The 2017 Women Leaders in Consulting: Anna Bourne

Bourne says this advice was, and is, golden—the idea of learning your lesson, letting things go, and moving on. It has served her well throughout her career. However, Bourne always tried to stack the deck in her favor as much as she possibly could. By design, she pursued an Accounting degree with an emphasis on Financial Crimes with the goal of admittance to the FBI Academy.

But she was pregnant with their third child when she applied to the FBI and wasn't accepted. Looking for a more interesting and family-flexible environment to apply her accounting background, she ended up at EY in external audit. After a brief stint on the client side, Bourne ended up in Advisory. "By 'accident,' I fell in love with consulting and with working with clients and EY colleagues across the globe," she says. "It's been a career that is much more than I had imagined." How's that for playing the hand you're dealt?

As EY's Americas Advisory Talent Leader, Bourne is responsible for innovating and leading programs designed to enable 40,000 Advisory professionals to achieve their individual career and development aspirations.

Her team of talent leaders are purpose driven and focused on reimagining talent in a time of disruption. "The talent space is ever-changing based on our people, business implications and numerous other external forces," she says. "I have learned to embrace change and find ways to create impact and positive momentum, while understanding the landscape can shift swiftly—it's challenging, gratifying and exciting."

She counts winning EY's Chairman's Values Award in 2006 among her greatest professional accomplishments.

"It was a significant honor as the focus was an individual's impact on people," she says. "For me, it confirmed the importance of bringing my whole self to work and leading with trust—in myself, my colleagues and the firm."

Flash forward and here is Bourne being honored once again. "Winning this award acknowledges the leaders and mentors I have worked with throughout my career, and the people I team with every day. I am thrilled to be recognized," she says."

Consulting: What advice would you give to a female consultant just starting out? 

Bourne: "Place real importance on relationships and cultivate genuine connections in every dimension of your life. Community and relationships are the cornerstone of an engaged existence. Stay curious—the world is moving at light speed, requiring us all to be nimble and receptive to change. Life is not linear and career opportunities probably won't be either. The opportunities that come out of left field and don't follow the "plan" may very well be the ones that define your career—likewise, the experiences that initially feel the least valuable may turn out to teach you the most."