The 2023 Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting

December 8, 2023 2:12 PM

The best leaders pull up those behind them — which has never been a more critical trait than in today's talent-restricted market — and the 2023 Top 100 People are exemplars of that, supporting and boosting up the next generation.

Many of the Top 100 People bring this positivity into their ideas for improving the much-discussed pipeline problem, suggesting the profession should promote the many opportunities it offers, and combat the outdated, negative notions of long hours and tedious compliance work. Accounting needs better storytellers, several of the T100 lamented, to better promote how many different possibilities exist within the profession.

Right now, the thought leaders and agents of change on our list of Top 100 People are those essential storytellers, pushing the profession forward during a time of unprecedented change.

As with every year, it is difficult to narrow the list to just 100, so we focused on those who have been influential over the last six months and are projected to continue that influence over the next six. Even then, the list can never be comprehensive.

With that said, the 2023 Top 100 Most Influential People do inspire confidence in accounting's future.

See extra details about this year's class below, and see the full report here, as well as who the Most Influential think are the most influential.

Alan Anderson

Picasa

Founder and president, Accountability Plus

For decades, Anderson has been working as a consultant, educator, speaker and trainer to help firms take their audit practices to the next level, whether that means upping their game in technology, broadening the skills of their audit teams, or finding ways to add value for clients to the audit engagement. With this core service of the profession in the midst of a major evolution, expect him to be at the forefront of change.

Born: Canby, Minnesota, 1955
College: Southwest State University
First full-time job: Staff accountant, McGladrey Hendrickson (now RSM)
Favorite snack: Popcorn, nuts or fruit

Erik Asgeirsson

CEO & president, CPA.com

CPA.com has been a major vector of change for the profession: Under Asgeirsson it led the charge in getting accountants to embrace the cloud, and laid the groundwork for the phenomenal success of CAS. Now he has it focused on building the future of the audit with the Dynamic Audit Solution, helping customize AI for accounting, and preparing the field for the massive opportunities of ESG. And as a fixture on the AICPA's hugely popular Town Hall series, he's the face of what's new for thousands of accountants every week.

Born: Falmouth, Massachusetts, 1968
College: George Washington University (B.S.); New York University Stern School of Business (MBA)
First full-time job: Manager, AT&T
Favorite snack: Popcorn

Ron Baker

Founder, VeraSage Institute

No one has spent more time thinking about how accountants provide value to their clients than Baker, and through his books, speeches, teaching and the radio show he co-hosts, "The Soul of Enterprise," he has converted an ever-growing number of them to new business models and new ways of thinking about pricing and client relationships. And he continues to refine his thinking, to incorporate new models like subscription pricing into his list of ways to replace his longtime bete noir, the billable hour.

Born: Santa Rosa, California, 1962
College: San Francisco State University; Cato and Disney University (postgraduate)
First full-time job: Staff accountant, Peat Marwick Mitchell
Favorite snack: Edamame

Andreas Barckow

Berndt-Fotografie.de

Chair, IASB

As head of the International Accounting Standards Board, Barckow has been plenty busy managing International Financial Reporting Standards, not least in terms of keeping them up to date with major changes going on in global tax reform. And as the IASB's sister board, the International Sustainability Standards Board, gets established, he'll certainly be keeping an eye on how its standards will be reflected in his, and vice-versa.

Born: 1966, Oldenburg, Germany
College: Paderborn University (undergrad and Ph.D.)
First full-time job: Project lead, DG Bank AG

Elizabeth Beastrom

President, tax & accounting professionals, Thomson Reuters

A CPA for 30 years, Beastrom has a keen interest in the success of both individual accountants and the profession as a whole, and has brought this mindset to bear at Thomson Reuters, where she has driven the company's development of solutions that help automate manual tasks and provide trenchant data insights, especially by driving its open ecosystem strategy. She has also been a passionate advocate for expanding women's representation in the profession, long arguing that a diverse team can yield real business results.

Born: Stillwater, Minnesota, 1967
College: University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management
First full-time job: Audit consultant, Deloitte and Touche
Favorite snack: Salsa (with chips or anything!)

Brian Becker

Micah Highland Photography

Managing partner and CEO, RSM US

Following up on his background in technology, Becker continues to prioritize his Top 10 Firm's digital focus, without losing sight of the importance of attracting and retaining talent not just from the traditional pools of young accountants, but from among business majors, engineers and technologists, as well.

Born: Waterloo, Iowa, 1966
College: University of Northern Iowa (B.S. accounting); University of Chicago Booth School of Business
First full-time job: Audit associate, McGladrey & Pullen (now RSM)
Favorite snack: Trail mix

Michael Bernard

VP, tax content strategy and chief tax officer, Vertex Inc.

