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CFO, Origen Partners, Inc.

As an undergraduate student at Walsh College, Deanna Hamilton enrolled in a class that changed her life. After completing a course on the fundamentals of the stock market, Hamilton became intrigued by financing and chose to major in accounting. Once she graduated, companies such as Consolidated Natural Resources, GE Power Systems and The Interpublic Group of Companies hired her for her expertise in accounting. Now with 16 years of accounting under her belt, Hamilton has become one of the most influential accountants in her field. "Accounting is very competitive, but the rules pretty much stay the same," says Hamilton. "The manner [in] which the cooperation operates is what dictates the changes."

Hamilton's dedication to accounting was recently recognized by Black MBA Magazine, which named her one of the Top 50 Under 50 African-American MBA Corporate Executives on the Move. "I pride myself on getting results," says Hamilton. "But it's good to see that someone noticed. This brings a lot of clarity to what I do. You never think that people are watching, but they are."

Although Hamilton has experienced success in her career, she would like to see more blacks in her field. "To be an accountant, you have to be passionate about it," she says. "So I would like to get kids excited about accounting by developing programs that teach financial literacy." -amir shaw

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