How I Got Here.
What did you want to be
when you grew up?
I don’t recall wanting to be
a princess, firefighter or
any of the jobs children
typically choose. I was all
business early on.
EDUCATION
Bracken County High School
Brooksville, Kentucky, United States
(1988 – 1992)
WORK
First job | I was raised on a farm, milking cattle at my grandma’s in the summers and harvesting tobacco the rest of the year. I learned my work ethic from early age and know how to drive a tractor, plant seeds, pull plants, set them into fields and hang tobacco in barns.
Ohio Department of Transportation, Columbus, Ohio, United States
1992 – 1995: Legal Case Recording Clerk
What moment changed or shaped the way you work?
My Divorce | I would say my divorce really changed and shaped the way I looked at life and work. It taught me that things are not just black and white, but there are many shades of gray.
I grew up with a strict set of beliefs, and my divorce challenged the way I thought about things. I worried less about my career and became more accepting of others.
I also started making career and life decisions based on my personal happiness and needs, rather than just advancing my career. This led me to Cincinnati to be closer to my family when I really needed that support system, and then, eventually back to Louisville as I grew stronger alone.
What's the best piece of advice that you've been given?
This has evolved as I’ve gotten older, but the basic premise is just put one foot in front of the other every day and bat down whatever comes at me.
I rely on many people in both my work and personal life to help me accomplish things, to vent to and to bounce ideas off of.
I’ve really worked on doing these things with the best attitude and shaking off the things that I can’t control.
How do you do it?
Vice President, Tax,
Yum! Brands
HOLLERAN
JESSICA
In tax, a simple mistake can cost the company billions of dollars, but a couple of mentors have reminded me that we aren’t saving lives.
If something goes wrong, it’s usually correctable or manageable, and no one gets hurt.
That has taken a load of worry and stress away as I’ve gotten older.
DeVry Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Accounting
Columbus, Ohio, United States
(1992 – 1995)
If we were to interview
your teachers, what would
they say about you?
Jessica was always the first
to ask questions, speaking up when
she didn’t understand something
and wanting to know the reasons
behind a decision.
Do you believe in work/life balance?
I think everything is a balancing act.
At times, work has been my priority, and at times, life has taken center stage.
There will always be times when the pendulum swings much more to one or the other, but it’s how you manage and maintain relationships when those things happen that determine how successful you are at keeping the balance.
Going to concerts and getting
outside in the woods are my
“happy places.”
However, I think general
happiness comes from
feeling like you are making
a difference to someone
somehow. I’m really trying
to grow more and more in that
area as a leader.
People probably think we just file the company’s tax return, which we do, but our department also provides significant input to a line item that, in recent years, has made up more than 20% of Yum!'s bottom line.
We manage global tax risk and advise the company on transactions and business operations to ensure our net income isn’t negatively affected.
What do people think you do versus what you actually do?
What makes you happy?
Sterling Commerce, Columbus, Ohio, United States
1995 – 2000: Accounts Receivable / Accounting Systems
Arthur Andersen/Ernst & Young, Louisville, Kentucky, United States
2000 – 2006: International Tax Staff/Senior
PricewaterhouseCoopers, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
2010 – 2015: International Tax Director
Convergys Corp, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
2015 – 2017: Tax Senior Manager
Yum! Brands, Louisville, Kentucky, United States
2017 – 2018: Tax Director
2018 – 2021: Tax Senior Director
2021 – Present: Vice President, Global Taxes
Yum! Brands, Louisville, Kentucky, United States
2006 – 2010: International Tax Manager/Director
Capital University Law School
JD; LLM in Taxation
Columbus, Ohio, United States
(1995 – 2000)