With the fifth anniversary of the Wayfair decision just behind us, the world of sales tax shows no sign of getting less complex, and as a professor and a mentor, Bernard helps clarify that complexity for many — and that's without mentioning his role at Vertex, as both a thought leader in the field and a key player in the development of their tax solutions.

Born: Marysville, Kansas, 1959
College: Creighton University (B.S. BA, accounting and finance); Creighton University School of Law (J.D.)
First full-time job: State tax analyst, Peter Kiewit and Sons Inc.
Favorite snack: "For years, I've been in search of the perfect cheesecake. It's been a very fulfilling investigative journey."

Wayne Berson

CEO, BDO USA

Berson caused quite a stir over the summer when his Top 10 Firm established an employee stock ownership plan, creating a roadmap that other leading firms have already begun to follow. It's only the latest innovation in a long tenure that have turned BDO USA into a billion-dollar firm.

Born: Cape Town, South Africa, 1961College: University of Cape Town (bachelor's); University of South Africa (graduate)
First full-time job: Audit staff, Mazars
Favorite snack: Chocolate

Ken Bishop

President and CEO, NASBA

Bishop recently announced that he'll be retiring in the middle of 2024, but he'll stay on duty to the end of his second career (his first was as a law enforcement officer), working to help ease the profession's pipeline problem — while also making sure it doesn't rush into any radical solutions.

Born: Mexico, Missouri, 1951
College: University of Missouri (B.A. education, M.S. criminal justice); Harvard University (executive management)
First full-time job: Staff, Kroger Co.
Favorite snack: Popcorn

Joel Black

Ed Wheeler Photography

Chair, GASB

The last several years have seen state and local governments — and their reporting — placed under unprecedented stress, and Black has been active in helping them deal with that, planning and issue guidance in a number of critical areas, as well as proposing standards or starting projects in a wide range of timely areas including capital assets, infrastructure projects, and the impact of new federal financial data standards.

Born: Atlanta, 1970
College: Georgia State University
First full-time job: Staff accountant, KPMG
Favorite snack: Pistachios

Julie Boland

U.S. chair and MP, Ernst & Young

Boland was instrumental in scuppering "Project Everest," the proposed split-up of her Big Four firm, after it ran aground on disagreements over how to divvy up assets and liabilities. Now she's focused on keeping EY together and moving forward, with a new leadership team and a focus on maximizing retention and minimizing recriminations.

Born: Cleveland
College: University of Vermont (B.S., accounting); University of Chicago Booth School of Business (MBA)
First full-time job: Audit staff and CPA, Big Four firm

Jim Boomer

CEO, Boomer Consulting

Both as the leader of a team of renowned experts and in his own right, Boomer is a major force in helping accountants get future-ready. With training, consulting, peer networks, writing, speaking engagements and more, he's pushing them beyond their comfort zones across a range of crucial firm functions.

Born: Manhattan, Kansas, 1976
College: Kansas State University (B.S. accounting/MIS); University of Texas at Austin; (MBA marketing/entrepreneurship)
First full-time job: Senior consultant, Arthur Andersen Business Consulting
Favorite snack: Anything sweet

L. Gary Boomer

Founder, visionary & strategist, Boomer Consulting

The further into the future we get, the more prescient Boomer seems in his long-term insistence on the need to bridge the gap between firm leaders and technology. What was always clear to him is now coming clear to the rest of us; fortunately, he's on hand to help build the mindsets, skill sets and toolsets needed to make the most of the digital transformation.

Born: Portis, Kansas, 1945
College: Kansas State University (B.S. and MAcc)
First full-time job: Staff accountant, John Strain & Co. CPAs
Favorite snack: Trail mix

Jim Bourke

Managing director, advisory services, WithumSmith+Brown

"Technology has no boundaries," says Bourke — and neither does he, relentlessly traveling the globe to spread the word to every country, every firm and every accountant that tech is driving the future of the profession. (And In his free time, he runs one of the more forward-thinking advisory practices in the field.)

Born: Jersey City, N.J., 1964
College: Kean University (B.S. accounting)
First full-time job: Staff level I accountant, WithumSmith+Brown
Favorite snack: Cheez-Its!

Wes Bricker

Vice chair, Trust Solutions co-leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Think of Bricker as the ambassador of trust: He leverages his experience as a former chief accountant at the SEC to promote the importance of the concept among staff, clients and the economy at large. He has also been deeply involved with PwC's embrace of sustainability reporting and assurance and its efforts to improve the technology used in the audit process through data analytics, AI and new innovations.

