I joined Booz Allen as it was transitioning to a publicly held company and helped build the corporate financial department from scratch. And I’m still seeing novel openings to expand and extend my work and that of my team as we tackle new challenges and pursue promising opportunities.
I have been afforded opportunities beyond what I would have imagined.
Laura Adams is chief accounting officer, corporate controller, and a vice president. Laura joined Booz Allen in January 2009 and has more than 25 years of finance and accounting specialty and industry experience, primarily in aerospace and defense and government and commercial IT management consulting services.
Her responsibilities include overseeing a diverse talent base across all areas of corporate finance including governance, financial and treasury oversight, and risk mitigation. She also provides financial and business counsel to leadership on strategic priorities including capital deployment strategy, mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments and alliances, and enhanced integrated external reporting activities. In this role, she also has responsibility for the relationship with the various of the firm’s regulators, external advisors and auditors, and many aspects of the reporting to the audit committee of the Board of Directors.
Laura's areas of expertise include talent and team development and transformation, global financial accounting and reporting, corporate compliance and risk mitigation, security filings, registrations and offerings, capital structure strategy and deployment, and insurance and risk management.
Before joining Booz Allen, Laura was a senior manager in the audit and assurance practice of Ernst & Young from 1995 through 2008. She earned her B.S.B.A. from the University of Richmond with a concentration in accounting, and became a C.P.A. in 1997.
Why are you passionate about with your work at Booz Allen? It’s really the people I work with, those who I have the honor to lead, those I have the privilege to work with, and then the leadership and the respect and value they place upon me. Every day is a new day. I am an incredibly curious person, and I am empowered to bring value to this company that I deeply believe in.
Why is Booz Allen an ideal firm for someone with similar ideals and skills in your line of work? For me, I came in as a more direct accountant, financial-type person. Today, I’m a completely different financial executive than when I walked in. So you can come in with your one area of expertise, but when you walk out, you will be an incredibly more well-rounded financial executive and leader than you could have ever imagined or ever been taught anywhere else.
What are the most pressing needs you see in your space right now? It’s really having the right talent and succession to go forward, the right type and amount of talent to take the company into its next phase.
What advice would you give someone who is looking at taking on a leadership role? Definitely have the confidence to do it. Lean forward to take on new challenges and grow. But make sure you have the mentorship and the leadership and your personal “board of directors” that you surround yourself with to help you do that. Don’t ever feel like you have to go at it alone. Make sure you have the right tools in your toolkit, and then really just put your neck out there, surround yourself with a trusted group, and know you’re going to make mistakes time to time … you are only human … but know that you will learn from it and you will be better.
What’s something not many people might know about you? My sort of Zen, I would say, when I’ve just had a tough day and I want to lose myself, is I love to be in my kitchen. I love to have a nice glass of wine, and make some exorbitant dish. Definitely need the country music on in the background. That’s my little getaway.
What’s the most influential book you’ve read? The one that I tend to go back to is something that one of my mentors had given to me. It’s a leadership book called It’s Your Ship by Captain Michael Abrashoff. It’s about management techniques, and it’s about taking this little Navy ship that was the worst of the worst, and turning it into the best ship in the Navy and the way he goes through it.
What is your strongest character trait? People have commented that I’m approachable and I’m trustworthy and respectful. I value that.
Where do you see Booz Allen in the next 100 years? Still thriving, still strong, stronger I would say. Foundationally it will always be Booz Allen in its base purpose and values and mission, it will just be bigger and stronger and better than anyone can imagine.
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