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TH E M R EP O RT | 33 Kimberly Neff Kimberly Neff Principal–Financial Services Advisory // Ernst and Young, LLP As Principal at Ernst and Young (EY), Kimberly Neff helps her clients with many dif- ferent initiatives—strategic, operational, technological, and everything in between—yet, she says being a leader is the role she takes most to heart. "I spend a significant portion of my time mentoring and coaching EY's future leaders, particularly women," Neff said. "EY is a professional services organization, which means our people are our greatest asset. Without our people, we would not be able to help our clients achieve their goals." With three little ones at home, Neff knows firsthand the struggle it is to balance motherhood and a burgeoning career, and she uses that experience to help guide oth- ers in the organization. "It's not a one-time event; it's a reoccurring challenge nearly every day," Neff said. "I am passionate about overcoming it for myself and helping others determine how best they will overcome it as well." So how does Neff recommend women get ahead in business? For one, she says, they should establish a "Board of Directors" of sorts. "These are the senior leaders, col- leagues, and/or friends who will help guide and mentor you," she said. "It is important that your Board does not look, think, and act like you to ensure you get the diversified advice you need." Neff also says women must be "purposeful" in their work—and in their lives in gen- eral. "Allocate your time and efforts to the things that matter most to you, and perhaps most importantly, say no to the things that don't matter to you," she said. "By knowing what you want, you are better able to focus on progressing toward that and avoiding the things that aren't on that path." According to Neff, the mortgage industry boasts numerous strong women in leader- ship roles. "One of the things I love the most about this industry is how many strong women leaders there are among these organizations, many of them as very senior roles who run enterprise-wide operations and/or transformation programs," she said. "Especially given the regulatory environment in mortgage over the past several years, these wom- en are the leaders who have helped steer the ship in some of the most unchartered waters. As this industry continues to grow and evolve, the professional opportunities for women will hopefully continue to do the same."