Gretta Miles, CPA
Vice president of global accounting services at Delaware North in Buffalo, N.Y.; board member and audit committee chair of Wayne Cooperative Insurance Co., Clyde, N.Y.; member of the Accounting Advisory Council for the University at Buffalo School of Management; member of the AICPA and CIMA Future of Finance Leadership Advisory Group (FFLAG).
Finding her path: I went to the University at Buffalo, and I actually started as a biology major. I expected to study medicine, but I quickly realized I didn’t like anything about biology. Luckily, I was at a big school, so I could try different things. I’d worked in the accounting office at Wegmans while I was in high school and college, so I thought, “Maybe I’ll try an accounting class.” It just clicked as nothing else had. I’m grateful every day that I found work I truly enjoy.
Lessons in the long game: If you stay focused on where you want to go, do your job, meet expectations, learn, stay curious, and keep a positive attitude every day, the rest should take care of itself. Looking back, I realize now that all that passionate energy I had early in my career — the frustration, the drive, the curiosity — wasn’t wasted. It was building the foundation for where I am now. Now I tell younger professionals, “You don’t always see what you’re working toward in the moment, but eventually it comes together.” Sometimes, you just have to trust the process and keep learning.
Advice to remember: Two things. One, my professor in college told me, “Take that CPA Exam now and get it behind you.” Two: When I started at Deloitte, someone told me: “Show up with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn.” That’s still the best advice I’ve ever received, and I rely on it every day. Whether you’re moving into a new role or facing the unknown, that mindset carries you through. I’ve made a few job changes that felt risky, especially becoming a controller just five weeks before the pandemic hit. Suddenly, I was leading a team through daily board meetings and crisis management, all while my kids were home from school. No one had a playbook. But you adapt, you reshuffle, and you keep going.
More than numbers: There’s a misconception that accounting is all math and spreadsheets. In reality, it’s a career built on relationships — client service, teamwork, and problem-solving. The work is dynamic and personal, and the variety of paths you can take is enormous. Volunteering and being on the mentorship committee with the University at Buffalo’s accounting advisory board has brought my career full circle. It reminds me that the best thing you can do is stay curious, stay connected, and keep moving forward.
Favorite place to travel: Somewhere I haven’t been yet. Some recent standouts were the Grand Canyon and Costa Rica. Years ago, we took the kids to Kennedy Space Center, and that’s one of the best attractions and museums I’ve experienced. I’m really looking to get back there soon.
Favorite music: A mix — country, Taylor Swift, and rock all make the playlist.
Favorite food: I like to try new things, but fish tacos — it’s hard to beat them.
— As told to Mari Sagedal, a senior content writer for the JofA. To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Jeff Drew at Jeff.Drew@aicpa-cima.com.
