The Greater Washington area has a long history of influential business leaders powering the growth of our region and the strength of their communities. On December 5, the Washington Business Hall of Fame will welcome five such leaders to receive our region’s signature lifetime business achievement award. The Hall of Fame brings these visionaries (the best in business) to the table with the next generation of leaders (the next in business), through an experience that connects and inspires us all.
The 2023 Hall of Fame Laureates are no strangers to media coverage. If you live in the Washington region, chances are you’ve seen their names in headlines for years. What you may not have witnessed is these trailblazers telling their stories in their own words. That’s what this series brings you – the insights, lessons and life advice that these Laureates have to offer based on a lifetime of success.
WASHINGTON’S BEST IN BUSINESS: TERRI McCLEMENTS
Terri McClements is a recently retired Senior Partner with PwC professional services firm. As PwC’s Washington, DC Metro and Mid-Atlantic Market Managing Partner, Terri led the firm’s local community engagement efforts to bring nearly $40 million in contributions to key causes, including Junior Achievement. A resident of Clifton, VA, Terri has long been active in the community, serving as an officer of the Economic Club of Washington, DC, and The American Cancer Society. Her full Hall of Fame Laureate biography is available here.
Read on to learn about the valuable life lessons Terri learned from her first job at McDonald’s, the skills she thinks are more important than technical expertise in any role, and the 2010 Washington Business Hall of Fame Laureate that changed the course of her career.
TERRI McCLEMENTS
SENIOR PARTNER AND FORMER MID-ATLANTIC MARKET MANAGING PARTNER (RETIRED)
What is the hardest job you have ever done?
Terri McClements: I learned early on that there are people in the world who “run toward the fire,” and there are people that run away from challenges when they arise. I figured out early that I wanted to be one of the people that runs to challenges to help solve them. I also figured out that there is learning in everything we do, no matter the situation. As a PwC Partner, I had the opportunity to work with outstanding clients and incredible Partners and professionals. Even in the most difficult situations, there was always professionalism and a common goal to “always do the right thing”. If we are grounded in doing the right thing, everything else comes easily.
With this as a backdrop, I had so many unique opportunities over my career to stretch my leadership capabilities. I’d have to say that becoming the Managing Partner for the DMV was an opportunity to practice the skills I had learned over my career by having ownership of the entire P&L. The role came at a time when we had some brand challenges in the marketplace, and I was the first female managing partner for our DMV practice as well. I had to earn the trust of my Partners, our clients, our people and the community. I also needed to find time to raise my children and be with my family. There were so many competing priorities with the various hats I had to wear. I loved doing it even though it was incredibly hard ... and it was also very rewarding. I hope I left a legacy by leaning in with my Partners to help our clients through their biggest issues, earn the trust of our clients and our people, and make a difference in our community.
Did you have a mentor? If so, who was it, and how did they impact your career trajectory?
Terri McClements: I had so many role models and mentors over my career with PwC; too many to mention at the risk of forgetting someone. I would have to say that my parents, neither of whom graduated from high school, demonstrated the importance of work ethic and grit. My dad was drafted into the Navy during WWII and was a Seabee, where he learned the craft that led him to become an industrial plumber. My mom worked in our school cafeteria. Both of my parents worked incredibly hard, getting up early every day to provide for our family of seven.
The other individual who changed my career trajectory happens to be a JA Laureate from 2010, Gerald Halpin from West*Group. He and the other “HENS” (a nickname for the partners at West*Group) offered me my first job after college graduation. Not long after I joined West*Group, I realized my leaders and supervisors were all CPAs. I asked if West*Group would pay for a class to study for the CPA exam. Jerry gave it an enthusiastic yes. Had it not been for his willingness to support the class and time to take the exam, my career would have been much different.
“If we are grounded in doing the right thing, everything else comes easily.”
What is one thing you want the Greater Washington business community to know about your company?
Terri McClements: PwC has been around for approximately 175 years and has offices in over 150 countries. The quality of the people is second to none. The clients we have the privilege to serve cover every sector and every stage of maturity, which is why I loved being a PwC Partner and why I stayed in the same organization for 36 years. Because of the talent we attract, we can solve the most complex global problems and help capture incredible opportunities. We are much more than an accounting firm – we are a professional services firm and a community of solvers. Our PwC Professionals can solve the most challenging issues that exist, and we are passionate and committed to making a difference in the communities in which we live and work. I am so proud of the difference our PwC team has made and will continue to make in the DMV.
If you could choose one person to have dinner with, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Terri McClements: That’s easy … my dad. He died in 2000, a few years after I was admitted to the PwC partnership. He would be incredibly proud of all the experiences I had as a PwC Partner and the difference that our PwC team made in the community. For the longest time, my dad thought I prepared tax returns, which I have never done – not even my own!
His death was also a year after the birth of my son, Matthew. I watched my dad be an amazing grandfather to my nephews and nieces. I would bring my son and daughter with me to dinner so they could talk with “Pap Pap Pete” and hear the stories that made a lasting impression on his other grandchildren. He would be so proud of the man my son has become and would be thrilled to meet his 14th grandchild, Erin.
“Embrace the mindset that learning is a life-long journey. There’s no better experience than ‘on the job’ training – making a mistake and learning from it, enduring hard days, and experiencing the joy and pride of successfully completing a challenging project. ”
What should students be doing today to help prepare them for a successful tomorrow?
Terri McClements: Embrace the mindset that learning is a life-long journey. There’s no better experience than “on the job” training – making a mistake and learning from it, enduring hard days, and experiencing the joy and pride of successfully completing a challenging project. Technical ability in many fields is taken as a given, but what really differentiates individuals is their people skills. The ability to motivate, mentor and develop those around them; and create a personal connection and mutual trust. It is always important to keep working on your people skills.
My first paying job was working at McDonalds when I was 16. I learned a lot about customer service and how to interact with people from different backgrounds and generations. It was a great training ground for life, although I probably didn’t realize it then. Practice your interpersonal skills. Your EQ is one the most important skills for success in any field. The technical skills in a chosen field will continue to evolve and will be disrupted by technology, like AI is doing now and other technology innovations that have come before. People and leadership skills are what enable advancement in any field.
If you had to pitch a new business concept today, what would it be and why?
Terri McClements: I lost both of my parents, my brother, and my mother-in-law to cancer. I also have the privilege of serving as the Vice Chair of the Board of the American Cancer Society. Because of these experiences, I understand the impact that cancer has not only on the cancer patient, but also their families, the community and the broader economy. My next career would have to be with a business focused on eradicating cancer. I would want to pitch a business that could create medical breakthroughs using all the latest technology advancements, harness all the passion I see at the ACS to find a solution, and fund research which would accelerate a cure for all cancers as we know them today.
You’re invited to support Terri McClements’s induction into the Washington Business Hall of Fame. All proceeds benefit Junior Achievement of Greater Washington’s work to prepare local students to be ready for the future.