When I joined Booz Allen, it was transitioning to a publicly held company, so I helped build the corporate financial department from scratch. Over my tenure, I have been fortunate to work for a company where I continue to expand and extend my role and that of my team as we tackle new challenges and pursue promising opportunities in support of the firm’s growth.
I have been afforded opportunities beyond what I would have imagined.
Laura Adams is a senior vice president and treasurer of Booz Allen. She leads the firm’s treasury and investor relations functions.
Laura has more than 25 years of finance and accounting experience, primarily in aerospace, defense, and government and commercial IT management consulting services. Her areas of expertise include talent development and transformation, global financial accounting and reporting, corporate compliance and risk mitigation, and capital structure strategy and deployment, among others.
Laura and her multidisciplinary teams strategically execute and manage Booz Allen’s capital structure to achieve the firm’s strategic capital deployment goals. She also advises leadership on strategic priorities including mergers and acquisitions, and expertly manages relationships with firm regulators and external advisors, as well as many aspects of reporting to the Board of Directors.
Prior to her current role, Laura was the firm’s chief accounting officer and corporate controller. Before joining Booz Allen, Laura was a senior manager in the audit and assurance practice at Ernst & Young.
She earned her B.S. in accounting and business management from the University of Richmond.
Why are you passionate about your work at Booz Allen? It’s really the people I work with, those who I have the honor to lead, and then the leadership and the respect and value they place upon me. Every day is a new day. I’m an incredibly curious person, and I’m empowered to bring value to this company that I deeply believe in.
Why is Booz Allen an ideal firm for someone with similar ideals and skills in your line of work? For me, I came in as a more direct accountant, financial-type person. Today, I’m a completely different financial executive than when I walked in. So you can come in with your one area of expertise, but when you walk out, you’ll be a more well-rounded financial executive and leader than you could have ever imagined or ever been taught anywhere else.
What advice would you give someone who is looking at taking on a leadership role? Have the confidence to do it. Lean forward to take on new challenges and grow. But make sure you surround yourself with mentors and leaders and your personal “board of directors” to help you do that. Don’t ever feel like you have to go at it alone. Make sure you have the right tools in your toolkit, and then just put your neck out there, and know you’re going to make mistakes time to time. You’re only human, but know that you’ll learn from it and you will be better.
What’s the most influential book you’ve read? It’s one that one of my mentors had given to me. It’s a leadership book called It’s Your Ship by Captain Michael Abrashoff. It’s about management techniques, and it’s about taking this little Navy ship that was the worst of the worst and turning it into the best ship in the Navy.
What is your strongest character trait? People have said I’m approachable, and that I’m trustworthy and respectful. I value that.
Where do you see Booz Allen in the next 100 years? Still thriving, and stronger. Foundationally it will always be Booz Allen in its purpose and values and mission; it’ll just be bigger and stronger and better than anyone can imagine.
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