Born: Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, 1978
College: Elizabethtown College (B.S. accounting); American University (J.D.)
First full-time job: Associate, PwC
Favorite snack: Barbecue chips and cashews

Dawn Brolin

CEO, Powerful Accounting

Even among the Top 100 — where enthusiasm for accounting runs high — Brolin stands out for the unbridled energy she brings to everything she does, from running her own firm to providing thousands of hours of high-octane teaching, coaching, training, keynoting and cheerleading to the profession she loves.

Born: Connecticut, 1970
College: Eastern Connecticut State University
First full-time job: Coaching high school and college basketball and softball
Favorite snack: Spray cheese and Ritz crackers

Geoffrey Brown

Derrick Lilly

President and CEO, ICPAS

As the new head of the Illinois CPA Society, Brown inherits a strong platform for making a difference in some of the biggest issues facing accounting, starting with the pipeline problem and the need for more diversity. Look for him to double-down on those, while also emphasizing the imperative for the profession to become nimbler in adapting to change.

Born: Washington, D.C., 1978
College: University of Maryland
First full-time job: Education consultant, North American Interfraternity Conference
Favorite snack: Yogurt covered pretzels (healthy) or Reese's Big Cup with Potato Chips (not healthy)

Jennifer Burns

Chief auditor, AICPA

Not only is Burns in charge of the institute's standard-setting initiatives for assurance at a time when that's more high-profile than it has been for decades — she's also deeply engaged in determining what a sustainability assurance engagement will look like, just as they are shaping up to be one of the most important new products for the profession in a generation.

Born: Alameda, California, 1970
College: Claremont McKenna College
First full-time job: Staff accountant, Deloitte & Touche
Favorite snack: Chips and guacamole

David Cieslak

EVP, chief cloud officer, RKL eSolutions

Cieslak has his finger on the pulse of accounting technology, and isn't shy about sharing his knowledge, especially at his annual "Inspector Gadget" presentations where he updates professionals on the latest solutions in the field to help them focus their attention in the months and year ahead. This is part of his larger passion for leveraging technology in practical ways, both in the accounting industry and everyday life in general.

Born: Binghamton, N.Y., 1959
College: UCLA
First full-time job: Staff accountant, Price Waterhouse
Favorite snack: Candy corn

Rhonda Clark

Executive director, AAM

Clark's Association for Accounting Marketing can be proud of how far it has helped marketers come in accounting, playing the key roles not just in bringing in new business but in culture, hiring, setting the strategic direction, and much more. And she's determined to take them as far again, teaching them to be collaborative innovators who are as in touch with the future as anyone else in the leadership of their firms.

Born: Lebanon, Kentucky, 1972
College: Eastern Kentucky University
First full-time job: Community resource coordinator, Hospice of the Bluegrass
Favorite snack: Popcorn

Sue Coffey

SUEBARR

CEO, public accounting, AICPA & CIMA

Coffey is perhaps the institute's top troubleshooter, ready to take on its toughest assignments, and now she's facing one of the toughest: spearheading its efforts to reverse the declining flow of young people into the profession. She'll juggle that mandate along with other responsibilities like innovating around the DAS, ESG, artificial intelligence, and much more.

Born: Cedar Grove, N.J., 1964
College: Fairfield University
First full-time job: Intern, Cove Awning and Tent Co.
Favorite snack: Salted cashews

Erin Collins

Tasos Katopodis/Bloomberg

National taxpayer advocate

Collins is a strong voice for the taxpayer inside the IRS, holding its feet to the fire over backlogs, inefficient processes, and the general "misery" of the past few tax seasons. But she's also a strong voice for a better IRS, with an inside understanding of its burdens and its needs.

College: UC Irvine; Southwestern Law School
First full-time job: Special trial attorney, Office of Chief Counsel

Crystal Cooke

Ian Londin

Director, diversity and inclusion, AICPA & CIMA

As leader of the institute's member-facing DEI efforts, Cooke champions inclusion for a profession that's in dire need of it. She and her team specifically focus on ethnic minorities, the LGBTQ-plus community and women, and provide ample networking events, awards programs and toolkits to support these underrepresented groups.

Born: Jackson, Tennessee, 1976
College: University of Cincinnati
First full-time job: Internal auditor, Fifth Third Bank

Randy Crabtree

Partner, Tri-Merit Specialty Tax Professionals

If Crabtree just spent his time getting the word out about complex tax problems like the Employee Retention Credit and helping accountants become better advisors, that would be plenty — but he's also an important voice for mental health, diversity and, frankly, plain decency, through his podcast, conference, and frequent speaking engagements.

Born: Park Ridge, Illinois, 1962
College: Northern Illinois University
First full-time job: Computer programmer, Allstate Insurance
Favorite snack: Potato chips

Gale Crosley

President and founder, Crosley+Co.

