In this episode, Gene Marks, a CPA, columnist, author, small business owner, and keynote speaker joins Kacee Johnson and Kalil Merhib to explore the ever-evolving economic landscape with its impact on CPAs and their clients. Gene brings a wealth of experience, having navigated a unique career path that offers valuable insights for aspiring candidates. We'll uncover his journey and the lessons he's learned along the way. We'll also delve into the key economic shifts affecting CPAs today, equipping them with the knowledge to better advise their clients in this fast-changing environment. From leveraging data analytics to strategic advice for staying competitive, Gene will share actionable strategies for success. Join us as we discuss the revolutionary technologies shaping the accounting profession, and the skills that will be essential for CPAs in the coming decade. Plus, we'll peer into the future, exploring where the accounting profession is headed amidst rapid technological advancements. For more episodes and resources, visit www.CPA.com. Stay tuned for our upcoming episodes featuring industry leaders driving innovation and transformation in finance and technology. Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite listening plateform! 

Aaron Harris, Chief Technology Officer of Sage, sheds light on the groundbreaking advancements in AI for accounting technology. He discusses the impact of Sage Copilot, an AI assistant that streamlines workflows by automating tasks like invoicing. The conversation dives into the role of AI in real-time performance monitoring, emphasizing the importance of ethics in implementation. Aaron also shares practical advice for firms adapting to these changes and forecasts transformative trends set to reshape the finance industry in the coming months.

Join us as Kacee Johnson, Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at CPA.com & Ron Quaranta, the Chairman of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, take a dive deep into the latest developments in the crypto landscape, from the rollercoaster ride of Bitcoin's resurgence to the SEC's landmark approval of 11 ETFs. With Bitcoin soaring to new heights, the burning question remains: Are we finally out of the crypto winter? Delve into the implications of these monumental shifts for markets, investors, and practitioners alike. From corporate trends to recent use cases and the pulse of activity within accounting firms, we uncover what's driving the evolution of digital finance. The SEC's ruling on Bitcoin ETFs has far-reaching implications for the accounting and finance profession. Explore the challenges and opportunities presented by new investment vehicles, regulatory compliance, risk management, and the evolving landscape of client advisory services. More about Ron Quaranta  ​Ron possesses over three decades of experience in the global financial services and technology industries. He currently serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, the world’s leading non-profit trade association promoting the comprehensive adoption of blockchain technology and cryptoassets across global markets. Ron is the editor and contributing author of the book “Blockchain in Financial Markets and Beyond: Challenges and Applications”, published Risk Books, as well as contributing author to “Blockchain & Cryptocurrency Regulation 2019-2022”, published annually by Global Legal Insights. He was named to the Top 100 Most Influential People in the Accounting Industry by Accounting Today in 2018 and is the Lead Author for the ISACA Blockchain Framework as well as a member of the ISACA Emerging Technology Advisory Group. He is a frequent guest of major media outlets, including Bloomberg Radio, and is a sought-after speaker and writer regarding financial technology and innovation. Ron also serves as an advisor to multiple startups and corporations focused on fintech innovation and blockchain technology.   Ron and Kacee recently helped lead the sixth annual AICPA and CPA.com Blockchain in Accountancy Symposium, you can dig into pivotal insights from the symposium in this blog."

