Angela Wasson Szumski ’00
What am i doing now?
Key steps in my journey:
● My career has included:
o Numerous positions over a 10 year span at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) in Decatur, IL
o Numerous positions over an 8.5 year span at Stanley Black & Decker in New Britain, CT and Indianapolis, IN
o Director of Operational Expenditures and General Accounting at Heartland Dental – Indy office
o Contractor with RGP working as a Controller at Elanco in Greenfield, IN
● My career path has taken me all over accounting grid which is why I absolutely love accounting!
o I’ve experienced cost, corporate, acquisitions, green field, non-GAAP, plant, divestitures and affiliate (inner company) accounting.
o I’ve driven ERP/system conversions, ran an AP department and had over 100+ people report up through me, set up new teams and now I’m overseeing the accounting on the largest spin-off buying a spin-off in known history.
● One of my favorite claims to fame is I’m a published author! I have several pages in 3 years of annual reports for ADM!
● If anyone asks me what I do for a living, I inform them I’m a janitor! Accountants are always on the backend cleaning up messes and solving puzzles.
● Advice for new graduates:
o Take notes and be humble always – I tend to learn more when I listen and take in as much as I can.
o Make sure you know people of all levels from the bottom to the top. You will need information from all levels to make the most informed decisions.
o Network like your career depends on it, because it more than likely will.
o Always put your family first. You can’t make up for lost time with your family, but trust me the business can and will replace you.
o Be open to change because the only constant is change.