Jodi Snedigar.

• Position: Ulta Beauty Inc. vice president of tax

Preparing tax returns can be time consuming. But check out how Jodi Snedigar got started in her tax career. After college graduation, Snedigar worked at an accounting firm in Springfield, Illinois. She had small children, and the partners had her work in the office, without her having to travel to clients.

"This was incredibly kind and not very standard in accounting," she comments.

Given the time she spent in the office, Snedigar's career path began trending toward completing tax returns, financial statements, and payroll reviews as well as implementing tax software. "I made it my mission to beat the previous preparation time to complete a client tax return," she explains. "On top of being awarded team player of the year, the partners increased my responsibilities in tax return reviews, and I began training new accountants on tax return preparation and tax return software training. Just like that, my tax career was born!"

Snedigar, now vice president of tax at Ulta Beauty Inc., says that each job she has held has greatly impacted her career. "I am truly grateful for the experiences each gave me as they all, in their own way, helped advance and shape my career. I like to think I was building a beautiful cake (remember that word) and was able to put a cherry on top when I took my role at Ulta Beauty!"

Snedigar says she has built a career rather than just having jobs. "Everything I did before Ulta Beauty is a layer, in just the right order needed. I have experienced most all things in tax, from compliance (federal, state, and international), audit (extensive experience with the Internal Revenue Service), sales and use, property, provision accounting, financial statement preparation, software implementation, training, supervising, directing, and more," she explains.

The Ulta Experience

Snedigar calls her time at Ulta Beauty "the best and most rewarding part of my career." She notes that she has actively relied on her previous experience, created a tax department from the ground up, implemented multiple tax strategies, and has clearly had a seat at the proverbial table. "I firmly believe my boss, the Ulta Beauty board, my colleagues, and the tax team respect the many things we have accomplished throughout the last ten years. Ulta Beauty fosters a culture for leaders to lead and really showcase your experience and skill without the red tape--even as a tax representative. The executives listen to leaders and give them the runway to succeed," she...