Kimberly Ellison-Taylor is a trailblazer in the realms of accounting & technology, an individual whose prowess in merging financial expertise with cutting-edge technology has set new standards of innovation and excellence.  In a world where the landscape of finance is rapidly evolving, Kimberly stands as a beacon of ingenuity, reshaping the accounting & finance profession through the lens of advanced technological solutions. With a unique blend of proficiency in both finance and technology, she has not only mastered the intricacies of numbers but has also harnessed the power of digital tools to revolutionize how we approach financial management.  In this episode, Kacee Johnson and Kalil Merhib explore with Kimberly her unique career and motivations, how she sees technology transforming the accounting and finance sectors in the next 2 years, and the importance of strategic planning for successful business transformation.   About Kimberly Ellison-Taylor Kimberly Ellison-Taylor CPA, CGMA Past Chairman of the Association of International CPA's and the American Institute of CPA's Kimberly N. Ellison-Taylor, CPA, CGMA, is a past Chairman of the Association of International CPA's and the American Institute of CPA's Board of Directors. Ellison-Taylor has a lengthy history of volunteering for the profession, including serving as a member of the AICPA Business and Industry Executive Committee as well as the AICPA Board of Directors where she served as a member of the Audit and Finance committees. Ellison-Taylor also worked with the Benevolent Fund, and has served as a Council representative. She is a past Chair of the Maryland Association of CPAs, and has served on many of its committees, including the New Young Professional Network and Tomorrow's CPA. Ellison-Taylor was the Global Accounting Strategy Director for the Financial and Professional Services Industries for Oracle America, a leader in cloud solutions and enterprise technology. Previously, she served as the Global Practice team leader for Health and Human Services, working with teams worldwide where she developed and executed strategies on Cloud, Big Data, Security, Fraud Prevention/Detection, Customer Experience, and Modernization. Prior to Oracle, Kimberly worked in leadership roles at numerous other major companies and organizations, including the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Motorola; KPMG; and Prince George's County Government, where she served as Chief Information Technology Officer. Ellison-Taylor received her bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; an Accounting Certificate from the Community College of Baltimore County, an MBA from Loyola University and Master's of Science in Information Technology and a Chief Information Officer Certificate from Carnegie Mellon University. She currently resides in Maryland with her husband and two sons.  

Leadership expert Alex Dorr joins Kacee Johnson, VP Strategy & Innovation at CPA.com, on this episode of the Digital CPA podcast to explore quick energy-shifting techniques that help you avoid burnout during high productivity times.  Call to Greatness Framework: When someone is struggling, upset, complaining or experiencing an unpreferred reality: 1. Validate the experience or feeling they are having. (I see that you are frustrated about XYZ, I get frustrated when things like that happen) 2. Invite them to question or reconsider the sense they are making of that experience by: Cleaning up thinking (SBAR tool) Taking accountability for their part in the situation and their role through it (Alignment to Roles tool) Taking next right action (Thinking Inside-the-Box tool) Using this framework until someone moves into the next right action is actual EMPATHY as a leader or colleague, if it isn't done it is SYMPATHY and leaves the person as the victim of their circumstances and less capable in the future. Once people know this framework they are equipped to move through any issue or unpreferred reality. Work gets more effortless and the job becomes doable again.   About Alex Dorr:  As a highly sought-after leadership expert, Alex was recently awarded the highly coveted CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) in 2023, placing him among the top 5% of speakers worldwide. As a co-host of the Reality-Based Leadership podcast with Cy (available on Apple Podcast, YouTube Music, and Spotify), he shares his journey, stories, and insights directly with over 30,000 leaders weekly to ditch the drama, modernize their leadership approach, and call their teams to greatness.  

John Pace, who is the Partner in charge of Outsourced Accounting and Advisory Services at GRF CPA’s and Advisors, was 2022’s winner of CPA.com’s Innovative Practitioner Award.  The Innovative Practitioner Award recognizes individuals who are driving the accounting profession forward through innovative thought leadership, processes, services and technology implementation. Today John is here to discuss the topic of….INNOVATION…in the accounting profession, within teams and inside of his own company.   Join the conversation to learn:  How innovation is prioritized within a firm and team  The importance of having a culture of innovation and how that impacts talent retention  What some of the attributes of innovative individuals are and what to look for  How to nurture and lead diverse and innovative teams  Fostering an innovative mindset in a traditionally risk averse profession  Practical tips for fostering more innovation and risk taking in a firm and also managing the inherent risks  To find out who won 2023's Innovative Practitioner award and who previous years' winners were go to: Innovative Practitioner | CPA.com A little bit about John Pace  A team member at GRF for 18 years, John Pace became the leader of GRF’s Client Accounting Services (CAS) practice in 2017 and led a transformation that has yielded significant expansion and growth for the department. Known internally as Outsourced Accounting & Advisory Services (OAAS), the department provides outsourced accounting, assurance, and consulting to clients in the nonprofit, government contracting, and professional services industries. He and his team focus on innovation, technology, and efficiency to meet the evolving needs of the firm’s clients in today’s business environment. As director of OAAS, Mr. Pace is responsible for overseeing the full range of outsourced accounting services, supervising review and compilation engagements, and providing consulting for the firm’s nonprofit and forprofit government contractor clients.  As part of the practice, Mr. Pace and his team specialize in supporting government funded clients and provide expert guidance on compliance issues, development of accounting policies and procedures, preparation and review of indirect rate calculations and structure, preparation and review of incurred cost submissions, assistance with negotiated indirect cost rate agreements (NICRA), incurred cost audit support, and accounting system audit support.  In recognition of his contributions to the firm and the industry, Mr. Pace was honored with the 2022 Digital CPA Innovative Practitioner Award. 

