Lynne Hillman is a CPA who moved to Glencoe 16 years ago. She talked recently about her career and accounting in general.
What do you like the most about being a CPA?
I worked for the General Counsel of Ernst & Young as an accounting and auditing expert, so I traveled all over the country. If we were sued for professional malpractice in an audit, I would go to the city where the work was done and I would meet with the auditors and then met with the lawyers and decided if we had good facts and good law. I would explain to the lawyers what the auditors did and if they did what they should have done and I really enjoyed that.
Did you have another favorite part to the job?
At that point in my career, I was doing more writing than accounting. I actually really enjoyed writing and working with the lawyers who taught me how to write in a concise and efficient manner.
How has the profession changed over the years?
I think it is more litigious than it was and I think that accountants use less judgment now. I think it is more structured now than it was as there are more rules for auditing. I also think it is a great profession for women because it can be very flexible with their lives as mothers.
What was your favorite city that you went to?
Probably New York. I spent a lot of time in Manhattan.
How do you see accounting continuing to evolve?
There used to be eight large accounting firms, now they are down to four. I think there is a lot of consolidation in the business and I think the firms are becoming bigger and there is less room for individual practitioners.
Is that good or bad?
I think that is hard for the individual but I think for quality work it is better because I think people on their own don’t keep up with education.
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