Navigating the Talent Crunch in Accounting

If you’re an accountant, AI might be coming for your job, but today’s guest believes that there’s never been a better time to be in the profession. CJ is joined by Scott Spiegel, the COO and former CFO of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He has decades of experience in finance and leadership at the intersection of business, mission, and membership. He breaks down how the accounting profession has changed and what skills you need to embrace in order to thrive in today’s world. He also shares insights into the surprising overlap between accounting and sales, the soft skills required for a successful accounting career, and the business dynamics of nonprofits, which, contrary to public belief, can and do make money. He also tells the story about how he uncovered fraud before making his predictions for the future of accounting.

—

LINKS:

Scott Spiegel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-spiegel-cpa/

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants: https://www.aicpa-cima.com/home

CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222

Mostly metrics:

http://mostlymetrics.com

RELATED EPISODES:

Netflix Co-Founder Shares the Secrets to Being a Great CFO -

Scoring Big: The Playbook for Nonprofit Financial Success with USA Hockey CFO Kelly Mahncke -

Budgeting Your External Facing Time as a CFO: Tipalti’s Sarah Spoja -

—

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Preview and Intro

(02:43) Sponsor – RightRev | Navan | NetSuite

(07:21) An Intro to the AICPA

(09:25) How the Accounting Path Has Changed in 20 Years

(13:37) The Talent Crunch and the Relationship Side of Accounting

(15:05) If You’re an Accountant, Your Job Is Sales

(16:02) Sponsor – Pulley | Brex | Aleph

(20:12) The Relationship Side of Sales

(23:00) Scott’s Personal Product Market Fit at AICPA

(24:55) Making Lateral or Downward Career Moves

(27:39) Fighting for the Role You Want

(30:48) Why Leaders Don’t Have To Know All the Answers

(33:57) A Nonprofit Can Make Money

(36:16) How AICPA Has Changed the Way They Recruit for Talent

(40:35) The Constraints That Come With Being a Nonprofit

(42:41) No Mission Without Margin

(44:35) AI in AICPA and the Accounting Industry

(49:14) Keeping Your Job in the Era of AI

(52:13) Stories About Fraud

(55:57) How Fraud Has Changed Over the Past 5 – 10 Years

(58:04) The Future of the Accounting Career Path

—

SPONSORS:

RightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit

https://www.rightrev.com

and schedule a demo.

Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. It connects to your existing cards and makes closing the books faster and smarter. Visit https://navan.com/runthenumbers for your demo.

NetSuite is an AI-powered business management suite, encompassing ERP/Financials, CRM, and ecommerce for more than 41,000 customers. If you're looking for an ERP, head to https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning.

Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.

Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metrics

Aleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/run

#accounting #AIAndAccounting #AICPA #FutureOfAccounting #FinanceCareers