Long recognized as a top consultant on strategic growth, Crosley keeps deepening her expertise to match new developments; so now, as private equity continues its push into accounting, she is guiding firm leaders on how to embrace what comes with it, whether they're receiving funding themselves or just being impacted by PE's influence on how the profession pursues growth.

Born: Cleveland, 1951
College: University of Akron
First full-time job: Staff auditor, Arthur Andersen

Jen Cryder

Cryder-Jennifer-Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs

CEO, Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs

CPA societies, like the states themselves, can be little incubators of innovation, and Cryder is making hers just that, creating solutions for things like lowering the burden of the 150-hour rule, diversifying the profession, delivering insightful research and thought leadership to her own members and accountants across the country, and much more.

Born: Stratford, New Jersey, 1981
College: Temple University (bachelor's, accounting); Drexel University (MBA)
Favorite snack: Blueberries

Kevin Dancey

CEO, International Federation of Accountants

Dancey may be stepping down at the end of this year, but his influence will be felt for some time, not least thanks to his ongoing insistence that the profession play a central role in establishing and supporting sustainability, as well as in preventing and fighting corruption and crime around the world.

First full-time job: Staff accountant, Goldenberg Rosenthal

Sarah Dobek

Dobek-Sarah-Inovautus Consulting NEW 2023

President and founder, Inovautus Consulting

To truly succeed, firms need to decide what kind of firm they want to be, and Dobek not only helps many do just that — she also coaches them on how to be the best version of that firm that they can, drawing on her own deep expertise in the field and the results of her influential growth survey.

Born: Dallas, 1981
College: Purdue University
First full-time job: Marketing coordinator, John R. Waters & Co.
Favorite snack: Salty chips

Kimberly Ellison-Taylor

thomas strand

Founder and CEO, KET Solutions

Ellison-Taylor came to prominence during a one-year stint as chair of the AICPA several years ago, and emerged from that with a more-or-less permanent position as the profession's "chief inspiration officer," spreading word of the profession's greatness to those on the outside, and encouraging those on the inside to welcome more people in.

Born: Baltimore, 1970
College: University of Maryland Baltimore County; Loyola University (MBA, decision science concentration); Community College of Baltimore County (public accounting certificate); Carnegie Mellon University (information technology management)
First full-time job: Computer specialist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Emmanuel Faber

Chair, ISSB

The former CEO of food and beverage maker Danone has been leading the International Sustainability Standards Board as it rolls out its initial standards for climate and sustainability reporting. Under him, the board is now tasked with uniting the various standards and frameworks it inherited from its predecessors, while mulling possible future projects on biodiversity, human capital and human rights.

Born: Grenoble, France, 1964
College: HEC Paris
First full-time job: Bain & Co.

Lee Fredericksen

Photographer: Tina Williams

Founder emeritus, Hinge

Frederiksen leads research on how accounting firms can market themselves better both online and in person, delivering research-driven insights at conferences throughout the year and sharing insights on social media and in books like this year's "The Visible Expert Revolution."

Born: Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, 1949
College: Augustana College (B.A. psychology); Ohio University (Ph.D. clinical psychology)
First full-time job: Assistant professor, University of Mississippi Medical School
Favorite snack: Cheetos

Denise LeDuc Froemming

Froemming-LeDuc-Denise-California CPA Society

President and CEO, California Society of CPAs

As a CPA at the head of one of the largest state societies, LeDuc Froemming is working to build a productive discourse and develop innovative strategies aimed at the twin goals of breaking down barriers to make accounting more diverse and welcoming, and ensuring its vibrancy and value for future generations.

Born: Wisconsin, 1961
College: Marquette University (B.S. finance); Northern Illinois University (MBA)
First full-time job: General manager of operations, LeDuc's
Favorite snack: Peanut Butter Coffee Energy Bites

Gary Gensler

Al Drago/Bloomberg

Chairman, SEC

The SEC chairman has been spearheading a move to get tougher regulations in place in the financial industry, with disclosures about climate-related risks to companies, as well as rules affecting private funds like private equity firms and hedge funds, along with beneficial ownership reporting, security-based swaps and even what names can be used by funds to deter them from misleading investors.

Born: Baltimore, 1957
College: University of Pennsylvania
First full-time job: Goldman Sachs

J. Russell George

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration

George himself is keeping a lower profile these days, but his inspectorate general continues to keep the IRS on its toes with a regular flood of reports and audits of its performance in areas that range from the obviously critical to the seemingly picayune — all in the interest of a more effective tax function.

College: Howard University (B.A.); Harvard University Law School (J.D.)
First full-time job: Assistant district attorney, Queens County District Attorney's Office

Sasan Goodarzi

CEO, Intuit

Goodarzi is leading his company through a time of technological transition, as generative AI breaks through to the mainstream, and under his leadership, Intuit has embarked on a massive drive to incorporate this new technology into its solutions, resulting in things like AI assistants that leverage oceans of data to provide real time insights and guidance for a wide range of business and tax situations.

