Karmen Ward

Managing Director, Audit

KPMG

Every year, I ask myself: Who am I and what are my priorities? That’s how I try to keep myself grounded.

About Karmen

I went to a liberal arts college and accounting wasn’t on my radar until my mother suggested it during my sophomore year.
I took an internship opportunity at KPMG during the summer after graduation and then went back to graduate school for a master’s degree in accounting.
My double major was in accounting and Hispanic studies, and thought I would work more closely in Hispanic studies, but my aspirations at KPMG held a stronger grasp.
My internship with KPMG led to a full-time offer to work in the firm’s Norfolk, Virginia, office.
I chose to work for KPMG over the other Big Four firms because interacting with others was important to me and the connections I made with people from KPMG felt most natural.
Shortly after getting married, I transferred from KPMG’s Norfolk office to Dallas, Texas.
After four years in Dallas, I was asked to come to New York for a rotation in KPMG’s international office, so I moved back to the East Coast.
When I complete my rotation in the New York office, I plan to move back to Dallas and continue working in the audit practice for KPMG—I aspire to eventually become a partner in the firm.