Wenli Wang (she/her) was hungry for something different. She lived in China through childhood but moved to San Francisco after graduating from a top college in Beijing in search of new opportunities.
With $100 to her name and two extra-large suitcases, she realized success in the United States would not come easy.
“It was a culture shock,” Wenli said. “It’s difficult to start from the bottom. Even if you come with a lot of experience, you still start at the bottom.”
Setting the Foundation
Wenli quickly learned the challenges immigrants face. Working through graduate school and turning a Moss Adams internship into a full-time role introduced cultural and linguistic barriers that were difficult to overcome.
“Moss Adams and the public accounting industry have a lot of diversity today,” Wenli said. “When I started my career, there was no diversity. It made it hard to believe in myself when I didn’t see anyone that looked like me.”
Wenli understood the barriers she faced would also challenge other immigrants. She wanted to blaze a path so others like her could navigate obstacles with more support than she had in her journey.
“I want to relentlessly improve myself into a better professional and human being. My goal in life is to be someone that makes a difference,” Wenli said.
To pave a road at Moss Adams, Wenli realized that she had to become a leader. With the support from her partners and mentors, she was able to lay a foundation for her personal and professional growth—and become a partner on her 10th anniversary at Moss Adams.
Over time, her mentors helped Wenli realize that her background wasn’t an obstacle but an asset, introducing a fresh perspective to address challenges and identify unexpected solutions for her clients. Leveraging her unique journey helped Wenli build a strong referral network and attract many new clients.
About seven years ago, she was approached to start a new venture for the firm—the Moss Adams China Practice. Despite her initial nerves, Wenli understood her journey from China to the United States could help evolve the new China Practice into an engine toward meaningful change.
“I saw it as an opportunity to make the impact I hoped for,” Wenli said. “It was nerve-racking and exciting at the same time. I realized that was the chance for me to start something new.”
Securing the Support
Upon accepting the position as practice lead, it was Wenli’s responsibility to grow the new China practice from the ground up and turn it into a profitable sector. Wenli relied on her experience as a Chinese immigrant to establish authentic relationships with prospective clients and help them expand their businesses in the United States.
“I really wanted to set a high bar for the practice. I strived to retain high quality clients while maintaining a high growth level. I wanted to set a foundation for long-term sustainability and ensure it was the Moss Adams China Practice, rather than Wenli’s China Practice.”
One of her first clients, a real estate developer, contracted with Moss Adams to outsource financial accounting. The rest of the client’s business needs were managed by a larger firm.
Wenli’s background played a significant role in her ability to advise the client, and the close relationship between them elevated Wenli’s advisor role beyond bookkeeping. Before long, Wenli’s invaluable input helped guide the client on many aspects of managing their business.
When the client needed support for negotiating the buyout of a minority owner, they turned to Wenli for help.
“The CFO and CEO didn’t speak English,” Wenli said, “so they wanted me to attend the negotiation meeting with them as an interpreter and consultant. Culturally, I understood what they were thinking and wanted to achieve. After hours of negotiation, they also asked us to assist with the analysis and offer possible solutions.”
Wenli and her team assisted the client in completing the transaction. Shortly after, Moss Adams became the client’s full-service provider, winning the larger firm’s tax and audit work.
For the first time, Wenli realized her background helped establish her as a bridge between China and Moss Adams. In this role, she could utilize her experience to lead the China Practice in supporting Chinese clients, mentor team members who share a similar background, and turn the cultural and linguistic barriers she once faced into a professional strength for all parties.
“That shows you the beauty of this country,” Wenli said. “Everyone has the opportunity to remake themselves, as long as we are willing to seize opportunities and work hard at it.”
Completing the Bridge
Wenli continues to leverage her role as a bridge, connecting others to opportunities within Moss Adams and beyond, and has turned the China Practice into a high revenue growth practice.
In her tenure at the firm, she’s helped grow the careers of many team members, including Chinese-born accountants within her practice and across the profession, and sponsored multiple team members on their path to partner. Besides leading the China practice, Wenli is the partner in charge of the Moss Adams Silicon Valley office and is an executive sponsor for the Asian business resource group.
She hopes to continue to help others by turning cultural and linguistic barriers into personal strengths.
“Finally,” Wenli said, “I can comfortably say that I am able to make a difference.”