Linda Koerselman – Retired Partner, Eide Bailly LLP

What was accounting like for women when you started in the industry?

"It was a lot different. When I joined the firm there weren’t very many women, if there were women; they were probably worked in the bookkeeping area and things like that. So there weren’t very many staff accountants or associates there were women at that time.

As I became more invested in the financial institutions area, I was really surprised that I had gotten into an industry that was pretty much male dominated. I remember attending different industry events where bankers get together; and I’d  would be one of maybe two women and sometimes there weren’t even two women in attendance, so talk about being an enigma in that type of a setting.

As time progressed, you’d see more and more women at these industry events. I was asked to speak more often at industry events as time went by and it changed to where I think women really established themselves as in creditable consultants; great analects capabilities and it was a great time I think to be a women in the field."