Mary Williams, Manager, Get to Know the Snodgrass Team

In this edition of Get to Know the Snodgrass Team, we interviewed Mary Williams, Manager in the Auditing and Assurance Group.

What aspect of your job at Snodgrass to you enjoy the most?

Flexibility and client relationships. (I couldn’t pick just one!) When the pandemic hit, I had just returned to work from maternity leave. Not only was I a new mom, but I was a new mom in a pandemic, juggling my career and mom duties. To be honest, I was feeling a lot of stress about how I was going to be able to juggle both. The flexibility that was provided by Snodgrass made a huge difference and lifted a weight off my shoulders. The firm knew I was navigating through a new territory and provided the support I needed to be successful, in both roles.

The relationships that we build with clients, though, has got to be my favorite part of the job. I started as an Associate, fresh out of college over 10 years ago, and now I am a Manager. I have been interacting with many of the same clients for those 10 years. I love getting to know them on a personal level, whether that be sharing our mutual love of Disney, getting advice on how to deal with my son’s teething, or providing feedback on a restaurant that I recently visited. I love every part of client relationships!

You’ve been with the firm for over 10 years, from an Associate to a Manager. What is one piece of advice that you have received that you would like to pass along to those beginning a career in auditing?

When I was a Senior Associate, a client asked me a question about a complicated and challenging topic that was not a simple yes or no answer. Honestly, at that early point in my career, I had no idea how to answer the question. I started to panic and think I was failing at my job because I didn’t know the answer right away. The best piece of advice that I have gotten so far (and continue to pass down to others) is actually from a current Principal. He told me, as I was frantically trying to find the answer, “It is not about knowing the answer immediately. It is about providing an appropriate response in a timely manner.” That piece of advice has stuck with me for many years and can be applied to many different situations. Not everyone knows everything about everything. Graduating from college and entering the accounting world can be scary, and expectations can be high. It is important to remember that those above you started where you are at. And the knowledge that they have is from years of experience and research to get answers. You do not have to know the answer to everything. You just have to put the time and effort into finding the answer.

What are some of your outside interests?

I have an almost 2-year-old son who takes up most of my time outside of work. He is starting to develop such a personality and is quite a handful, but a cute one! With my remaining (little) free time, I like to travel (mommy and daddy trips as well as family trips), read books, and binge watch Law & Order: SVU. Also, I’m a huge Disney fan! I’m looking forward to (hopefully) taking my son to Disney for his birthday this year.

Snodgrass Team

The Snodgrass team are industry-recognized experts who are highly sought after as speakers and trainers and for their leadership. Stay tuned for our next edition and get to know other members of our team!