Kimberly Hogan — 27

Civic Involvement: Sponsored a summer camp held in Jerusalem that facilitated understanding and unity between Israeli and Arab children. Supported a medical ministry of compassion, taking supplies to remote villages along the Paraguay River. Contributed to five construction teams assisting in post Katrina cleanup in New Orleans over the past four years. Supported and participated in Laguna Beach Relay for Life benefiting the American Cancer Society. Financially assisted team of students’ efforts working in orphanages in Budapest. Active member of OCCCWS (Orange County Citizens Concerned with Safety). She has recruited funds for FCPA (Fujitsu) employee donation matching program for Haitian relief efforts. Presented at Whittier Christian High School’s College & Career Day (an event aimed to mentor high school seniors looking for guidance as they move forward with college and career plans).

Hobbies: Reading, working out, spending time with friends, watching football, finding great local food while on the road

Cell phone: BlackBerry Bold 9000

Favorite app: BlackBerry Messenger is my lifeline! Whether it’s quick access to tech support from my IT team or simply a fast way to check in back home while on the road, it’s the one app that I can’t live without.

 

How many hours of the day are you plugged in and responsive to client needs? And what tools/products make it possible for you to have flexibility? I’ve never been a nine-to-five employee, and with smartphones and other mobile technology, I don’t see how anybody can be any more. Being a remote employee comes with both benefits and drawbacks: Fujitsu has faith in me to get my work done and ensure that my clients and partners have everything they need. I, in turn, want to be sure that I’m always on call when somebody has questions or wants to connect. I try to be available whenever my clients need me to be … and on the West Coast, that often makes for some early mornings! Having an ultra-portable Fujitsu LifeBook with a wireless Internet card and a BlackBerry makes it easy to be available even when I’m on the road.

What ONE piece of technology could you absolutely not live without? My smartphone. I would be completely lost without it. As a road warrior, I am constantly on the go and sometimes it’s difficult to find a place to “set up shop” with my laptop. The ability to access my email and stay up to date on urgent business, even while traveling, is priceless.

Are you using social networking (such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Facebook) as a marketing tool for your practice/business … or do you use such sites for personal use only? Have you gained any clients or seen other demonstrable benefits from the use of social networking? Before starting at Fujitsu, I was a huge proponent of LinkedIn as a tool to manage my business connections while colleagues and partners would migrate in and out of different roles and organizations. However, I never ventured into any of the other social networking vehicles for personal use. Once I came on board, I saw Fujitsu, and ScanSnap specifically, leveraging Twitter and Facebook for marketing purposes and decided that I should make an effort to enhance that strategy, and hopefully add a more personal side to Fujitsu. While I do have several friends and family members as connections, the majority of my use of Facebook is for business, and I’ve found it to be a fantastic way to reach the accounting audience in a more easygoing, less formal setting.

What pitfalls or what unwritten rules of social networking etiquette exist, which are frequently missed by others in the profession? Social media provide great opportunities for professional networking, strengthening existing relationships and communicating an overall business brand, in addition to specific activities, accomplishments and news. Breaches of etiquette occur most frequently when these tools, like Facebook, are used for advertising rather than effectively communicating a message. One of the most important unwritten and unspoken ground rules I share with my FB group is, “Let’s stay in frequent communication online in this forum, create a stronger online community, share information, share significant ‘wins’ and further one another’s business success.” Staying close to this ground rule helps to avoid a broad range of potential pitfalls, too numerous to name here, but familiar to most of us.

Do you embrace cloud computing? Absolutely. Document management is an integral part of a complete solution for any successful organization. Combining scanning technology with accounting, line of business, workflow, options management and sales & use tax applications (among others) is what really equates to productivity gains. By aligning ourselves with successful SaaS (Software as a Service) and cloud computing companies, like Bill.com, SpeedTax and Intacct, Fujitsu is able to tap into new markets and expand its reach in the accounting community. Bottom line, SaaS and cloud computing is no longer the future of the accounting industry — it’s today.

How is cloud computing changing the accounting profession, and how concerned are you with the security issues related to cloud computing? As more and more young professionals rise in the tax and accounting space, there is more of a paradigm shift toward online and cloud-based solutions as opposed to in-house systems. These SaaS and cloud-based offerings enable small and new businesses to focus on their core business rather than worrying about maintaining infrastructure to support complex in-house solutions. Being in the document management space for the past six years, I’ve learned to be at ease with the concept of information residing online or in the cloud. While there are sometimes initial concerns and hesitations to be addressed early on, most often it can be shown that information is actually more secure when stored, maintained, and backed up off-site.

