Voice of Experience: Kris Muller, Partner and Assurance Strategy Leader, PwC

For Kris Muller, Partner and Assurance Strategy Leader at PwC, many doors opened for her throughout her career as a result of saying, “Yes.” Early on in her career, Muller was fortunate enough to be recognized by key decision makers who would recommend her for stretch assignments, thus furthering her career.

“I was lucky in this way,” said Muller, “but I wish I had realized that you can advocate for yourself and have more influence in your career.”

Muller, who will be celebrating 30 years with PwC in August, urges young women to be proactive in their careers. She advised, “Don’t wait for opportunities to fall into your lap. Be vocal and go after exactly what you want.” PwC’s approach to real-time feedback and development, in which leaders provide performance feedback throughout the year, rather than only during the traditional annual performance review process, creates opportunities for such conversations and requests to take place.

Career Path

Muller graduated from college with one goal in mind: to be the best at whatever she did. This drive and dedication has been the foundation for Muller’s rewarding career at PwC. She began her journey at PwC’s Stamford, CT, office where she was part of the Assurance and Audit team.

When Muller’s mentor and coach at PwC approached her about moving to the Washington, D.C., office to start up the technology Internet group there, she accepted the opportunity. “It was during the Dotcom Bubble and we were busy working on countless IPOs,” recalled Muller, who became a partner during this time.

As Muller continued to progress, she joined PwC’s “chief auditor” network, which supports the methodology of the firm and focuses on the consistency and quality of the Assurance practice. She was also the Southeast Software Leader in addition to her responsibility as TICE (technology, infocomm, entertainment and media) team leader at the D.C. office.

In another pivotal conversation, Muller was asked by the same mentor and coach to move to Finland to join the Global TICE group in an Assurance and Audit capacity. She spent five years in Helsinki and was the lead on a top global account for PwC during this time. This experience gave her a whole new perspective, international awareness and broad professional and personal network.

Making an Impact

Currently, Muller is very excited about her strategy role within the US Assurance Leadership Team, which PwC’s current Assurance leader, Vin Colman, asked her to take on. She noted, “I love the forward looking nature of this role and the excitement of bringing it all together, seeing the progress, and being directly involved in the direction of our Firm. Vin has a thoughtful perspective about the transformation of our practice and the opportunities in the profession – it was an easy decision to join Vin and his team.”

There are so many changes in the economy and the industry that are affecting businesses, said Muller, and the importance of the work being done by the US Leadership team cannot be understated. “Client business, privacy risk, market and industry dynamics, technology breakthroughs, and shifts in demographics – these are all drivers and it is our job to take all of these factors into consideration and figure out how to evolve the Assurance practice and profession and help our clients,” explained Muller.

According to Muller, becoming a partner is one of the most notable moments in her career. “I remember the feeling I got when one of my colleagues first introduced me as his partner,” said Muller, “and there is nothing quite like it.”

She continued, “When you are a partner, you have ownership in the company and become a key stakeholder. This achievement and the responsibility that comes with it, are the ultimate recognition of the path you took to get where you are.”

According to Muller, the other rewarding aspect of becoming a partner is having the chance to mentor and sponsor the next generation of leaders. “I recently sponsored a senior manager who became partner,” said Muller, “and it was such a memorable moment when I was able to introduce her – as my partner – to someone else.”

Muller has displayed a commitment to developing new talent through her involvement in mentoring and sponsorship at PwC, and she hopes that all senior women will recognize the impact they can have by paying it forward and helping future leaders carve out their own career path, and that the men that sponsored women will appreciate the success and personal growth to which they have contributed.

Women in Professional Services

A lot has changed for professional women, Muller noted, both from a company’s perspective and an individual perspective. “There is more balance now,” she added, “and women’s perceptions of the workplace have definitely contributed to this shift. The flexibility that I have been given throughout my career at PwC has enabled me to make the right decisions, to manage the priorities and to feel both personally and professionally rewarded.”

Muller continued, “There is less reason to worry about whether or not your company will support your personal choices as well as your professional choices. There is more integration, but you have to consciously take ownership of it. ”

That said, she encourages women to have the confidence to say “yes” to the challenges and opportunities that they encounter in their career. “On the other hand,” Muller noted, “you have to be comfortable with saying ‘no’ too.” It can be easy to fall into the habit of saying yes because it is easy and convenient, but Muller stressed the importance of saying yes for the right reasons and always considering the long-term and strategic impact of your choices.

“Your career path should not happen accidentally,” added Muller.

Muller is also actively involved with the Global Relationship Partner group, which gives less tenured partners career planning, opportunity and sponsorship experiences as they build skills and credentials to manage a global priority account. “I was supported by this group, and now it feels good to be a sponsor and help others navigate these important career stepping stones,” said Muller.

She continued, “Participants in the group benefit from having a partner personally invested in them as they build their leadership path.” According to Muller, the program is focused on providing real-time encouragement and education to foster an honest and transparent environment. “You can give an external view of a situation, which in turn leads to internal introspection.”

In Her Spare Time

When Muller is not in the office, she enjoys combining the hobbies that she loves and quality time with her family. “We plan a lot of destination trips, so I get to see my family while doing things I love, like scuba diving,” said Muller.

A recreational runner, Muller gives back to her community by participating in runs that raise money for different charities.

By Michelle Hendelman