Az Big Media will be profiling one of the Most Influential Women in Arizona for 2026 each day leading up to the celebratory dinner on August 20, 2025. Today, meet Heather Stratz, marketing director at REDW Advisors & CPAs.
From a field of more than 2,200 women under consideration, the Most Influential Women in Arizona were selected by the editorial board of Az Business magazine and a panel of 12 former Most Influential Women. The Most Influential Women in Arizona Business for 2026 will be honored at a celebratory dinner on Aug. 20, 2026, at Chateau Luxe in Phoenix. The Spotlight Award Sponsor for the Most Influential Women of 2026 is CORE Construction, the Special Gift Sponsor is Tarbell’s, the VIP Sponsor is GCON, the VIP Reception Sponsor is Cullum Homes, the Cover Photo Shoot Sponsor is Greenberg Traurig, the Beverage Sponsor is Arizona Escrow & Financial, the Valet Sponsor in Stevens-Leinweber, the Floral Sponsor is PCL Construction, the Dessert Sponsor is SottoPelle and Tutera Medical, the 360 Photo Booth Sponsor is Clayco, the Step-and -Repeat Sponsor is Morris Hall, the Digital Sponsor is Desert Diamond Casinos, the Floral Provider is PJs Flowers and the Production Sponsor is Merestone.
WOMEN IN BUSINESS: The Most Influential Women in Arizona for 2026
WOMEN IN REAL ESTATE: The Most Influential Women in Commercial Real Estate for 2026
Heather Stratz, marketing director, REDW Advisors & CPAs
Background: Stratz leads a team driving brand and growth nationally and across five local markets where the firm has a physical presence — Phoenix, Albuquerque, Salem, Las Vegas, and Oklahoma City. She joined the firm in 2024 after 25 years in the industry spanning agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and scrappy startups. Stratz serves on the board of directors for Peer Solutions, a nonprofit advancing youth-led prevention programming. As a mom of two teenage daughters, has passed my love of animals on to her children. As a result, their home is full of “misfit” companions, and they are proud to foster many litters of sweet, fuzzy kittens for the Arizona Humane Society.
Advice to younger self: “Don’t take yourself too seriously. Be true to yourself. I spent my twenties convinced that if I stayed composed and in the right lane, everything would sort itself out. It mostly didn’t and it was exhausting. Also, be kind in the small moments. Celebrate other people’s wins and really mean it. Be memorable in the right ways. If someone you worked with 25 years ago still smiles when they tell a story about you, that’s success. Two more things… take the detours and be easy on people.”
Surprising fact: “Any of my past or present neighbors might guess, but most people don’t. I’m obsessed with my yard. Plants, native trees, anything that feeds a pollinator. I’ve been quietly building small ecosystems for years. I’ve also spent more on my yard than on fixing up the actual historic house it’s attached to, which is objectively the wrong order, but I don’t care. Watching a hummingbird or bee show up to something I planted while working at my window feels like a bigger return on investment than a brand-new bathroom. Not sure if my kids agree.”
