Early in her career, Kathryn Kaminsky defined success through milestones: earning her CPA, stepping into leadership positions, building her expertise and achieving her goals.
She was a history major with no accounting credits at the University of Western Ontario when PwC (then Coopers & Lybrand) recruited arts and sciences students on campus. When she joined the company in 1993, she learned a foundational lesson that “accounting is the language of business.”
“I took a chance, and I didn’t really choose accounting—accounting chose me,” she told Newsweek in an emailed interview. “I got the job and earned my CPA while working full-time. It wasn’t easy, but looking back, it was my first real lesson in grit.”
Kaminsky began working with asset and wealth management clients, but her goal early on was to be the lead partner signing the audit for one of PwC’s largest clients. She took a step back in her title, from a signing partner on asset management funds to an auxiliary partner on a banking client, to learn directly from the lead partner on that account and deepen her expertise in the field. This strategic pivot, she said, really paid off.
“I’ve always believed that bravery shows up in the small moments—taking the role that gives you butterflies, speaking up when it’s easier to stay quiet, including advocating for others,” she said. “Every chapter has shaped who I am today: a mom of three boys, a Canadian who became a U.S. citizen, and a firm believer that hard work, empathy and authenticity will take you further than you think.”
She has served as the firm’s tax leader and vice chair and co-leader of Trust Solutions and now serves as the chief commercial officer, U.S., for PwC and has been recognized for her work, including as one of Forbes’ Top 200 CPAs in America in 2024.
Over time, her perspective on success has also evolved. Expertise has come to mean more to her than just what you know; for her, it’s about how you continue to grow to stay intellectually curious and adaptable while helping others grow as well.
“It’s not just about what you achieve—it’s about what you help others achieve [and] it’s about creating an impact that lasts beyond your time in a role,” she said. “We don’t always know what someone else is carrying, and whether I’m working with a client or mentoring a team member, I want people to feel seen, supported and able to show up as themselves.”
PwC, or PricewaterhouseCoopers, is one of the world’s largest professional services companies and one of the Big Four accounting firms that provides various services in auditing, tax and consulting.
The company recently received a 4.5-star rating on Newsweek’s ranking of America’s Greatest Workplaces – Professional Services. The ranking assesses publicly available data, more than 400,000 employee interviews and over 4.9 million comprehensive company reviews to track insights on company culture, working conditions, compensation and benefits, job security, work-life balance and training and career progression.
In addition to the main list, there were sub-industry lists for professional services, financial services, health care, manufacturing, and technology.
Kaminsky said PwC is focused on helping people grow both personally and professionally.
“One of the biggest areas of focus right now is how to make smart investments in people,” she said. “Clients are asking, ‘Do we have the right skills for what’s next? Are we training talent for the jobs we’ll need—not just the ones we have today?’ The future of work is being shaped right now and the leading organizations are embedding upskilling and workforce transformation core to their growth strategy.”
Through My AI, teams are building fluency and confidence in using AI to be more productive, creative and strategic, Kaminsky said. This allows employees to learn the latest technology responsibly and effectively to help clients as trusted advisers and help them grow in their careers.
The company also built a Career Development Experience that give employee the tools, feedback and support they need to build their careers – from learning a new skill to trying different roles or working with different people across the firm.
“As the workforce continues to evolve and offer new opportunities, it’s important to attract candidates who are committed to upskilling and who remain intellectually curious and dedicated to learning throughout their career,” she said. “It’s important for people to be lifelong learners and continue to build new skills to meet tomorrow’s demands and take advantage of new opportunities, like harnessing the full potential of artificial intelligence.”
These skills will help PwC as it works with clients externally to adapt to this emerging technology. Kaminsky said the conversation surrounding AI has shifted from experimentation to execution as clients are asking how they can scale AI across their business.
“The problems our clients are facing are increasingly complex, so solving them takes collaboration, deep expertise and the ability to shift gears fast,” she said. “They want to know where to focus, what to prioritize and how to move forward with confidence.”
And this starts with knowing when to ask the right questions. At PwC, Kaminsky said success is measured by how well they help clients solve their toughest problems and how well they support their people while doing it.
Progress happens, she said, when you create the space to ask better questions, stay open to change and bring others along with you. Staying curious is “one of the most underrated leadership skills” and the key to making sure the firm stays ahead in times of constant change.
“Insight lives in the questions we ask,” she said. “Some of the boldest innovations start not with a brilliant idea, but with a well-placed doubt. ‘What if we did this differently? Why now? What’s the risk if we don’t move? Do we have the right people at the table to make a decision?’”
Beyond helping clients succeed, Kaminsky said her role is also about helping shape future leaders through mentoring, advocating and adapting to an ever-changing business landscape.
Good leadership, she said, requires bravery, being comfortable in the uncomfortable, admitting you don’t have all the answers and knowing when to step up and when to step back to create space for others.
Looking ahead, Kaminsky said she wants to leave the firm in a place where it can thrive for the next 175 years, and beyond. That means helping to build a future-ready business that is innovative, inclusive and resilient while investing in people, embracing new technology and creating a space for tomorrow’s leaders to thrive.
“It also means helping to redefine what leadership looks like in our industry,” she said. “I want to continue pushing for a culture where empathy, curiosity and adaptability are seen as strengths—not soft skills. Where we recognize that trust and transformation aren’t in conflict—they’re connected.”
As a powerful woman in her industry, Kaminsky encourages young women in the corporate world to follow their “north star” goals and not to be afraid to make bold choices in pursuit of them.
Kaminsky said the “glass ceiling” is still very much present for many women in various industries. But she tries to focus on what to do once you’ve broken through.
“When you pull up a chair to the table, do you make room for someone else? Because if you’re the first who looks like you in a room, your job is to make sure you’re not the last,” she said. “We’ve made progress. But we’re not done. That’s why I believe so deeply in mentorship and sponsorship. Not just helping people grow, but helping them be seen. Because no one gets ahead alone.”
Mentorship has played a major role in Kaminsky’s career, as both a mentee and now a mentor for men and women starting their professional journeys.
At PwC, new hires are partnered with mentors during onboarding to provide guidance and insights into the firm’s culture and operational nuances. These career-long relationships foster a culture of continuous learning, adaptation and encouragement, Kaminsky said.
While receiving feedback can be uncomfortable, she said asking someone to connect is worth it.
“Don’t just wait for formal programs to assign you a mentor – build your own network of trusted advisors,” she said. “Surround yourself with people who see your potential, offer encouragement and challenge you to stretch. And when you’re in a position to give back, do it. Some of the most powerful leadership lessons I’ve learned came not from being mentored, but from mentoring others. You grow by helping others grow.”
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