Amanda Kastler is a Woman Who Means Business

“I  think I’ve always known what I wanted and not been afraid to go after it,” Amanda Kastler says. Where she goes, she excels—oftentimes leading the way for others. In high school, Kastler was a multi-sport athlete and served as captain of her volleyball team. Before her first day at Drury University, she declared her major in accounting and never wavered. And 10 years after starting at Elliott, Robinson & Company LLP, Kastler became the firm’s first female partner. “I could be satisfied if that was the best that I could do,” she says. “But if I thought that I could do more or be better, I pushed myself to do that.” 

The 37-year-old has always had a natural proclivity for leadership, but it’s not the title she’s after. Kastler wants to create change and help others prosper. “Leadership is more than just telling people what to do,” she says. “It’s developing them, investing in them… to be whatever their version of success is.” The Ozarks native, who has spent her entire career at Elliott, Robinson & Company, pours herself into creating a flexible and inviting culture at the firm. The company had an in-house mentor network and other programs before Kastler joined leadership in 2014, but since then, more initiatives have blossomed.

One of the most notable is the firm’s flexible time policy. Kastler pushed to formalize the program, which she says staff largely viewed as only available to working moms. So, the partners decided to put their employees in charge of writing it. A cross section of the staff came together with Kastler and another partner present to answer questions. “It’s amazing if you allow people the opportunity to make something better for their colleagues, they will take excellent ownership of it,” Kastler says. “They… put the firm first through the entire process, which was really awesome to see.” Now, more staffers utilize the policy and are able “to fit a work schedule into the life that they want to have,” she says.

Kastler has also been instrumental in fostering a place for women at the firm. Around 2013, she started a women’s initiative. “Really, it was just a way to find avenues or content to engage the women that we did have on our team,” says Kastler, who has given her planning responsibilities to some other employees. In the beginning, female staff would enjoy monthly lunches outside the office while discussing a professional development topic, engaging in book studies or simply socializing. Now, most gatherings are held on-site, but the content continues to adapt based on participants’ desires. Kastler has also supported the office’s voluntary women’s Bible study, which began four years ago, and advocated for experimenting with telecommuting. Since 2017, a former employee who relocated has been working remotely on a full-time basis.