The 2022 Women Leaders In Technology: Melissa Musser

Melissa Musser is a partner at GRF CPAs & Advisors with more than 20 years of professional experience. She is the director of the firm's Risk & Advisory services, where she and her team deliver comprehensive assessments to help organizations proactively develop innovative strategies to mitigate and identify opportunities related to strategic, financial, compliance, operational, and IT risks. Her expertise includes establishing, and maintaining Internal Audit Departments, optimizing internal controls, strategic planning, compliance, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), and cybersecurity programs. Ms. Musser is a distinguished recipient of the 2018 AICPA Information Management and Technology Assurance (IMTA) Standing Ovation award. She is also the incoming president of the Washington, DC Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors.

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

I strive to practice servant leadership in my day-to-day work with clients and my team, asking "where can I be of service?" I came to GRF to build a risk and advisory practice and I've enjoyed building a talented team of auditors who all have amazing qualifications and certifications. Nurturing and supporting their talents has helped us build a practice that includes internal audit solutions, enterprise risk management, and services in cybersecurity and privacy risk. As a result of serving our clients during the pandemic, we have also expanded services to include business continuity planning, board governance assessments, and strategic planning.

What do you enjoy most about your career in the consulting industry?

I love the variety of the teams and projects I get the honor to be involved in. We guide organizations through a range of technical challenges– from cybersecurity to internal audits to enterprise risk management. I love looking beyond the numbers to where we can align risk management with an organization's strategy – adding value and helping change the outcome. We work with a lot of nonprofits, and I feel like we're helping the "do-gooders do good." Being part of that team and part of that mission is something I really enjoy.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

This was in the form of a quote that I love: "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care."