The Administrator's Key Role

Source: Accounting Today

In this article, Danielle Lee examines the value that high-level office administrators can bring to a firm. Firms without an overall administrator may be allowing partners to be pulled away from their critical roles to be overly involved in issues such as human resources, IT, marketing, and other organizational matters.

Lee features an administrator/managing partner duo from the New Jersey firm Wilkin & Guttenplan. Janine Zirrith, office administrator, has been with the firm for more than 25 years and works closely with Ed Guttenplan, the firm's managing partner. Zirrith and Guttenplan meet every two weeks to ensure that the firm is operating at its best. Zirrith addresses issues such as staff training and marketing that would otherwise draw Guttenplan away from focusing on firm growth, strategic planning, etc. Zirrith has even overseen building renovations and disaster recovery.

Deborah Sessions is chief operating officer for Porter, Keadle, Moore in Atlanta. Sessions, who has been serving her firm for 25 years, is heavily involved in human resources and staff training, making sure the right people are hired and that they're trained and mentored to prepare them to contribute to the firm long-term – including possibly being part of the firm's succession plan.

Because of their high-level, but administrative, roles, team members like Sessions and Zirrith can help with matters like succession planning, which must be dealt with but are also sensitive subjects. Administrators at this level can offer feedback and insight from a knowledgeable, non-partner perspective and, as a result, can play a critical role in partner discussions and planning for the best interests of the firm.

For the complete article, read “Firm admins: A secret source of growth.”

From Accounting Today, February 1, 2012, SourceMedia Inc., One State Street Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10004, 800-221-1809.