Lu Saenz — 32

Hobbies: surfing

Cell phone: HTC Droid Eris with Android 2.1

Favorite app: Google Maps (with Navigation). I think it is the single most useful app you can have on a cell phone, besides the “Phone” app. The user interface is fantastic whether walking or driving, the public transit features are incredibly useful while traveling, and the information is always up-to-date.

 

Do you subscribe to a magazine and/or local newspaper? Wired, Fast Company, MIT Technology Report. I enjoy reading about what other innovators are working on.

What ONE piece of technology could you absolutely not live without? The Web.

What are some ways your firm/business has gone “paperless” and/or “green” in the last two years? Many internal forms can be filled out (in PDF or Word) and delivered via email. We collect and recycle all our bottles and cans.

NOT including your current employer, what company do you most admire and why? Google, for being so innovative and for contributing so much to the art and science of software engineering.

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? I rarely use social networking, but I think it can be a valuable marketing tool.

What pitfalls or what unwritten rules of social networking etiquette exist, which are frequently missed by others in the profession? If someone posts a comment or statement on the Internet that is negative and incorrect about something you are providing to clients, avoid engaging in a public argument. Be polite, respectful, and focus on the facts if any correction is necessary.

Do you embrace cloud computing? Yes, we provide software-as-service (SaaS) solutions, which are part of the cloud by most definitions.

How is cloud computing changing the accounting profession, and how concerned are you with the security issues related to cloud computing? Cloud computing is offering a new choice to clients: Instead of outsourcing labor and manual processes to consulting companies, it is now possible to significantly increase staff productivity using quickly deployed, affordable and simple SaaS solutions. It is part of my job to be extremely concerned with the security issues related to cloud computing, and to work to deliver solutions that are secure by design.

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? Yes, I think most firms will still manage their own servers in five years, but they will also manage servers and services hosted by vendors to a much larger degree than they do today.

Do you use online resources like webcasts for CPE training? Not yet, but I would give it a try.

Do you listen to podcasts? Marketplace from American Public Media, because Kai Ryssdal is such a witty and well-spoken host, the writing and journalism is excellent, and the show is short and sweet.

What is an “old school” business practice or process you’d like to see changed in the next five years and why? Seeing employees as costs to cut as opposed to seeing employees as assets to develop: Cascio 2003, Ivey Business Journal (www.iveybusinessjournal.com/view_article.asp?intArticle_ID=450)

What sports team/championship event do you absolutely refuse to miss? World Cup Futball

What are some of your favorite books, movies, music, websites and TV shows?

Books — “When Genius Failed” & “The Pragmatic Programmer”

Movies — Anything with JCVD (Jean-Claude Van Damme)

Music — Anything by Ke$ha

Websites — Calculated Risk

TV — “Modern Family” & “Arrested Development”

How many monitors do you have on your desk? Two

What operating system and version of Microsoft Office is installed on your work computer? Windows 7 & Office 2007.