Local Profile’s 23rd annual Women in Business Summit, presented by Baylor Scott & White Health, is set for Sept. 13, 2024, at Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West Hotel.
This year, over 600 powerhouse women from various sectors including global enterprise, non-profit, small business and government will gather to celebrate, unite and empower each other to turn big ideas into reality.
Tickets are selling out quickly! Buy your ticket here.
One of Local Profile's esteemed speakers, Angela Hutson, is the chief accounting officer and senior vice president for Baylor Scott & White Health. With 30 years of service at Baylor Scott & White, Hutson has held many roles, but began as a project consultant from May 1998 to May 2012. She recently spearheaded the creation of three new teams and led the redesign of BSWH’s tax operating model to enhance scalability and efficiency.
Hutson earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of North Texas. She then pursued a Master of Science with a specialization in accounting - audit specialty at the same university.
What idea has impacted you the most in your field?
The ideas of excellence and service. In public accounting, clients trusted us to provide high-quality services. In nonprofit healthcare, the same holds: our patients want high-quality services.
At Baylor Scott & White, one of our values is, “We are in it together.” While clinical team members are on the front lines providing care, my team is supporting with services that make a difference. Some of those services include securing medical supplies for the bedside, compensating our clinicians and sharing accurate, reliable financial reports with our bondholders. Excellence and service matter.
How do you deal with setbacks?
When my children were growing up, I heard a presentation from the Positive Coaching Alliance geared towards creating a positive youth sports environment. I have taken the concept and applied it to myself professionally and to my work teams. As long as you are giving 100% effort and learning from mistakes, mistakes are okay. It gives me and my teams the freedom to try new things. If we know we did our best, we can accept the outcome and learn from it; then we move forward. No one is perfect. Taking risks moves people and organizations forward and when a setback occurs, you must find a way to move forward.
What do you do when an idea strikes?
When an idea strikes, the first thing I do is write it down, so I do not forget it. Sometimes I am writing it in my phone notes.
Most times, I schedule a meeting with my team to discuss the concept. I am a huge believer in no one flying solo and bouncing ideas off people you trust. We win as a team, and we face setbacks as a team. A strong team will speak up when they see a blind spot.
How do you respond when feeling held back?
Honestly, I can get frustrated when that occurs. I then regroup and think through the why. What am I missing? Is there something else at play that I am not considering? Once I have thought through it, I will usually take the time to ask for more context behind the decision. I usually gain insight into a situation, or valuable feedback on what I need to work on.
What is one idea that motivates you?
The one idea that motivates me is “people first.” I am a very task-oriented person, and it is easy to get caught up in the work, instead of the people. When you put people first, the work is always rewarding.
Tough decisions still may have to be made, but you make those decisions with as much respect and compassion as possible. It also means that you have an inclusive mindset. You cannot put people first and exclude people.
What was the most difficult decision you’ve made in your career so far?
I am a strong believer that you should do what fulfills you and brings you joy. The most difficult decision I made in my career was to take a step back when my children were born. I had a successful career that I loved. After my first child was born, I left public accountancy as an audit manager and went into industry. After my second child was born 18 months later, I left a controllership. I kept my foot in the door with some remote work and flex time before those were familiar words. It is not the right decision for everyone, and there were several women co-workers who thought I was nuts to walk away. However, it was exactly what I wanted. I came back full-time 14 years later and I am doing work that I love. One of my best friends and I joke that I just did my retirement in reverse order.
What challenges do you face as a woman in your industry?
While I still encounter people who treat me differently than my male co-workers and I think that bias is a challenge, we have come very far from where we were when I began my career. I have hope that it will continue to improve.
Who is the first person you come to with an idea?
That is a hard one. It really depends on the topic as to who I approach. I am fortunate to have some great people in my life that I trust like my husband who is a CFO in a different industry, my boss Jenn Mitzner, BSWH CFO, my software engineering daughters, my best friend who has been a healthcare CFO, and my team.
What is a recent challenge you faced? How did you overcome it?
I have been single-sided deaf in my right ear my whole life. In January, I discovered that I would most likely lose all hearing in my left ear and would require a cochlear implant. I received my implant in March and have a bimodal hearing solution (i.e., both a hearing aid and a cochlear implant).
