Megan: Welcome to SheBoss. I am thrilled today to have Deborah McGee joining us. She is the President and CEO of PZI Consulting, but there is so much more to discover about this woman, whom I’ve had the absolute pleasure of getting to know over the past couple of weeks. Thank you so much for joining us today.
Deborah: Thank you for having me.
Megan: Absolutely. Deborah and I have been in similar circles for quite some time, but the more I’ve learned about you, your background, and the roles you’ve played, I was blown away by your international impact and the depth of experience you have working across different cultures and organizations. You approach things in such an intentional and strategic way that has shaped huge businesses. Many of the women we feature on SheBoss are deeply involved in our North Alabama community and certainly respected beyond it, but you have truly worked across the world and lived in many countries. So, welcome again. Let’s start with your background. Where are you from, and let’s follow your journey from there.
Deborah: Where am I from? That’s always an interesting question. I’m a retired military spouse, so that question comes with, “Well, I started here, went there, and now I’m here.” But I’m a South Carolina girl — a South Carolinian through and through. I got married young, and my husband went into the military early. We lived all over the world. I came to Huntsville about 13 years ago. At the time, I was in Atlanta but working part-time in Korea, so I split my time between the two. When my husband was retiring, he asked where we should live next. I said, “It has to be in the South and near water because I’m done with deserts.”
Megan: And here we are — Lake Guntersville! It is beautiful here. Your background is in accounting and finance, and you’re a CPA by trade. You’ve also worked heavily in HR. What influenced you to pursue that career path?
Deborah: Honestly, I took a bookkeeping course in high school and thought, “Wow, this makes sense.” So when it came time for college, I pursued accounting. But it took me seven years and five universities to finish my degree because we moved so much with the military. I eventually earned my accounting degree and became a CPA. I held licenses in four states because I didn’t know where we’d land. I started with Arthur Andersen in California, then moved to Texas, South Carolina, and finally Virginia.
I worked in audit and tax, and then we moved to Germany, where I got a job with Arthur Andersen in Frankfurt doing expatriate taxation. That started my international career.
Megan: Did you always want to work internationally?
Deborah: No! I didn’t even know what that was. A friend called one of the partners in Frankfurt and told them I was moving there. They had an opening, and I got the job. I had been doing audit, so this was all new. I ended up in that field for 13 years, working with clients like Marriott, Lockheed Martin, and Deutsche Bank. I thought I would be a Big Four partner with a corner office in Atlanta — and I actually did get that corner office, just not with a Big Four firm.
Megan: So what led you to make the switch from corporate to entrepreneurship?
Deborah: When Sarbanes-Oxley came out, accounting wasn’t as fun or strategic anymore. A VP at Lafarge, who had been a client, encouraged me to leave and come work with them. That’s when I transitioned into HR. My financial background brought a unique understanding of compliance and financial risk, which was valuable to companies like Lafarge and later Doosan.
Megan: And that led to starting PZI. What inspired the name People Zealously Interconnected?
Deborah: I never planned to start a business. I just wanted to retire, move to the lake, and maybe become a Pilates instructor! But after leaving Doosan, where I had built their international HR department from scratch, I took six months off. I spent time on my faith, did some dancing, gourmet cooking, and reading. I kept feeling called to start something.
Megan: So how did it begin?
Deborah: I went to a local HR meeting just to meet people. I ended up sitting next to the HR director at EFI Automotive. She mentioned some international issues she was having, and next thing I knew, she became my first client. I had to figure everything out — pricing, marketing, IT. I leaned on The Catalyst, formerly the Women’s Business Center, for help. Joanne Randolph helped me tremendously. That was the start.
Megan: And now you have over 250 employees across 20+ countries. That’s amazing.
Deborah: Yes, and many of our clients have come from referrals. One of my first was General Dynamics, and they’ve been with us for 11 years. We even developed our own global HR system, which they use for thousands of expatriates.
Megan: When you look back, did you ever imagine you’d build something like this?
Deborah: Not at all. It’s been very much a “Jesus take the wheel” journey. In my corporate life, I was a micromanager. But starting my own business taught me to let go and help others grow.
Megan: Your leadership style really emphasizes empathy and authenticity. What advice do you have for other leaders, especially in Huntsville?
Deborah: Perspective is everything. If you’ve only worked in the U.S., you might not realize how different things are globally. Business trips aren’t the same as living abroad. Understanding how people live and work gives you true empathy. And even in Huntsville, it’s about who you know. Building relationships takes time.
Megan: Let’s talk about your book, The Leadership Attitude. What inspired it?
Deborah: Forbes had reached out to me for about two years, and I ignored them thinking it was spam. Eventually, I took the call. They found me through research on successful women who transitioned from global corporate roles to business ownership. I thought they wanted the Doosan story, but as I wrote, it became more about empathy, faith, and the lessons I’d learned.
Megan: What was that writing process like?
Deborah: It was very introspective. The book highlights leadership lessons, how to humanize global workplaces, and the importance of empathy. It draws on my faith and personal growth, and how those have influenced my leadership.
Megan: It’s such a powerful message. What’s next for you?
Deborah: Internally, we’re focused on developing our next generation of leadership at PZI. Michelle and I both want to explore other interests, and I may do more speaking. I want to keep saying yes and see where it leads.
Megan: That “year of yes” mentality is so powerful. Deborah, thank you so much for joining us. Your story is inspiring, and what you’ve built is incredible.
Deborah: Thank you, Megan. I appreciate the opportunity to share.
Megan: And thank you all for joining us. We’ll see you next time.