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This paper develops the concept of “resilient professionalism” to illuminate the identity work of management controllers in a public organization. Based on biographical interviews, we show how controllers deal with negative self-perception, resign themselves to cope with difficulties over time without abandoning their mission, and adopt an individual rationale for overcoming or circumventing conflicts. These three sets of practices and discourses shed light on a lesser-known aspect of management controllers’ identity work: the way the individual constructs their professional image through the ability to resist and take on any difficulties.