Jessica Bramhall
Jessica Bramhall is Managing Director of Internal Audit at Schwab. Previously, she was a senior internal auditor for Janus Capital Group, and worked in EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability Practice for three years. Jessica lives in Denver.
The network that EY has afforded me goes beyond the professional relationships to lasting friendships.
EY as a career-builder
I joined EY on the heels of building a new practice at another Big Four firm. EY practice leadership immediately empowered me to develop new approaches for delivering new services and instilled confidence in my ability to sell and deliver those services to major consumer industry accounts. They gave me so many opportunities, from public speaking to trusting my golf game. EY was a valuable experience in working with multiple clients, industries, teams, and supervisors. I’m so fortunate to have worked under such a supportive and strong and kind leadership team at EY.
A network of support and connections
I appreciate all the team members I worked with during my time at EY – many from offices all over the country. EY is consistent in hiring skilled professionals who are also strong communicators and collaborators. The network that EY has afforded me goes beyond the professional relationships to lasting friendships. When we are in each other’s cities, we find time to connect. For those in Denver that I stay in touch with, we have gone on trips with our significant others together and coordinate dinners in the city.
Lessons EY helped teach and pass on to other professionals
Stretch yourself and know that you are capable of anything. While at EY, I was selected to participate on a live panel discussion as part of a firm webcast series. That was quite intimidating for me, as an introvert, and when I learned that the live webcast would not be audio-only and I had to be prepared for any ad-hoc questions for 90 minutes straight. As you can imagine, I thought -- no way. I buried those thoughts each time they surfaced and powered through it. At the end of the webcast, I was showered with compliments from around the firm and my coworkers who had tuned in. Coming out of that experience was one of the greatest accomplishments in my career. While every part of me said, just say no -- that’s more comfortable -- the other part of me said, your leadership knows you’ve got this, so believe it.
New personal and professional chapters
At the time I left EY, I decided the next stage was a career break. I had spent so much time traveling and not investing enough in personal relationships at home. However, I also knew that ‘break’ would be short term. I was fortunate to then transition to a role in internal audit at Charles Schwab and quickly progressed there to become a vice president in just under two years there. The skills that I gained from EY around building strong relationships within the company, delivering on critical milestones, and others helped me execute at Schwab, which was quickly recognized and rewarded with more career growth and opportunities.