Mackey McNeill, president of The Advisory Team, a seven-person company in Covington of certified public accountants and experts on financial planning, was named a YWCA Career Woman of Achievment in 1995.

Nominations are open through Wednesday for the 2005 awards, which will be presented to the eight women at a May 12 luncheon at the Cinergy Center downtown.

To nominate a woman, contact the YWCA at (513) 361-2126.

McNeill talked last week about the award and the role of women in the region's corporate scene.

What is the value of this award to the community, and what was the value for you personally?
We have an academy of woman of achievement that meets once or twice a year, and everybody knows how to challenging and rigorous it is to get the award.  In many circles, it's considered one of the most prestigious awards in the city.

I can't say a client came to me and said, "We're coming to you because you are a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement," but I think the award put me on a different playing field.

It raised my name recognition, and I'm sure it has increased the visibility of my business.  I'm sure it's opened some doors.  It's like sorority sisters in college.  It enabled me to develop a history with people.

Has the gender makeup at the executive level changed much in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky in recent years?
The world is changing very quickly and very dramatically.  I've been in business 22 years, and in the beginning all of my clients were male.

If you were going to work with clients who had businesses, well, the clients were men. A lot of bankers in the community would say, "I guess you mostly do business with women." I'd say, "No, I like to eat, too."

Still, the bulk of my business clients are male-owned firms.  But if you look in the community, there are a lot of up-and-coming women at key points in their careers.  Mine is the first generation of women to be career women.  Lots of places were closed, so it only makes sense that a lot of us are now in our late 40's early 50's and have now achieved enough experience and clout to have the kinds of businesses that have some economic power.

It takes a certain amount of time .

Unless you inherited your dad's business, it just takes time to grow it.  When people get into their 40s and 50s, they are nearing their peak earning capacity.

What I'm seeing now is more women seeking out other women to do business with.  And on the investment/financial planning side, a preponderance of our clients are women, or the women in the household are making the decision to hire our firm as their investment management firm.

More women have their own money and more women are making the financial decisions for the household.

Reprinted from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, John Eckberg, 1/23/05