Angie Grissom

Owner, The Rainmaker Companies

Already sought-after for advising firm leaders on managing through rapid change, Grissom and her team has expanded globally over the last year, creating customized programming for chartered accountants and other international groups. And she continues with her own various leadership roles, helming industry consulting alliances and her CEO Grow group, among others.

Born: Nashville, 1977
College: Middle Tennessee State University (undergraduate and postgraduate)
First full-time job: Account executive, Career Ascension
Favorite snack: Charcuterie board with cheese, meats, fruit, nuts

Aaron Harris

Global CTO, Sage

Harris has dedicated his career to building technology that moves the industry forward. Already busy leading Sage's cloud transformation, he is now also responsible for steering the company's AI strategy, which has already produced a range of innovations for small businesses and accounting firms, such as the Sage Network, a shared, AI-powered platform to bring businesses and accountants together.

Born: New York City, 1971
College: Brigham Young University
First full-time job: Part of the Developer's Coordination Council, Arthur Andersen
Favorite snack: Popcorn

Calvin Harris

CEO, New York State Society of CPAs

Harris brings a quarter-century of experience as a CPA and a past president of the National Association of Black Accountants to the helm of one of the most important state societies, where he's already having a major influence on the profession both inside the Empire State and across the country.

Born: Richmond, Virginia, 1969
College: Morehouse College
First full-time job: Staff auditor, Arthur Andersen & Co.
Favorite snack: Pretzels, nuts and anything salty or bitter

Roger Harris

President, Padgett Business Services

Harris is one of the most important links between the average tax practitioner and the regulators and legislators in Washington — and vice versa. He brings common sense and real-world insights into the Beltway through congressional testimony, comment letters and other channels, and brings back information and clarity that he shares through panels, podcasts and more.

Born: Athens, Georgia, 1950
College: University of Georgia
First full-time job: Accountant, Padgett
Favorite snack: Queso dip and chips

Jennifer Harrity-Cantero

Director, Sensiba Center for Sustainability, Sensiba

There was a time when Harrity-Cantero would get laughed out of the room for proselytizing about ESG to accountants, but no longer: Now they're eager to learn how she and her firm are pioneering what could be the biggest new service in a generation, and she's regularly on the road, spreading the word to ever-more-receptive audiences.

Born: Stuttgart, Germany, 1977
College: California State University, East Bay (B.A.); Harvard University (postgrad studies, corporate sustainability and innovation)
First full-time job: Graphic designer, Dolch Computers
Favorite snack: Lay's potato chips

Tom Hood

EVP business engagement & growth, AICPA & CIMA

Long a leader in the accounting profession, Hood recently has been spearheading an effort known as the Future of Finance Leadership to help shape the future of finance and accounting, as well as shepherding an apprenticeship program to train new accountants and corporate finance professionals, including a pilot for high school and junior college students.

Born: Baltimore, 1959
College: Loyola University (B.A. accounting); Johns Hopkins University (master's of finance)
First full-time job: Junior accountant, Finance Company of America
Favorite snack: Pistachio nuts

Aiysha Johnson

AJ Johnson of the New Jersey CPA Society

CEO and executive director, New Jersey Society of CPAs

Johnson's background working for a major firm association will stand her in good stead at the helm of the NJCPA, where she is working to advocate for the profession at the state level, and to build awareness of it at all levels — particularly among students and underrepresented groups.

Born: New York City
College: Western Illinois University (B.S.); University of Chicago (M.A., administration and policy)
First full-time job: Health insurance portability and accountability analyst, American Academy of Pediatrics
Favorite snack: Ghirardelli sea salt almond chocolate bar

Kacee Johnson

VP of strategy & innovation, CPA.com

New technologies are emerging all the time, and Johnson and her team work to identify the ones that will matter most to accountants, and then develop conferences, research, thought leadership and other ways to help the profession understand and leverage them. Of late, that's meant a strong focus on generative AI, but who knows what it will mean in the future?

Born: Las Vegas, 1980
College: University of Arizona
First full-time job: Director of operations, Rialto Theatre
Favorite snack: Fruit

Randy Johnston

CEO and founder, EVP, NMGI and K2 Enterprises

Johnston is influential in multiple directions: To start, he's nearly ubiquitous as a speaker and writer and creator of CPE courses on technology in accounting. Plus he directly supports a host of individual firms through consulting and the support NMGI provides. And finally, he is a sought-after advisor to software developers, helping them create and fine-tune better tools for the profession.