Do you foresee the majority of firms still implementing servers for the majority of their computing in their offices five years from now or do you think they will be outsourcing this component to vendors who specialize in this area? I think most firms are beginning to and/or will begin to outsource this component as time goes on. These days it seems that more and more firms are looking to leverage hosted (cloud/SaaS) applications based on the new technology these solutions bring to the table, and the fact that the price difference in maintaining servers in-house vs. outsourcing continues to narrow.

What are some ways your firm/business has gone “paperless” and/or “green” in the last two years? Scanners by nature are designed to eliminate paper and encourage “paperless” initiatives. But beyond that, Fujitsu has had a commitment to sustaining the environment long before being “green” was popular with efforts including our Green Policy Innovation, our Environmental Protection Program, and many others.

Do you subscribe to a magazine and/or local newspaper? If so, which ones? Why/why not? Traveling as much as I do, it’s tough, but I try to browse my “go to” publications, including The CPA Technology Advisor and The Economist. I also attempt to keep up with newspapers like The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, and my local L.A. Times as much as possible. I think staying informed on the latest happenings in the industry and profession is the only way to ensure the ability to contribute relevant content.

NOT including your current employer, what company do you most admire and why? It’s no wonder that I’d choose a travel-related company, in Starwood Hotels. When I began traveling for business, I was given some great advice on hotel chains from a fellow business partner and frequent traveler. While most people might think all hotels are the same, I realized very quickly that is far from the case. In comparing Starwood’s SPG loyalty program to other competitive programs, there was a big difference in reward opportunities, in some instances double that of others. During a recent trip to Chicago for an accounting tradeshow, I commiserated with another SPG Platinum Guest about the extraordinary value Starwood offers its guests. By placing a big emphasis on customer satisfaction and rewarding loyal guests with incentives such as “green rewards” for being environmentally conscience, Starwood is a great example to all of us regarding the benefits of treating your valued clients well. I recommend Starwood hotels to all my friends, colleagues and partners. Don’t we all wish we could have referrals like that?

Do you use online resources like webcasts for CPE training? While not necessarily for CPE credit, Fujitsu does leverage webcasts for various educational and training purposes. I think some of the most effective webinars are those that feature thought leadership and insight from prominent industry professionals, like a recent webcast we co-sponsored with SpeedTax hosted by Jim Bourke, “What 17% of Growing, Successful Firms Don’t Want you to Know.” When you can take a step back from promoting an actual product and focus on helping accounting professionals solve problems for their clients or become more productive in their own business, I think it really resonates with them.

Do you listen to podcasts? No

What is an “old school” business practice or process you’d like to see changed in the next five years and why? The time-honored practice of transferring paper between and among businesses and business partners. While this practice is still standard procedure across the country, companies of all sizes are waking up to the necessity of streamlining business processes in order to remain competitive. And eliminating paper, for a host of reasons, is key to optimizing how businesses access and share information.

What sports team/championship event do you absolutely refuse to miss? I’ll never forget being at game seven of the 2002 World Series with my best friend and watching our Angels take the championship. We grew up down the road from Anaheim stadium and saved our money to go to as many games as possible each season. Seeing our childhood dream of our team winning was an amazing experience. These days, however, it’s all about my Vikings on Sundays. I subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket SuperFan so that I can even watch them play from my laptop on the road on days I have to travel, and I actually watch the Super Bowl for the game, not the commercials!

What operating system and version of Microsoft Office is installed on your work computer? Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2007

What are some of your favorite books, movies, music, websites, and TV shows? I wasn’t an avid reader until I began traveling as often as I do now. The past few years, however, I’ve made up for lost time by digging into some great books including Stephen King’s “The Stand,” and a book that came highly recommended by a business partner, “The Alchemist,” a story about trusting yourself and following your dreams. When I have some down time, I can always use a dose of “Tombstone”, “The Matrix” or “The Princess Bride.” I also love tuning in to Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations,” and catching “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives,” which is always a great way to find new places to visit on the road.

How many monitors do you have on your desk? Since I’m on the road so much, most of the time I’m not even at a desk. I can often be found in front of my LifeBook in a coffee shop, airport lounge or convention center. When I do make it back to my desk, I am able to plug into my 24-inch monitor for a bit more screen real estate.