I took two actions that made a world of difference. First, I trusted my team and let them know what was happening. I have learned that if you trust your team, when the worst things are happening, a good team will support you. You must give your team members all the information and empower them to act. They will step up where needed and fill the gaps when life gets in the way.
Second, I prioritized myself. My boss is always telling me that I need to remember there is only one of me. I made sure that I got the right resources to support me emotionally, physically, and mentally. This was going to be a huge life change, and as I noted earlier, I love what I do. If I was going to be able to keep doing that, I needed to take care of myself.
What is the biggest mistake you see women making when advancing their careers?
The biggest mistake I see women make is not having boundaries. Women are some of the hardest working people I see whether they are single, married or have children. We tend to please and we tend to not have confidence in ourselves. Both of those things lead to overwork and less boundaries.
To give your best, you must make sure you are taking care of yourself. Additionally, you must create boundaries between work and personal life. It is extremely hard to do something well if you are multitasking. That means being in the moment. When you are at home or out with friends, do not think about work the entire time. Live in the moment. Live in the moment at work as well. When you are in meetings, do not multi-task. Listen. Connect. When you are at work, set boundaries for when you are available to friends and family. It does not mean you don’t answer the phone in an emergency. It just means you are not everything to everyone, all the time. It does not mean you don’t work hard. It does not mean you run yourself ragged to advance. It just means you have confidence that your skills and abilities are enough.
How do you define success?
I define success as doing something that fulfills you and brings you joy. My father thought I was very naïve that I thought work should be fun. However, I have lived my life doing what brings me joy at that moment. There will never be enough money, a big enough title or the golden ring that only you can grab. As such, you need to figure out what success means for you.
What is the best piece of advice you've ever received?
The best piece of advice I received was to never be afraid to speak up. It has served me well over the years. My father always encouraged me to speak my mind. As long as I did it respectfully, my opinion mattered. I have received opportunities I never would have received if I had not asked someone to consider me. I have earned respect in meeting rooms for saying the things everyone else was afraid to say. I can look at myself in the mirror because I know that I speak up when needed about those things I have believed in.
What projects are you currently working on?
I work at Baylor Scott & White Health, and we never slow down. We are constantly looking for ways to do things better. My most recent projects are around integrating services for efficiency and effectiveness.
What is the best book you read this year?
The best book I have read this year is Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg and Alan Eagle.
This isn't just an event — it's a movement! Join over 600 powerhouse women from various sectors including global enterprise, non-profit, small business and government as we celebrate, unite and empower each other to turn BIG IDEAS into reality.
Seize this opportunity to invest in yourself and your future. You deserve to be among the North Texas community's leading ladies, shaping BIG IDEAS and making an impact that reverberates far beyond the summit.
Speakers & Panelists
- Marianne Radley, CMO, Smoothie King
- Melody Lennox, People Operations Executive
- Ginny Kissling, Global President & COO, Ryan
- Nora Gomez, CMO, Nebraska Furniture Mart
- Hedy Popson, President & CEO, Productions Plus
- Beth Garvey, President, CEO & Chair, BGSF
- Angela Hutson, SVP, Chief Accounting Officer, BSWHealth
- Sharon Ramage, Founder, The Ramage Law Group
- Lisa Clawson, SVP, Market Manager Private Wealth, Bank of Texas
- Tatsumi Paredes, Senior Manager, Diversity & Inclusion, TOYOTA
Expect:
- Networking: Sip mimosas while forging invaluable connections during our morning networking session. Don't forget to strike a pose at our photobooth and capture the moment with watercolor portraits, painted live!
- Speaker Sessions: Hear from influential speakers and engage in thought-provoking panel discussions centered around BIG IDEAS.
- Post-Event Celebration: Wrap up the day on a high note at our post-event happy hour hosted at the trendy Bulla Gastrobar.
Schedule
10 - 11:30 a.m. Mimosas & Networking with live water color portrait artist, Kiss-N-Teller, photobooth and more!
11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Seated Lunch
- Keynote Addresses with Marianne Radley, CMO at Smoothie King and Melody Lennox, People Operations Executive
- Two Powerhouse Panels featuring esteemed local female leaders
- Coffee Break & Networking
3 p.m. Happy Hour at Bulla Gastrobar