Rising Stars of the Profession: Carolyn Southern

Carolyn is a manager in RSM's NetSuite practice. With extensive knowledge spanning multiple sectors, Carolyn has implemented enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions for a range of industries, concentrating on consumer products and professional services. Since joining RSM in 2018, Carolyn has worked with clients operating in over 50 countries and specializes in working with multinational entities leveraging NetSuite for corporate and statutory accounting. Reinforced by a strong background in full-cycle accounting, Carolyn excels in identifying creative solutions to complex business challenges.

What do you consider your greatest personal or professional achievement?

In the ten years I have been a consultant, the mutual respect, trust and friendship that I have built with my clients is without a doubt my greatest professional achievement. ERP implementations can be notoriously difficult and stressful endeavors. I take great pride in maintaining warm and enduring relationships with my clients both during and after an engagement.

What advice would you give a professional just beginning a career in consulting?

Challenge yourself to seek out difficult projects or learn about topics that others may dismiss as being too complicated. This is a fantastic way to distinguish yourself from your peers and become indispensable to your organization, while ensuring continued personal and professional growth. My decision to focus on more challenging elements of NetSuite like revenue recognition, lease accounting and tax resulted in opportunities that were critical in building my brand within and outside RSM.

What have you loved most about your consulting career?

In my opinion, the consulting industry is the antidote to my biggest career fear – a boring, static job. As a NetSuite consultant at RSM, I am fortunate to work with clients from a range of industries. Given that a typical ERP implementation runs 4-6 months, I really enjoy the opportunity to do a deep dive and learn all about a particular business. With this timeline, I never have the chance to get bored and there is always another project and another challenge looming on the horizon.

I find it incredibly rewarding to see my client realize financial savings or work more efficiently because of a solution my team and I developed. Since NetSuite is a highly customizable technology platform, I really enjoy developing creative solutions to my client's business challenges and working with our development team to build and then implement those solutions. Traveling and meeting new people are other huge benefits of my career in consulting. I've had the opportunity to travel to places like China, Germany and the U.K. for projects, and I really enjoy engagements that require working with RSM's international member firms. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has temporarily halted work travel, I still regularly interact with colleagues across the globe and look forward to the moment when we can once again collaborate in person!

What's the best advice—personal or professional—you've ever received?

As I think about my career goals and what I would like to accomplish going forward, I am always reminded of a piece of advice that has been shared by multiple mentors at RSM – the importance of coaching the next generation of client servers.

Early in your career, building your brand often means seeking recognition as an individual and emphasizing personal accomplishments as a means of progression. However, as you advance in your career, you need to pivot and place more focus on building a great team around you. There are both team and individual ramifications of this advice – as a practical matter, you cannot be promoted into a new role if there is no one in place to assume your current responsibilities. In less selfish terms, many people have invested in me over the course of my career, and I strongly believe in the importance of returning the favor by dedicating time and energy to the growth of the next generation.

When I think about the people at RSM who have taken time to mentor me, it is obvious that they are putting this advice into practice by devoting time to coaching me and helping me to become a stronger consultant and leader at the firm.

What would you say has been the biggest factor in your success so far?

I credit my success to my curious nature and continual attempts to challenge myself at work. My genuine interest in my field of expertise allows me to work with great intensity and diligence when serving my clients and provides great satisfaction when I translate my knowledge into tangible improvements for their business.

I would describe myself as a lifelong learner, so my constant pursuit of new information feels more like indulging in a hobby than it does an attempt to advance my career. As a consultant focused on delivering ERP solutions for multinational organizations, there are a lot of difficult conversations and challenging issues over the course of a project. In these moments, my desire to find a solution and address the client's concerns feels more like solving a puzzle than it does a difficult day at work.

What does being honored as a Rising Star mean to you?

In college, I studied political science and media studies with the expectation that I would eventually go to law school. A career in consulting was never an intentional goal, but rather the result of pursuing opportunities as they presented themselves while remaining open-minded about my future. Imposter syndrome is something that many people struggle with over the course of their career, and I am no exception. At times, I was concerned that my lack of formal education in accounting, business or information systems would hamper my ability to build trust with my clients and reduce their confidence in my recommendations. Being honored as a rising star is an incredible reminder that enthusiasm for my work and dedication to my clients and team are both just as important for a successful consulting career.