Born: Hutchinson, Kansas, 1955
College: Hutchinson Community College; Kansas State University; Wichita State University (postgraduate)
First full-time job: Programmer and system designer, Farmland Industries
Favorite snack: Pistachios

Richard Jones

Chair, FASB

Like his counterpart at the IASB, Jones is busy keeping the Financial Accounting Standards Board up to speed with the latest developments in the economy and the regulatory world; in his case, that means overhauling its agenda, working on improving income tax disclosures, creating a standards for crypto-assets, and bracing for the impact of the SEC's highly anticipated climate disclosure rules — all while marking the board's 50th anniversary.

Born: Washingtonville, New York, 1965
College: State University of New York, Binghamton (B.S. accounting)
First full-time job: Staff accountant, Ernst & Whinney
Favorite snack: Chips

Roman Kepczyk

Director of firm technology strategy, Right Networks

Think of Kepczyk as the IT director you wish you had — deeply experienced, tuned in to what's coming, and able to communicate clearly to non-tech people — and be grateful for the enormous amount of time and effort he spends sharing his expertise at conferences, on webinars and podcasts, through articles and more.

Born: Berlin, Germany, 1961
College: Arizona State University (B.S. accounting)
First full-time job: Staff accountant, Wolfswinkel Group
Favorite snack: White cheddar popcorn

Ed Kless

Meta consultant, Sage

Few people bring as much intellectual curiosity to the profession as Kless, who casts a wide net across the range of human experience to bring valuable lessons to accountants on how to run their businesses, and then sharing them in frequent keynotes, articles, and the podcast he co-hosts with Ron Baker, which reaches 140,000 listeners.

Born: Brooklyn, N.Y., 1966
College: Pace University
First full-time job: Junior management advisory services consultant, Hoffman Raich Fine CPA Group (now Raich, Ende, Malter and Co.)
Favorite snack: Fresh popped corn with truffle salt

Paul Knopp

Scott Wynn

Chair and CEO, KPMG

Knopp is investing heavily in the future — announcing billions in investments in artificial intelligence, rolling out generative AI tools for clients and staff, launching a group dedicated to AI and digital innovation, partnering with tech leaders, and spinning out its own tech startups, while simultaneously working to build a diverse workforce.

Born: Fredericksburg, Texas, 1959
College: University of Texas at Austin (B.B.A. and MBA)
First full-time job: Assistant accountant, KPMG

Allan Koltin

CEO, Koltin Consulting Group

Few can match Koltin's prominence as a deal-maker, standing behind some of the biggest merger announcements in the profession. But he's just as important for the advice and insights he shares in countless speeches, appearances, and partner and firm retreats — and he may end up making his biggest mark through his work introducing private equity firms into the accounting landscape.

Born: Milwaukee, 1957
College: University of Wisconsin – Madison/University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
First full-time job: Director, Nankin, Schnoll (now BDO)
Favorite snack: Any type of fruit or vegetable

Rene Lacerte

CEO and founder, Bill

Everyone wants to be part of the Bill ecosystem — or to have Bill as part of their ecosystem — and Lacerte's capability for influencing the profession on their day-to-day work only continues to expand as his company adds and develops new capabilities in areas like spend management and accounts receivable.

Born: Fairfax, Virginia, 1967
College: Stanford University (M.S. industrial engineering, B.A. economics)
First full-time job: Senior consultant, PwC
Favorite snack: Cookies!

Jennifer Leary

CEO, CLA

Under Leary, CLA is continuing the same full-tilt approach to growth and development that skyrocketed it to the ranks of the Top 10 Firms in record time — expanding its new global network at a rapid clip, for instance, and getting ready to share out its own artificial intelligence tools well ahead of most other firms — while doing its utmost to bring more people into profession.

Born: Baltimore, 1975
College: University of Delaware (B.S., accounting and MIS)
First full-time job: Assurance and consulting services, Ernst & Young
Favorite snack: Dark chocolate

Bob Lewis

President, The Visionary Group

Much in demand as a speaker and educator, Lewis helps firms with expert advice on the ever-changing dynamics of growth, which can mean everything from upping your game at business development or better managing your client base, to boosting your capacity through offshoring, pursuing M&A, or leveraging emerging opportunities like private equity.

Born: Chicago, 1959
College: DePaul University (B.S. finance, MBA)
First full-time job: Internal auditor, DoALL Co.
Favorite snack: Chocolate chip cookies

Julie Bell Lindsay

STEVE RIDZON

CEO, Center for Audit Quality

The pipeline problem is everybody's problem, and while Lindsay's remit is, strictly speaking, to improve audit quality, you can make an argument that you can't do a good audit if you can't staff it — and that's where the highly successful efforts that she has led at the CAQ to help draw young people from underrepresented groups into the profession come in.

