WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP: WAGE GAP
that transparency is the only way to
really start the conversation.”
Intel has been working on pay equity
for the past decade but has taken an
even more granular look at its data in
the last few years, focusing on what
Overcash calls the company’s true
North Star philosophy, which includes
three main pillars: representation, pay
equity and inclusion. The company has
evolved its methodology to take a more
comprehensive approach to analyzing
pay data and closing identified gaps by
evaluating total compensation, includ-
ing stock grants, while continuing to
account for legitimate business factors
— such as performance, time and grade
and tenure — that explain differences in
pay. As a result, Intel was able to achieve
controlled gender pay equity for its more
than 107,000 employees in January 2019.
“The next step for us is to address
the longer-term challenge of ensuring
we have representation at all levels in
Women in Leadership Profile
EISNERAMPER LLP
Leading by example
J
olene Fraser is the managing director of the
Forensic, Litigation & Valuation Services Group
in the Sacramento office at EisnerAmper — one
of the nation’s largest accounting and business
advisory firms. Both a local and national resource,
she works with legal counsel and their clients on
complex accounting, auditing and financial issues
throughout the litigation process.
“I strive to be a leader who leads by example and
provides opportunities for others to reach their goals
… and then step out of the way to let others shine,”
she says.
Fraser is an advocate for diversity and integrity in the
accounting profession. She participates in Women of
EisnerAmper, a group within the firm that supports
the advancement of female CPAs. Fraser says, “I see
more women entering the industry and stepping into
leadership roles. At EisnerAmper, we promote more
women partners than the industry average.” She is
the First Vice Chair of the California Society of CPAs,
the nation’s largest statewide association of CPAs,
and has been nominated as the 2020-21 Chair.
Fraser is committed to paving the way for future
women leaders in accounting. “I want to leave the
profession even better than I found it.”
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the company and looking at how to
prevent the gaps,” Overcash says. “That
way we aren’t reacting or responding to
the gaps but have built in the method-
ology and practices to resolve the gaps
before they happen.”
Children’s Home of Stockton, a
nonprofit that works with high-risk
foster youth, signed the CA Pay Equity
Pledge in October 2019 and is taking
steps to analyze its data and practices,
but it is also looking deeper. “Beyond
comparing salaries against job descrip-
tions, we are looking at other ways to
make sure we are really compensating
more appropriately,” says CEO Joelle
Gomez, who also serves on the board
of the California Commission on the
Status of Women and Girls. “We are
looking at things like special skill sets
and language capabilities — however
an employee can articulate an edge
or a strength, we are putting value to
that.” Most of Gomez’s 160 employees
are women — about 80 percent — but
the goal is to make sure they are not
stagnant. “Even in a small organization
like ours, we want to find ways to help
women succeed, elevate to the next lev-
el and earn more money,” she says.
The first partner acknowledges that
getting pay equity right is an evolving
process and is continuing the educa-
tional component, in part by dissem-
inating resources and best practices
and hosting awareness-raising events.
She praises companies like Intel, who
she says is brave and willing to do the
work to improve, and hopes people will
want to work for companies that have
pledged equal pay.
“It may be rocky at first, but in the
long run, it’s the best thing for a compa-
ny. It’s the best thing for its employees,”
Siebel Newsom says. “We know this be-
cause all the studies indicate the more
diversity you have in leadership, the
greater the creativity, the productivity
and the better the bottom line.”
Laurie Lauletta-Boshart has written for
Dwell, ESPN, The Wall Street Journal,
SI.com (Sports Illustrated) and others. On
Twitter @laurieboshart and at wordplay-
communications.com.