Emerging leaders: Emily Whittenburg.

• Position: Interview

"Technology has both made our jobs easier and more difficult. It's easier in the sense that we can produce data and reports faster, but more difficult in the sense that expectations from stakeholders have changed." That succinct analysis of what it's like for today's corporate tax executive to operate in an Internet- and social media-infused world is provided by Emily Whittenburg, senior tax adviser of tax policy and government relations at Shell Oil Company. Whittenburg is in a good position to know what new leaders in this industry are facing. She's co-chair of the Tax Executives Institute's Emerging Tax Professionals Subcommittee and the magazine's first Emerging Leaders profile.

In her current role for Shell, Whittenburg is responsible for U.S. state and federal tax shaping and legislative matters and is involved in global tax policy matters. Prior to joining Shell, Whittenburg served as tax counsel for Waste Management, providing support for mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions. Before moving to an in-house tax role, she practiced corporate and transactional law at a law firm for several years. Her practice included representing clients in general corporate matters, financial transactions, commercial real estate, and other transaction-based deals. Whittenburg also spent seven years with the public accounting firms of Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young, serving clients as a tax manager.

Whittenburg's decision to move out of the professional services provider world to an in-house corporate tax professional role was driven by the desire for a lifestyle change. "As a practicing corporate attorney, I was often working twelve to fourteen hour days, six to seven days a week, which didn't leave much time for anything else. I was looking for an opportunity that provided the challenges of the private sector but with the flexibility to pursue my outside interests," she explains.

The most exciting part of being a corporate tax professional, says Whittenburg, is developing a deep connection with colleagues outside of tax who are setting the business objectives and executing the company's strategy. "Tax often is seen as only a support function, but when you integrate yourself with other parts of the company, you can grow professionally and help deliver more value to the company's bottom line," Whittenburg says.

Whittenburg has had her share of challenges in her role at Shell, but two major ones have been learning to navigate...