Accounting
Accounting Thought Leaders Focus on Disruption and Future of Profession
The Thought Leader Symposium invites select professionals from around the world who are engaged in helping shape the profession. They are all widely-respected and are frequent speakers at accounting conferences.
Mar. 05, 2018
The accounting profession faces massive disruption in the coming years through technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain and automation, as well as rapidly changing tax and accounting laws and regulations. What will the profession look like in five or 10 years? What other dramatic changes are coming? What can professional do in the near term to ready themselves and their firms, and to maximize their potential advantage?
Nearly 30 of the most influential thought leaders in the accounting profession gathered for CPA Practice Advisor‘s 10th annual Thought Leader Symposium in Indianapolis, March 4-6. In groups, panel discussions, and presentations from leading technology providers, these visionaries discussed and fought out the issues that will most affect professional accounting firms.
The Thought Leader Symposium invites select professionals from around the world who are engaged in helping shape the profession. They are all widely-respected and are frequent speakers at accounting conferences.
“Each year, this amazing group of key leaders of the accounting profession get together for two days and magic happens,” said Gail Perry, CPA, Editor-in-Chief of CPA Practice Advisor. “Our sponsors make this possible: ADP, Avalara, Cetrom, Intuit and Sage, and the rest is up to the thought leaders to share ideas and help each other move the profession forward.”
The Symposium was held at the Rootworks Learning Center at the PNC Center in Indianapolis. Representing technology companies at this year’s event are: Balz Wyss and Ray Bigley from Avalara; Amy Selich, Tish Gross, Heather Sperduto and Rhonda Volmuth from ADP; Jairam Padmanabhan and Ed Kless from Sage Software; and Barry MacQuarrie and David Bergstein for Intuit.
2018 CPA Practice Advisor Thought Leaders
- Ron Baker, CPA (Verasage Institute)
- L. Gary Boomer, CPA.CITP (Boomer Consulting)
- Jim Boomer, CPA.CITP (Boomer Consulting)
- Jim Bourke, CPA.CITP (Withum)
- Jean Caragher (Capstone Marketing)
- Joey Havens (Horne LLP)
- David Cieslak, CPA.CITP, CGMA, GSEC (RKL eSolutions LLC)
- Chris Frederiksen, CPA, CGMA, PFS (2020 Group USA)
- Angie Grissom (The Rainmaker Companies)
- John Higgins, CPA.CITP (CPA Crossings)
- Tom Hood, CPA.CITP, CGMA (Maryland Assn. of CPAs)
- Kacee Johnson, MBA (Blue Ocean Principles)
- Randy Johnston (K2 Enterprises and NMGI)
- Roman Kepczyk, CPA.CITP, CGMA (Xcentric)
- Allan Koltin, CPA, CGMA (Koltin Consulting Group)
- Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA (AICPA Firm Services)
- Greg LaFollette, CPA.CITP, CGMA (CPA.com)
- Clayton Oates (QA Business)
- Rick Richardson, CPA.CITP, CGMA (Richardson Media & Technologies)
- Michelle (Golden) River (Fore LLP)
- M. Darren Root, CPA.CITP, CGMA (Root Advisors and Rootworks)
- Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA (IntrapriseTechKnowlogies)
- Leslie Shiner (The Shiner Group)
- Doug Sleeter (Sleeter Consulting)
- Sandi Smith-Leyva, CPA, CMA (Accountant’s Accelerator)
- Brian Tankersley, CPA.CITP, CGMA (K2 Enterprises)
- Rick Telberg (CPA Trendlines)
- Geni Whitehouse, CPA.CITP, CSPM (Even A Nerd)
- Sandra Wiley (Boomer Consulting)
- Jennifer Wilson (Convergence Coaching)
Emeritus Members
- Gale Crosley. CPA (Crosley+Company)
- Edi Osborne, CSPM, CPBA, CPVA (Mentor Plus)