of viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds enables a business to become more innovative, and ultimately more profitable.

ASWA Executive Director, Lee Lowery, and key members of the ASWA Executive Committee spearheaded ASWA’s diversity objective by reaching out to other accounting and financial organizations with diverse representation to explore opportunities for relationship building and partnership. Through the development of these key relationships, ASWA was able to collaborate with ALPFA, Ascend, and NABA to produce this Special Report on Diversity. ASWA’s leadership embarked on this report as it aligns with ASWA’s strategic initiative to “promote diversity within the organization whether by age, color, or career.”

A direct outgrowth of collaborating on this report is ASWA’s new partnership with ALPFA. After this initial collaboration, both organizations’ leaders realized a deeper relationship would be beneficial for both ASWA and ALPFA. Each association will support the other organization in a number of ways, including providing 250 free memberships to the respective organization; cross-promoting networking and educational opportunities; and participating at the annual conference of the other organization.

ASWA continues to strengthen its partnerships and alliances, as well as bolster diversity initiatives in order to build a more diverse membership. By taking proactive measures to do so, ASWA intends to effect broader change and help accelerate the rate at which the accounting and finance fields diversity their workforces.