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About 30 years ago, Rema Serafi decided to travel to KPMG\u2019s Boston office to interview for a job she didn\u2019t expect to get. KPMG is one of the \u201cBig Four\u201d accounting firms alongside Deloitte, EY and PwC. It has more than 276,000 partners<\/a> and employees globally, and operates in 138 countries and territories. <\/p>\n Serafi was a couple of years out of graduate school, having completed a master\u2019s degree in international economics from Columbia University\u2019s School of International and Public Affairs, but the competition for this role was stiff.<\/p>\n \u201cI was up against candidates with more experience and bigger networks, but I was determined, persistent and had a real desire to learn,\u201d Serafi tells Entrepreneur<\/em> in a new interview.\u00a0<\/p>\n Though she didn\u2019t get the job at the Boston office, the New York office leader of the same group at KPMG took a chance and hired her. \u201cThat decision changed the trajectory of my career,\u201d Serafi says. \u201cIt\u2019s a big reason I am where I am today, and it\u2019s shaped how I think about sponsorship and paying that opportunity forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, over 30 years later, Serafi is the Vice Chair of Tax at KPMG and Tax Leader for KPMG Americas. In her role, she leads a team of more than 10,000 partners and professionals across all tax disciplines.\u00a0<\/p>\n Serafi is the first woman to serve as KPMG\u2019s Vice Chair of Tax, a milestone she doesn\u2019t take lightly. There were three important factors to her success. First, she listens intently to clients, colleagues and people around her. She learned early on in her career that the way to build trust and make better decisions was by listening.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt helps you understand what people need, not just what they\u2019re asking for, and it makes you more effective as a leader,\u201d she says. \u201cIn my view, the best leaders are those who are humble enough to change their minds, who can pivot based on feedback, and who can admit mistakes. That requires active listening and confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n The second way she reached the top was by building and maintaining relationships with her network. \u201cI\u2019ve always prided myself on building and maintaining relationships, because you never know when or where you\u2019ll cross paths with people again,\u201d she says. \u201cThroughout my career, former teammates became clients, colleagues became collaborators in new roles, and leaders I worked with years ago resurfaced as decision-makers at pivotal moments.\u201d<\/p>\n Serafi works hard to make a positive impression, positioning herself as someone people trust and want to work with again. Her focus on building strong relationships with a network of people has opened doors and \u201cmultiplied\u201d opportunities, she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n The final key to advancing was advocating for herself by raising her hand for stretch assignments, being clear about her career goals and stepping into more responsibility at times before she felt 100% ready. Serafi is quick to point out that she hasn\u2019t done this alone. She has had mentors who had a vision for her that was bigger than her own.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAt times, many of us can struggle to see our own potential clearly because we lack the broader context,\u201d Serafi says. \u201cThat\u2019s why I think it\u2019s so important to ask trusted mentors and leaders how they see you and your path.\u201d<\/p>\n Serafi advises considering three key suggestions when it comes to filing taxes. The first is to \u201cplan ahead where you can\u201d and \u201cmodel and scenario plan for different outcomes,\u201d because \u201ctiming decisions can have real tax consequences,\u201d Serafi warns.<\/p>\n The second tip is to leverage AI and technology to help with taxes. \u201cEven simple cloud accounting tax tools can reduce errors, free up time to run your business and serve as another member of the team,\u201d Serafi says. \u201cYou don\u2019t need a big-firm budget to benefit from good advice and technology \u2014\u00a0you just need to be intentional about it.\u201d <\/p>\n The final recommendation is to \u201censure access to good data.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThe tech is only as good as the data you feed it,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n Early in Serafi\u2019s career, she was at a client dinner at a Middle Eastern restaurant. Without thinking, she started ordering for the table in Arabic.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe client lit up and my team was amazed,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd in that moment, the very background I had tried to downplay became my greatest asset.\u201d<\/p>\n Serafi is a first-generation American who immigrated to the U.S. from Syria with her family. <\/strong>She managed to differentiate herself in that moment in a positive way. Later, she thought back to her childhood, when she was self-conscious about being bilingual. For years, she saw the language barrier as a weakness and something to overcome.\u00a0<\/p>\n Eventually, she realized that her bilingual background made her unique. \u201cWhat makes you different \u2013 your background, your perspective, the adversity you\u2019ve overcome \u2013 isn\u2019t always an obstacle; it can be an advantage,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n Serafi is a \u201cbig fan\u201d of restaurateur Will Guidara\u2019s book Unreasonable Hospitality<\/em>. His central idea is that unexpected, personal touches can transform interactions in any client service role. A story in the book illustrates that point: Guidara\u2019s team had European tourists in the restaurant who mentioned that they had never tried a New York City hot dog. Instead of just laughing and moving on, a staff member raced out to a street cart, bought a hot dog and served it to the tourist.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat kind of proactive thoughtfulness \u2013 seeing around the corner to anticipate what would delight someone \u2013 is what makes the experience unforgettable,\u201d Serafi said. \u201cI think about that a lot in client interactions. To me, \u2018good\u2019 is being responsive and reliable. But the next level \u2013 the \u2018unreasonable hospitality\u2019 level \u2013 is when you\u2019re a step ahead and surprise someone with something they didn\u2019t even know to ask for.\u201d<\/p>\n She recalled a pivotal moment when a client went the extra mile to make her life easier. In September 2001, she was on a business trip in London, working on a global project, when the tragedy of 9\/11 unfolded. She couldn\u2019t return to New York for at least a week. At that vulnerable time, her client, who lived in London, invited her over for a family dinner. The client wanted Serafi to feel safe during a stressful period away from her loved ones.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAt a time when we felt helpless and unable to be present for our own community, she welcomed us into her home and cooked us a meal,\u201d Serafi says. \u201cTwenty-five years later, I still recount that story. That simple act of hospitality created a bond of trust and loyalty that has lasted decades.\u201d<\/p>\n Serafi tries to bring that same instinct into every client interaction; she sees the person, not just the problem.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEffective leadership isn\u2019t about needing to be the sole expert,\u201d she says. \u201cLeadership of any team requires many voices and views. There is rarely a clear right or wrong decision.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n About 30 years ago, Rema Serafi decided to travel to KPMG\u2019s Boston office to interview for a job she didn\u2019t expect to get. KPMG is one of the \u201cBig Four\u201d accounting firms alongside Deloitte, EY and PwC. It has more than 276,000 partners<\/a> and employees globally, and operates in 138 countries and territories. <\/p>\n Serafi was a couple of years out of graduate school, having completed a master\u2019s degree in international economics from Columbia University\u2019s School of International and Public Affairs, but the competition for this role was stiff.<\/p>\n \u201cI was up against candidates with more experience and bigger networks, but I was determined, persistent and had a real desire to learn,\u201d Serafi tells Entrepreneur<\/em> in a new interview.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nHow she got to the top<\/h2>\n
Her tax tips for businesses<\/h2>\n
Leadership lesson<\/h2>\n
Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
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