Teaming Up for Clients and Each Other: Meet KSM Team Member Sarah Braun

From leading her middle school basketball team to a championship to tackling a challenging audit engagement with her KSM colleagues, Sarah Braun has always done her best work as part of a team. Growing up, Sarah was involved in a lot of team sports, and she quickly realized that a team-oriented environment is where she truly thrives.

That familiar team-focused feeling is one of the things that drew Sarah to KSM, and the encouraging atmosphere and drive to push herself in service of the team are a big part of what makes Sarah’s role as a senior audit associate at KSM so rewarding. “I feel that attachment. I want to be better. I want to do the best that I can for my team,” she says. “It’s that team environment and being challenged every day – having people there for me when I need them, and them knowing I’m there for them, too.”

Sarah enjoys the strong bonds she shares with her KSM crew and feels fully supported as part of the audit team in the firm’s Fort Wayne office. “My co-workers are such a blessing, I feel really lucky to have them,” she says. “If there’s an issue that I’m facing, then we all put our heads together and accomplish the goal that we need to. I know my colleagues would be willing to step in and help me in any way they could, or find someone that could help me out.”

She also appreciates that the sense of camaraderie extends across all levels of the firm. “My co-workers, my managers, my directors, the partners here, they want to know me on a personal level,” Sarah says, and she likes the fact that those supportive relationships don’t stop at the office door. “It’s not just about ‘Oh, are you getting your jobs done in a timely manner?’ It’s ‘Oh, how’s your family? How are your friends?’, and I think that’s really what sets KSM apart.”

A relationship-focused team player with a love of variety and a commitment to service, Sarah finds audit work an ideal fit. She particularly enjoys the amount of client interaction her work offers. “One of my favorite parts of my job is being able to see a client, help them in any way I can, and just be a resource for them,” she says. “I think that relationship is very important.”

It’s that team environment and being challenged every day – having people there for me when I need them, and them knowing I’m there for them, too.

To a Fort Wayne native born and raised in the city in which she now lives and works, it’s especially meaningful. “Pretty often we’ll be walking downtown and see a client that we know or a friend and just holler across the street.” And as a KSM auditor, Sarah is confident she’s making a difference to the people in her community. “I feel the work that I’m doing is meaningful, and it’s valued. And my team helps me to recognize that a lot, too.”

She also appreciates the variety of industries she’s exposed to in her career. “I get to work with not-for-profits, construction clients, financial services – all sorts of different clients, so it’s a nice blend.” That variety combined with KSM’s commitment to investing in the firm’s team members offer Sarah plenty of opportunity to keep learning and developing professionally, a high priority for her as she works toward her long-term career goals.

Sarah notes that in the few years she’s been part of the firm, 25% of KSM’s Fort Wayne team has been promoted – including Sarah. “I think that’s really telling as to the type of environment we have here,” she says. “It shows that people are willing to take the extra step and invest in all the employees to help them succeed.”

Fostering strong relationships while helping talented professionals build a great career is KSM’s winning game plan, and with 80 years of success, it’s a record we’re proud of. If you’d like a place on our team, check out the variety of career opportunities available at KSM.