Confidence, Clarity and a New Career

In 2018, Samantha Lee MST ‘19 was doing well as a tax consultant at a Big 4 accounting firm in Stamford, Connecticut. Her job was both rewarding and challenging. Many colleagues became friends. She took advantage of firm’s initiatives like community volunteer events and mentoring workshops. Life was good; but Lee still felt like it was time for a career reset.

“Despite the fast pace of my career growth, I felt like I was at a crossroads and felt a personal need to invest in other areas of my life,” Lee recalls. “It was the right time because I had built enough time at my prior job to re-enter the market at a manager level, but I was still young in my career where I had the flexibility to try a new course or see if I wanted to stay on the public accounting path.”

Whichever path she chose, she understood that she had to get comfortable with the “grey areas” of the tax world. She had seen the deep technical acumen that her mentors possessed and knew that only some of that could be learned on the job. 

“I knew that I needed those skill sets — particularly in Internal Revenue Code and case law literacy and tax knowledge diversity — to get to the next level. I wanted to gain more confidence answering those kinds of technical questions and navigating the grey area that happens all the time. Examples include when the tax code or case law might not clearly or intuitively define the rules or may apply differently depending on the nuances of the fact pattern.”

It wasn’t long before Lee was exploring graduate programs. She ultimately chose the master’s degree in taxation at Bentley for its connection to the Boston market and accolades from Bentley alumni who worked with her at EY. The university also had the flexibility she was looking for in regard to its combination of core courses and electives, and the ability to participate in classes on campus or remotely through Zoom. 

Growing up, Lee’s father gave her advice that she never forgot: If you are compared head-to-head with a colleague who performs at the same level, additional credentials will give you an edge. 

Lee knew that a graduate degree at Bentley was the right move, but she was initially hesitant to enroll. She would be leaving a well-paying job and relocating to a new city. She “felt a bit on the older side” to be returning to school. Plus, several family and friends questioned her decision. But the risk paid off.

“I survived the lifestyle adjustments of taking on a full-time graduate degree, but more importantly I was able to fulfill the vision I had when I made the decision to go back to school,” Lee says. “I obtained my master’s degree, picked up valuable skill sets that broadened my abilities, found a job that has given me more balance, and learned that I could thrive during change. Resources such as lectures and conferences also fueled me with an energy to enjoy the process of learning again.”  

It was the people who brought life to the concepts. MST Program Director and Lecturer in Law and Taxation Timothy Tierney, for example, shared insights from his time as a principal at EY and senior vice president at MFS Investment Management. It went beyond how to balance the nuances of tax transactions with broader business decision making to covering day-to-day aspects of the job like working waves of long hours in mergers and acquisitions. Outside the classroom at a regional Tax Executives Institute conference, Tierney and Professor Scott Thomas presented on how to communicate tax concepts to non-tax stakeholders. About a month later, Lee was asked about the exact topic in a job interview. 

“What was unique compared to my undergrad experience was that all of my tax professors were former or working tax attorneys or CPAs,” Lee says. “As a fellow tax professional, it made them more relatable. Even though I was a student, it made the program feel like an extension of my career journey, rather than an academic class that stood mutually exclusive from my time at work.”

Shortly after finishing the MST in 2019, Lee landed a job as a tax manager at cybersecurity company Mimecast. During the first few weeks on the job, Lee says she dipped right into her skill sets, from researching a property tax issue to reviewing aspects of the company’s transfer pricing process. Her management skills have also been put to the test.  

“Negotiation is more than just closing a business deal. It embeds itself into every day decision making, whether I'm trying to pitch a new idea for a process efficiency or mediating a heated debate in the middle of a meeting,” Lee says.

She has also been better able to connect with co-workers thanks to the course Emotionally Intelligent Leadership. “I’ve learned approaches to become more in tune with my colleagues, such as reading a room (body language, frame of reference, reflective listening) and becoming more empathetic toward different communication styles.”

Her days at Mimecast include managing the day-to-day of company's quarterly and annual tax provision process and income tax filings. As the company continues to grow — it doubled in size since it went public in 2015 — Lee is up for the challenges of creating new policies and more efficient processes to keep up with the pace of growth.

“As an Asian-American woman in business, I am passionate about driving social change in regard to diversity and inclusion,” she says. “The technology industry has historically followed a narrative of not having a culture where diversity and inclusion thrives. It is fulfilling being part of a company that both prioritizes these initiatives and looks for new ways to approach this important issue.”

Her father’s “pearl of wisdom” from so many years ago has proven correct. “The value of my MST extended beyond the technical skill sets I learned in the classroom. It provided me the confidence and clarity I needed to take the next step in my career.”