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Accounting

Accounting Thought Leaders Discuss Future of the Profession, Advisory Services, and Tax

Accounting thought leaders convened in New York City Feb. 20-22, 2023, for CPA Practice Advisor's 13th annual Accounting Thought Leader Symposium.

Nearly 30 of the most influential consultants, practitioners and accounting technology visionaries convened in New York City Feb. 20-22, 2023, for CPA Practice Advisor‘s 13th annual Accounting Thought Leader Symposium.

CPA Practice Advisor editor-in-chief Gail Perry, CPA, leads discussion with attendees at the 2023 Accounting Thought Leader Symposium.

The annual event, hosted by CPA Practice Advisor (www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com), fosters communication and expansion on the evaluation of technologies, practices and external influences that are shaping professional services, as well as firm and client success.

Roman Kepczyk, CPA, CITP, CGMA.

Participants came from across the U.S. as well as Taiwan and Australia. They represent a broad spectrum of the accounting profession including small tax-focused firms, general practices, national firms, corporate accountants, accounting educators, accounting technology consultants , and technologists, and all are well-known speakers at tradeshows and CPE events.

Jim Bourke, CPA, CGMA.

Follow the Twitter hashtag #CPATLS (https://twitter.com/hashtag/CPATLS) for the ongoing conversation about the Thought Leader Symposium.

Jennifer Lee Wilson of ConvergenceCoaching

During the symposium, these professionals will meet with core development and executive staff of key accounting technology providers to determine and shape the future of the profession, including both short- and long-term evolutions in technology, workflow methods, and firm management.


2023 Accounting Thought Leader Symposium Agenda

Agenda items are initially kept general, so that dialogues, challenges, disagreements, and new avenues of thought can be explored as they develop organically.

However, some areas of general guidance, as they pertain to accounting and tax pros, were provided to spur thought:

Brian Tankersley, CPA.CITP, CGMA.
  • AI transformation
  • New trends in advisory services
  • DEI
  • ESG
  • Higher education
  • Staffing issues
  • Firm structure
  • Data security/privacy
  • Technology solutions, best-suite vs. best-of-breed
Rick Telberg, founder of CPA Trendlines.

To further guide potential discussions on these vast topics, the attendees were encouraged to focus the direction on the following perspectives:

  • What is changing or what changes do attendees anticipate in the above areas;
  • What isn’t changing but needs to change;
  • What needs to happen specifically in the accounting profession;
  • What will facilitate these changes, and what can we as members of this group do; and,
  • How do we see our year ahead unfolding in terms of visibility – speaking/writing/teaching engagements – and,
  • How can we shape our output to advance these areas of change?
Technologist Randy Johnston of NMGI and K2 Enterprises.

Attendees included:

Jason BlumerCPA
Jim BoomerCPA.CITP
Jim BourkeCPA.CITP, CFF, CGMA
David CieslakCPA.CITP, CGMA, GSEC
Joey Havens
Michael HsuCPA, CGMA
Angie GrissomCPA.CITP
John HigginsCPA.CITP, CGMA
Tom HoodCPA.CITP
Kacee JohnsonMBA
Randy Johnston
Roman KepcyzkCPA.CITP, CGMA, LSS BB
Mark KozielCPA, CGMA
Clayton Oates
Michelle Golden RiverCPF
Donny ShimamotoCPA.CITP, CGMA
Brian TankersleyCPA.CITP, CGMA
Rick Telberg
Sandra Wiley
Jennifer Wilson
  • CPA Practice Advisor thanks the following technology companies for helping make the 2023 event a success: Corvee, Avalara, Zoho and Withum.

Additional guests and speakers included:

  • Andrew Argue, CPA (Corvee)
  • Sarah Schariest (Corvee)
  • Sona Akmakjian, CPA (Avalara)
  • Brian Austin (Avalara)
  • Becky Livingston (Speaker, Penheel Marketing)
  • Nathan Rodgerson (Zoho)
  • Val Steed, CPA (Zoho)
  • Pat Walsh, CPA (Withum)

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CPA Practice Advisor has provided accounting and tax professionals with firm management and technology guidance, reviews, expert commentary, educational opportunities, and a variety of print and digital resources for more than 30 years.