During this early morning conversation over coffee, Kim and Kalil start with a light hearted chat about Kim’s evolution from public accounting in both small and large firms to eventually becoming a Client Advisory Services (CAS) practice mentor and coach. It soon becomes clear from their conversation that Kim’s extensive experience in CAS, and personal evolution over the decades, actually closely mirrors the evolution of CAS practices and the profession itself. Some could say Kim is the face of the CAS profession. Grounded in wisdom and deep experience Kim provides us with a unique peak into what’s coming next for CAS practices.   Grab a cup of coffee and join Kim and Kalil in their discussion about:   Understanding the evolution of CAS over the decades to bring us where we are today   The growing sophistication of CAS practices and how their performance and results are accelerating   The importance of aligning vision, mission, strategy and goals to a successful CAS practice   Technology as an essential component and enabler of your strategy but should not be the strategy itself Considerations for customer facing vs internally facing tech stacks The importance of using frameworks, cycles and tested methodologies for building and transforming a CAS practice Accelerating the transformation of new and mature CAS practices using the CAS 2.0™ framework Ø  Learn more about CAS Professional Services, Coaching and Consulting: CAS Professional Services | CPA.com   A little bit about Kim Blascoe As Sr Director of CAS Professional Services, Kim leads CAS2.0 Practice Transformation Programs, focusing on helping firms establish and grow optimized CAS practices through consulting, practice development, and training offerings.  Prior to joining CPA.com, Kim spent over 30 years in public accounting, the last 13 years at Wipfli, LLP.   For most of her time at Wipfli, Kim led their CAS practice providing a value-driven client experience utilizing an industry focused US and offshore team delivered through an innovative digital platform. Most recently Kim had turned her focus specifically to the Wealth & Asset Management industry where she led the Broker Dealer & Advisor Network segment of the vertical. The Digital CPA podcast is a production of CPA.com. All rights reserved.           

Pascal Finette is a heretic, a futurist, a visionary, an author, a disruptor and also co-founder and CEO of be radical. While not an accountant himself he is well known in the profession for helping firms discover today what matters tomorrow and transform for a future that is already unfolding before us. Join Kalil, Kacee and Pascal discussing what it means to be a leader during times of exponential change and disruption. ·       Determining the edge and core of your business and how much risk is necessary to survive and grow in an environment that is continually being disrupted ·       What is the right mix of edge and core in your business ·       Why it is important to get comfortable with uncertainty and identify the windows of opportunity they create ·       Identify your north star and be intentional about where you want to go but be adaptable enough to shift in different directions on your way there ·       The importance of designing systems to allow your firm to operate in an environment of exponential change and disruption ·       How the product and service lifecycle has changed and the considerations you need to make for new and existing offerings ·       The new leaderships traits and skills required in an environment of increasing pace of change and disruption ·       The importance of shifting to a customer focused mindset vs a product and service focus to business survival ·       Several technology trends Pascal expects to see in 2024 including new ways GenAI will be used Ø  CPA.com’s Generative AI toolkit for the accounting and finance profession is available now at no cost  Generative AI | CPA.com A little bit about Pascal Finette Pascal is the co-founder of be radical, EY’s wavespace Advisory Board Chair, and Jury Chair for Science and Innovation Management at Falling Walls Foundation. Previously he held leadership positions at Google.org, Mozilla, and eBay, built technology startups, and launched a Venture Capital firm. He is the posse leader at TheHeretic.org, and the cofounder of the Women’s Impact Alliance. He is also the author of: Disrupt Disruption - The Book | be radical. (rdcl.is)  

