8D — October 26 - November 8, 2012 — Executive Women in Business — Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal
www.marejournal.com
Executive Women in Business Rebecca Machinga, CPA, WithumSmith+Brown, PC Treating each of my clients as if they’re my only client
continued on page 16D Who do you feel was most influential in your life when choosing this profession? A family friend who was a banker talked to me when I was in 7th grade about the ac- countants that she worked with during her banking career. She always had a great respect for what they did. And although the profession is male-domi- with having a Type A personal- ity that needs to be in control. Do you feel being awoman is an advantage in today’s business world? Why? I don’t think it’s an advan- tage or a disadvantage. Even in the public accounting profes- sion, the typical “female” traits of compassion, empathy and caring certainly come into play for me every day, whether it’s dealing with clients or staff. Do you feel there are any differences in the way that men and women develop business relationships and if so, what activities or ven- ues do you participate in? I believe the majority of women network by building strategic relationships, put- ting their time into meaning- ful relationships and choosing quality over quantity. With all of my personal and professional responsibilities, I’ve chosen to devote the time I have to two organizations, one being ICREW, to continually develop myself in the real estate arena, and the other being my alma mater, The College of New Jer- sey, where I serve as the chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the School of Business, staying connected to students and providing learning experi- ences for them in and out of the classroom. Tell us a little about your family. I have an awesome 6 year old daughter and a husband whose business dealings keep me busy with a second full-time job! Since women are still the primary caregiver to children what obstacle and challenges do you meet on a day to day basis? Making sure that I “plug in” to my family while I’m at home. There aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done that needs to get done at the of- fice so the temptation is there to boot up the computer and take care of “a few things” in the evenings. The answer is finding a way to work smarter.
the firm in 2005. I was the first home-grown female partner at WS+B and in 2009 I was appointed Practice Leader of the firm’s Real Estate Services Group. What were some of your early goals and did anything happen in your career /pro- fession to change them? I did not go into the profes- sion originally thinking that I wanted to be a partner in a public accounting firm. It wasn’t until I became involved in management roles that I knew that I wanted to be a part of the future direction of
the firm. What unique qualities and or personality do you feel makes you most suc- cessful in yourprofession? Being genuine and relat- able, as well as caring about my business associates, my staff, my clients and their busi- nesses. What challenges and or obstacles do you feel you needed to overcome to be- come as successful as you are today? Learning to get out of my own way and continually adapting to the changes I need to make
ell us how and when you began your ca- reer in the profes- Rebecca Machinga, CPA, Partner; Practice Leader - Real Estate Services Group WithumSmith+Brown, PC Years with company/firm: 20 Years Years in field: 20 Years Years in real estate industry: 20 Years Real estate organizations / affiliations: ICREW T sion you are in? I decided that I wanted to be
a CPAwhen I was in 7th grade. I accepted an internship with WithumSmith+Brown CPAs during my senior year in col- lege and became a partner at
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Rebecca Machinga, CPA, Partner, Practice Leader Real Estate Services Group 609.520.1188
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