Born: Sidney, Ohio, 1970
College: Ohio State University (B.A.); Vanderbilt University Law School (J.D.)
First full-time job: Associate, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Favorite snack: Almonds and cashews (salted!)

Charles Maniace

VP, regulatory analysis and design, Sovos

Standing squarely at the intersection where sales tax regulations, technology, and business filers meet, Maniace aims to help them all better understand both their obligations to each other, and the opportunities they all have to build smarter compliance regimes.

Born: North Andover, Massachusetts, 1968
College: Bentley College (B.S.); Boston University School of Law (J.D. and L.L.M.)
First full-time job: New business representative, Keyport Life Insurance Co.
Favorite snack: "Is craft beer a snack?"

Stephen Mankowski

Co-chair, National Tax Policy Committee, NCCPAP

For many small firms and sole practitioners, in his role at the National Conference of CPA Practitioners Mankowski is an indispensable guide to the intricacies of the host of new legislation, regulation and other mandates coming out of Washington, D.C., keeping his ear to the ground so he can warn them about major developments so that they can warn their clients.

Born: Philadelphia, 1965
College: La Salle University
First full-time job: Staff auditor, Coopers & Lybrand
Favorite snack: Soft pretzels

Jason Marx

CEO, Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting

With his company's solutions literally in the hands and on the desktops of tens of thousands of accountants on a daily basis, it's hard to doubt Marx's influence — and he maintains it by constantly innovating new tools to help firms solve complex and constantly changing problems, both internally and for their clients.

Born: Detroit, 1966
College: University of Michigan; DePaul University (MBA)
First full-time job: Account executive, Household Finance Corporation
Favorite snack: Potato chips

Barry Melancon

President and CEO, AICPA

Better than anyone else, Melancon understands "the whole equation" — the vast range of inputs, influences, trends and developments that are shaping the future of accounting, both in the U.S. and globally — and he skillfully uses the many resources available to him to prepare the profession and his members for that future.

Born: Houma, Louisiana, 1958
College: Nicholls State University (bachelor's in accounting, MBA, honorary doctorate)
First full-time job: Accountant, small CPA firm

Ed Mendlowitz

Emeritus partner, WithumSmith+Brown, PC

Mendlowitz is tireless in his dedication to his fellow accountants, sharing his wisdom in countless blog posts, articles, books, live events, checklists, trading cards (yes, trading cards) and more. And that's all when he's not guest lecturing in college accounting courses, or speaking at high schools to gin up long-term enthusiasm from the profession.

Born: New York City, 1942
College: Baruch College
First full-time job: Junior accountant, J. J. Turner CPA
Favorite snack: Ice cream

Kalil Merhib

EVP, growth & professional services, CPA.com

CPA.com has been an evangelist for CAS since the very beginning, and many know Merhib as one of their most prominent point men in showing firms how to take these services to the next level. But he's not just about CAS: His remit includes giving them the business, skill and technology strategies they need to make the much-touted move to advisory.

Born: Binghamton, N.Y., 1984
College: Michigan State University
First full-time job: Account representative, Thomson Reuters Tax & Accounting
Favorite snack: Beef jerky

David Osborne

CEO, Caseware

Osborne is a major advocate for the profession's ongoing digital transformation, strongly emphasizing the role of technology and making sure firms are prepared to face the challenges of the modern era. This has been particularly relevant regarding Caseware's partnership with the AICPA and CPA.com to build the next-generation Dynamic Audit Solution, currently in pilot stage.

Born: Toronto, Canada, 1969
College: Colorado State University; University of Georgia (MBA)
First full-time job: Sales, iGATE Global Solutions

Jody Padar

VP of tax strategy & evangelism, April

Besides spreading the word about the tax technology company where she works, Padar continues to share her perspective as the "Radical CPA" with the profession, advocating for virtual firms, promoting the use of cloud technology, and otherwise aiming to encourage them to adopt her vision of the firm of the future through articles, her LinkedIn show, and an upcoming book on "Radical Pricing."

Born: Chicago, 1972
College: Saint Mary's College (B.B.A.); Northern Illinois University, (M.S.T.)
First full-time job: Tax technology associate, Price Waterhouse
Favorite snack: Cottage cheese with fruit and Milk Duds

Hitendra Patil

President, global finance and accounting services, Datamatics Business Solutions

You'll always find Patil at the forefront of the latest developments in the field, whether it's writing a key guide to CAS just as it was breaking into the mainstream a few years ago, or, more recently, releasing a book on the rise of the AI-powered accountants. His ability to be on the spot with what's new makes you wonder what he's writing about next … .