"Holy Cats" it's exciting to be launching the Digital CPA Podcast with Lindsay Stevenson, Chair of the Advisory Board for the DCPA conference and Chief Transformation Officer for BPM LLP, '...not the biggest and not the smallest accounting and advisory firm in the world.' During this fast paced and upbeat discussion between Kalil, Kacee and Lindsay discuss: Why firms of all sizes need someone focused on what's next and championing continual transformation in today's environment How to be strategic about the innovative ideas your firm selects to pursue, and intentional about the choices you makes What a successful transformation really looks like in reality within a firm and as a journey How to make transformation, calculated risk taking and failures part of your culture Using the ADKAR framework to guide change management in accounting and advisory firms Why focusing on adoption and acceptance from the majority moves the change management needle more than anything else What makes the Digital CPA community unique in the accounting and advisory services profession and why it is important for the community to address the intersectionality of human creativity and digital transformation How the annual Digital CPA conference seeks to bring more forward-thinking and innovative accounting professionals and firms together to discuss the topics and issues that don't get discussed elsewhere Be a part of the DCPA community by signing up for reports, research, newsletters, white papers, webinars and more at Research Innovation | CPA.com A little about Lindsay Stevenson As BPM's Chief Transformation Officer, Lindsay Stevenson drives innovation at the Firm. A Certified Public Accountant, she has spent the last 15+ years serving as a change agent in the accounting profession. As a consultant, she has overseen diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, cultural alignment frameworks, coaching programs, and organizational alignment plans. Her past projects range from developing and executing implicit bias discovery and transformation programs, leading teams through business combination strategies and procedures, and overseeing enterprise software selection and implementation processes. Her passion is discovering organizational purpose and developing strategies to transform today's firm into the Firm of the Future. Before joining BPM, Lindsay served as Vice President of Finance and Tax for 1st Financial Bank of USA, and was Founder and CEO of consulting firm Origin Evolution. Interesting Tidbit, Lindsay is a huge Gonzaga Bulldogs basketball fan and has been known to yell at the TV during games even though she knows full well (as her husband reminds her) that the team cannot hear her. She is also an avid reader of mystery novels and a total fan-girl of Simon Sinek. The Digital CPA podcast is a production of CPA.com. All rights reserved.

CPA.com is delighted to have Okorie Ramsey, Chair of the AICPA join Kalil and Kacee to discuss the big picture of what is happening in the accounting profession today and in the future. Get a unique insight into the perspectives and what drives Okorie Ramsey as he discusses:   ·       What should we be thinking about as the impact of tech continues to accelerate and our agility becomes more important than ever ·       The importance of upskilling and reskilling for the next era of the accounting profession – skills we need now and will need soon ·       What the next generation is looking for from their employers and workplace and the cultural shifts that are reshaping public accounting ·       In the digital intelligence age, how do we build innovation and transformation into the fabric of our culture ·       Maintaining innovation momentum and viewing it as a journey and not a box to check ·       Why firms need a Chief Innovation Officer – someone in charge of innovation and what’s next ·       The importance of the art of story telling to break down and explain complex and nuanced concepts ·       Ways we can make the profession more intentionally accessible to a wider variety of people of make DEIB a differentiator   Let us know what you think about this and future podcasts by writing to digitalcpapodcast@hq.cpa.com A little bit about Okorie Ramsey, CPA, CGMA, PMP, NACD.DC Okorie L. Ramsey, CPA, CGMA, PMP, NADC.CD, is the Chair of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and Chair of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (Association). Throughout his career, Ramsey has served in several AICPA volunteer roles: the AICPA Board of Directors, the Association Board of Directors, the AICPA and Association Audit and Finance Committee Chair, the AICPA Investments Committee and AICPA Council. In his current role at Kaiser Permanente, he oversees SOX and Model Audit Rule compliance, which includes strategy, testing and evaluating internal controls and assessing business risk to help ensure effective internal controls over financial reporting for the integrated health care enterprise. Prior to this role, Ramsey served in various roles throughout his 14 years with Kaiser Permanente. Most recently, as Vice President, Finance Compliance Officer, he was responsible for establishing a finance compliance program to support compliance with regulatory and enforcement agencies as well as leading compliance investigations and co-developing remediation activities to address issues identified. He has also served as Interim Vice President of Tax and Interim Vice President of Operational Risk Management while also executing core Finance Compliance responsibilities. He is a Lifetime member of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and won NABA’s Inaugural Core Values award in 2022. He also previously held roles as Past President of the California Society of CPAs Education Foundation Board of Trustees and Past Chairman of the Accounting Career Awareness Program, San Francisco Bay Area and is also a former adjunct professor for San Francisco State University’s Master of Business Administration program. Ramsey has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from San Francisco State University, and a Kaiser Permanente Executive Leadership Program Certificate from Harvard Business School.