Q&A with Carolina Spera: Bridging Cultures Through Tax, Leadership, and Global Insight
Carolina Spera is a distinguished international tax and accounting leader, serving as Principal and Italian Practice Leader at Grassi. With nearly a decade of cross-border expertise, she specializes in guiding clients across the architecture, fashion, technology, and manufacturing sectors through the complexities of U.S. accounting and Italian tax law. In this Q&A, Carolina shares her valuable international perspective on business development and how she helps prepare future generations to enter the marketplace.
Q: Let’s begin with your professional journey from Italy to the United States. What led you to this marketplace?
A: My journey was driven by the desire to explore how my profession could develop in another country. I chose the United States because it’s a large country offering numerous professional and economic opportunities.
As a third-generation CPA and second-generation entrepreneur, I didn’t just want a career—I craved a future sculpted by my own desires. Although I didn’t lack opportunities, I was determined to create my own path.
In Italian culture, the United States holds special significance. It’s still viewed as the nation that liberated us during World War II and a day that is remembered and celebrated every year on April 25th. This strong cultural appreciation for America’s role in securing our freedom persists today.
Q: What key aspects of business development do you focus on when entering an international market?
A: Establishing a trusting relationship with the client and understanding their target is crucial to serving them effectively. The beauty of my position is that I have the privilege of working with diverse clients, each with unique needs and operating in different industries. That’s what I love most about my work.
Q: How do you stay ahead of industry trends and future-proof businesses as the landscape evolves?
A: I prioritize staying sharp on legal changes and global trends, crafting strategies that empower my clients, and understanding how to best serve within this context. We are living in an interesting time, and I’m eager to understand what the next five to ten years will look like from an international perspective. We are clearly experiencing a significant historical evolution, and I’m closely monitoring how that unfolds.
You must have a problem-solving mentality. This profession is about being both a consultant and an advisor. Looking at the whole picture is paramount.
Q: What is at the top of your mind in business right now?
A: Recently, a client thanked me for sharing information about beneficial ownership requirements. While this doesn’t directly impact us as CPAs since it needs to be handled by law firms, my initiative transformed uncertainty into clarity as the client mentioned that no one had initiated the conversation or shared the information with him before. Another example, is guiding a dual US-Italian citizen through complex compliance earning heartfelt gratitude from the potential risks and penalties.
Through Grassi’s expansive network, I weave connections that empower, linking clients—especially those abroad, adrift without local anchors—to trusted experts. This is especially important and certainly an added value that we can offer.
Q: Based on your experiences and the legacy you wish to leave, what advice would you give the next generation entering the market?
A: This profession is demanding and requires consistency and great attention to detail. I have the privilege to do what I love, and not everyone has the chance to do that. It’s essential to recognize that it encompasses multiple components. Soft skills are crucial, and it’s essential to be open to developing and improving them, as they play a significant role in our work, whether you realize it or not.
Q: Looking back, is there any advice that stuck with you or something you’d tell your younger self?
A: I would tell my younger self to embrace every opportunity that comes and cultivate your confidence like a precious bloom. I would encourage myself to stay deeply attuned to my goals and desires, unburdened by external expectations, societal rules, or traditions we are working to break. And I’d reassure myself to step toward my dreams with grace and quiet strength is the way to go.
Q: Can you share the significance of your involvement with the National Organization of Italian American Women and similar groups and what you hope to contribute to others?
A: The National Organization of Italian American Women organization is so important to me because it connects me to where I’m from and where I am now.
I wanted to be involved with the organization because I believe in connecting with people meaningfully. We can bring together women from various professions to interact outside the usual networking environment. This fosters stronger relationships, enabling people to connect on both a professional and personal level. Women are incredibly powerful; when we want something to happen, we make it happen.
Q: What legacy do you hope to leave in the industry, and would you like to answer from a professional or personal perspective?
A: I want to build a team that demonstrates that you can make it happen regardless of who and where you are if you’re determined and committed to what you do. I aim to enhance my Italian practice and establish a reputation across the two countries as a professional who nurtures the next generation, helping them develop confidence in this field.
Q: Have you benefited from mentorship and mentoring others, particularly within the organization?
A: It depends on what you consider a mentor. I am curious and inspired by many people who are probably unaware. I cherish every conversation, every experience in an imaginary book, ready to share with those I meet. My heart is an open canvas, my eyes and ears ever attuned to life’s endless teachings. I thrive in this continuous dance of growth, knowing that inspiration knows no age and that my story—bold, elegant, and fiercely curious—might just ignite a spark in another. This is my desire and strength: to learn, to uplift, and to weave a legacy of boundless possibility.