From Strategy to Leadership: How Marketing Is Reshaping the Accounting Profession | Capstone Conversations

"This is the golden age of opportunity for accounting marketers. Let’s seize it.”

Capstone Conversations

By Jean Caragher

For CPA Trendlines

Accounting marketing has come a long way since the landmark Bates v. State Bar of Arizona case, which 45 years ago allowed professional services firms to market their services. Today, as firms navigate digital transformation, client experience, and talent challenges, marketing plays an increasingly pivotal role. Capstone Conversations brought together a panel of trailblazers to explore the journey and future of accounting marketing. Featuring four decades of Association of Accounting Marketing (AAM) Marketers of the Year, the panel included Adrian Ornik (EY), Sally Glick (formerly Sobel & Co.), Eric Majchrzak (BeachFleischman), and Sarah Cirelli (HBK CPAs & Consultants).

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Ornik, the 1993 Marketer of the Year, recalls a time when accounting marketing was uncharted territory. "Ignorance was bliss," he shares, reflecting on a period when both marketers and their stakeholders were still learning. Despite challenges, Ornik emphasizes that the profession’s transformation provided immense opportunity.

Glick, recognized by AAM in 2003, credits her father, a sole practitioner, for offering her the freedom to innovate when marketing lacked measurable tools. “There wasn’t always a correlation between initiatives and results,” she notes, yet her creative strategies laid the groundwork for relationship-building in the profession.

Majchrzak, awarded by AAM in 2015, speaks of broadening his influence beyond traditional marketing. He underscores the importance of stepping into leadership roles by challenging legacy business models and contributing to firm strategy. "Marketers can be the advocates for clients and catalysts for innovation," he says, urging professionals to push boundaries.

The pandemic was a defining challenge for Cirelli, the 2021 AAM Marketer of the Year. “We had to rethink everything—how we deliver services, communicate, and generate business,” she shares. Despite the hurdles, she highlights the pandemic’s silver lining: the acceleration of digital strategies and internal innovation.