Lynne Doughtie: Knocking It Out of the Park
Watching and helping her parents successfully run a small family business is what sparked Lynne Doughtie to pursue a career in business. The unwavering work ethic Lynne's parents instilled in her at an early age drove her passion for business and paved the path for her to eventually become Chairman and CEO of KPMG LLP, one of the world's largest tax, audit, and advisory firms.
Story By: Diane Alter
Watching and helping her parents successfully run a small family business is what sparked Lynne Doughtie to pursue a career in business. The unwavering work ethic Lynne’s parents instilled in her at an early age drove her passion for business and paved the path for her to eventually become Chairman and CEO of KPMG LLP, one of the world’s largest tax, audit, and advisory firms.
Getting to the top required years of hard work, which has always come naturally to Lynne. Her story is indeed a tale in the virtues of hard work and discipline.
After graduating from Virginia Tech University with a degree in accounting, Lynne took a job as an assistant accountant at KPMG in 1985. Over the years, she rose through the ranks and eventually established herself at the helm of the iconic company.
“I’ve spent my entire and diverse career at KPMG,” Lynne told Latino Leaders. “Because of the breadth of services we offer, I have had multiple careers at our firm. Over the course of my career, I had numerous roles within our audit and advisory businesses. Each of these roles provided me with opportunities to grow my skill set, expand my professional network, and work with some of the world’s leading organizations.”
The path Lynne’s career took over the last three decades was not always straight, and it included a few bumps along the way. Yet those twists and turns developed into some of her greatest opportunities.
“There have been times when my career took an unexpected turn, which presented challenges,” Lynne shared. “But my philosophy has always been to take whatever pitch comes your way and knock it out of the park. When you do your best and embrace new challenges, the opportunity to grow is great.”
As a result of this positive approach, Lynne was appointed Chairman and CEO in 2015, a time of tremendous growth and momentum for the firm. Amid strong growth across all three of the company’s business channels, Lynne took over at a time when KPMG, with a multitude of awards under its belt, was recognized as the fastest growing Big Four firm in the U.S.
Doughtie has received numerous recognitions including being named one of: Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business, Accounting Today magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential People, and the National Association of Corporate Directors’ 100 most influential people in the boardroom. Doughtie also was named the 2015 “Woman of Achievement” by the National Association for Female Executives.
Among the challenges Lynne has seized upon during her time leading KPMG has been the firm’s commitment to diversity. KPMG’s inclusive culture and diverse teams allow Lynne and the company to achieve better results, spur innovation, and drive growth. These efforts also have enabled the firm to attract, retain, and empower top talent, who inspire one other and provide their clients with richer points of view so they can deliver real value.
“Inclusion and diversity are a real must in these transformative times driven by rapid technology and social change,” Lynne said. “These values give us the ability to differentiate and win in the marketplace.”
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