One of the most widely-recognized technologists in the accounting profession, Dana R. (Rick) Richardson, CPA, CITP, CGMA, passed away on November 17, 2025. He was 80.
Richardson was most recently the managing partner of Richardson Media & Technologies, LLC, a multi-media and strategic technology consulting company. Prior to forming that company, he had a 28+ year career with Ernst & Young, the last twelve years of which he served as the Big 4 firm’s National Director of Technology.
After EY, he spent decades as a speaker and consultant on accounting technologies, and received several awards and emeritus distinctions from the AICPA.
As a Southern California native, in his youth in the 1960s, he pursued musical interests and was the studio drummer for the recorded version of The Beach Boys classics, “Fun, Fun, Fun,” and “California Girls.”
Richardson received numerous awards over his six decades in the accounting technology space, and was the third inductee in CPA Practice Advisor’s Accounting Hall of Fame.
“Rick was one of those rare people you could talk to about anything and walk away feeling good, realizing you learned something or gained a new insight,” said Randy Johnston, a longtime friend of Richardson and an accounting technology advisor.
“While I could speak about love for his family and the accounting profession, his interests made him a true Renaissance Man. Drumming, consulting, technical vision, speaking, lengthy discussions on topics of your choice, video production, deep religious and political convictions, cruise advice, and much more can’t summarize the life of this great man. I will miss and remember him forever, and I’m guessing you will, too.”
Richardson was also named multiple times to Accounting Today‘s “Top 100 Influential People in Accounting,” and honored by the American Institute of CPAs with two lifetime achievement awards for his contributions to the profession in the field of technology. He was the first CPA to earn a CITP credential, with certificate number 1.
“Rick wasn’t just in the profession — he helped shape it,” said Gregory L. LaFollette, CPA, an accounting technologist and fellow Hall of Fame inductee. “He was CITP credential holder #1, a proud member of the Accounting Technology Hall of Fame, and a keynote speaker who could walk into any room and electrify it. He saw further down the road than most of us even thought to look, and he never hesitated to share that insight to make the rest of us better.”
“But for me — and for many of us — the titles only tell part of the story,” LaFollette added. “Rick was a steady friend, a loyal colleague, a man with a big laugh and an even bigger heart. He believed in this profession, he believed in the future, and he believed in people. And I’m grateful beyond words that I got to walk alongside him as long as I did.”
He was long considered a highly sought-after speaker around the world, providing his thoughts on the future of technology to thousands of business executives, professionals, community leaders, educators and students.
“Rick was that guy that was truly genuine and always helping others,” said Doug Sleeter, the founder and former CEO of The Sleeter Group, a network of accounting software consultants. “We had him keynote at SleeterCon for several years, and he was always giving our audience insights into the future that nobody else ever looked at. And he went DEEP into the technology, the vendors who were leading, and the ramifications for today, next year, and beyond. Rick always called me on my birthday, just to catch up and show his love and respect. For that I am so grateful and I will honor him forever. He has no idea how much he impacted my life.”
“For most of my professional career, Rick’s name has been synonymous with technology in the accounting space,” said Gail Perry, CPA, editor-in-chief of CPA Practice Advisor. “He always managed to stay on top of all things accounting technology, including various aspects of AI. He kept us all on our toes and made sure we were all seeing the big picture.”
Brian Tankersley, CPA, added, “Rick Richardson was one of the most knowledgeable accounting technology people I have ever met, and certainly one of the kindest. Every single presentation I attended of his, regardless of topic, always had dozens of nuggets of information that one couldn’t get anywhere else.”
“Rick also was a great mentor to many, and every time I reached out to him for help, he brought his best. His newsletter (published for 10-ish years) was a breath of fresh air, and always had things that you would never see anywhere else. He was a top tier analyst/reviewer of any kind of product, and was truly a renaissance man. His passing is a loss for everyone in our profession, and I wish more of our readers could have met him – he was a very special combination of genius, artist, teacher, and mentor. RIP, Rick. You will definitely be missed.”
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