Leadership Award
Niloufar Molavi
Tax Partner, Chief Diversity Officer
PwC
Like many others, Niloufar Molavi never planned to be a consultant. She began her career in PwC's oil and gas tax practice in Houston as a 22-year-old who was fresh out of the University of Texas. The energy sector was growing, and as a result, she was given early opportunities with some of the firm's largest clients and most challenging projects. "As my career developed and I began to do more consulting work, I found that I got a lot of satisfaction from the value I brought to my clients."
Today, as a tax partner and Chief Diversity Officer, she serves on PwC's core leadership team and helps drive the diversity and inclusion strategy for the firm's 30,000 employees.
Even though Molavi gets great satisfaction from her internal roles, she says she enjoys her client work too much to give it up.
"I enjoy developing a deep understanding of what clients need, and then working closely with them to achieve their goals," she says. "And the second factor is a direct result of the first one—it's the trusting relationships we build as we collaborate. I feel a great sense of pride in my clients' success and enjoy our thriving partnership."
Not that it was always easy working primarily in Houston's oil and gas business where she was often the only woman on the team. However, Molavi says she was used to being in that situation. "As an immigrant, I had learned to adapt rapidly to new situations," she says. "Survival had meant learning a new language, making new friends, and navigating a different culture. The experience wasn't always enjoyable, but it was a huge confidence builder: I learned to trust my ability to handle change and adapt—and ultimately, this prepared me to handle my professional challenges."
And she's handled them brilliantly—even earning an "Employee of the Year" award from a client where she delivered some pretty serious bottom-line benefits. But Molavi says her two children, ultimately, are her greatest achievement. "I think my children give me the drive I have in everything I do," she says.
—J.K.
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