Born: Mumbai, India, 1967
College: Sathaye College (B.S.); University of Mumbai (M.S.); Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies (M.D.B.A.)
First full-time job: Senior officer, Reliance Consultancy Services Ltd.
Favorite snack: Cashew nuts (salt & black pepper)

Carl Peterson

VP, small firm interests, AICPA & CIMA

Peterson calls it "360 degrees of advocacy" — spending an enormous amount of time meeting with small firms across the country both to understand their needs and help them understand how to thrive in a changing environment, and then communicating their needs and concerns back to the leadership of the profession to help develop tools and resources for them.

Born: Peoria, Illinois, 1958
College: Kansas State University
First full-time job: CPA, Perfetti & Kopischke
Favorite snack: Something salty

Scott Peterson

VP of U.S. tax policy and government relations, Avalara

Wayfair may be five years old already, but its ramifications continue to ripple throughout the states and across the country — and there are plenty of other sales tax and other legislative developments for Peterson to keep track of and then share his insights about with the accountants and other tax professionals who rely on his guidance.

Born: Mobridge, South Dakota, 1955
College: Black Hills State University (B.S.); University of South Dakota (M.S.)
First full-time job: Research analyst, South Dakota Legislative Research Council
Favorite snack: Potato chips

Anthony Pugliese

Pugliese-Anthony-Institute of Internal Auditors NEW 2023

President and CEO, IIA

Pugliese actively advocates for the role of internal auditors — even when that means pushing back against a proposed standard from the PCAOB that seemed to call into question their integrity and competency — but he's focused internally, as well, aiming to unite the institute's 235,000 members around a vision of their future to build into the global strategic plan he's spearheading.

Born: Jacksonville, Florida, 1967
College: University of North Florida
First full-time job: Audit associate, Deloitte & Touche
Favorite snack: Movie theater popcorn

Terry Putney

Managing director, Whitman Transition Advisors LLC

Putney's career spans whole eras of accounting firm M&A, from the reign of the consolidators in the late 1990s to the current age of private equity, and through it all he has been much in demand as a deal-maker and advisor, and also as an author and speaker, sharing his insights into firm succession, structure and much more.

Born: Kansas City, Missouri, 1954
College: University of Kansas (B.S.B.)
First full-time job: Staff accountant, Donnelly Meiners & Jordan CPAs
Favorite snack: Charcuterie

Kristen Rampe

Managing partner, Rosenberg Associates

Under Rampe's leadership, Rosenberg Associates has expanded its reach with CPA firms, bringing her practical and accessible tools to more accountants than ever. And while the company has a long history of practice management consulting, the rapid evolution of the field means Rampe's emphasis on clarifying complex concepts to meet new challenges is especially essential.

Born: Detroit, 1978
College: Butler University
First full-time job: Audit associate, PwC

Okorie Ramsey

Chair, AICPA

Ramsey is the right man at the right time, bringing a passion for developing the next generation of accountants at a time when that is more important — and more difficult — than ever. As a sort of ambassador for the profession, he's traveling the country talking to students, underrepresented groups, and accountants of all kinds to boost everyone's enthusiasm for the field.

Born: Berkeley, California, 1970
College: San Francisco State University (B.S. business administration)
First full-time job: Staff associate, Coopers & Lybrand
Favorite snack: Raisinets and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Rick Reisig

jP

Chair, NASBA

NASBA plays a major role in bringing new blood into the profession, and as chair, Reisig is dedicated to filling that pipeline, from making the processes around taking the CPA exam more candidate-friendly to developing tools for individual state boards to enhance their local pipelines — while carefully preserving the license's value.

Born: Billings, Montana, 1960
College: Montana State University
First full-time job: Laborer, city of Billings, Montana, Street Department
Favorite snack: Wavy Lays

Michelle Golden River

Terri Keefer

Owner/president, Fore LLC

Influencers should exert their power to boost up the fields they represent, and River has long urged accountants to recognize their worth — and more specifically, their value, as she continues to champion the myriad benefits of her value-pricing models – leading a significant portion of the top firms to adopt her Advanced Pricing Methods.

Born: Long Beach, California, 1966
College: Columbia College
First full-time job: Staff accountant, Coopervision\
Favorite snack: My home-baked sourdough bread, warm from the oven with peanut butter & honey!

Darren Root

Chief strategist, Rightworks

Most firms are built along lines that would be completely recognizable not just to our parents, but to their parents, and their grandparents, too — and Root wants to change that, offering a model of a truly modern firm that better serves the needs of its owners, employees and clients through a multitude of speeches, keynotes, training sessions, podcasts, articles, white papers and more.

Born: Bedford, Indiana, 1960
College: Indiana University
First full-time job: Staff accountant, Deloitte Haskins and Sells
Favorite snack: M&Ms

Marc Rosenberg

Managing partner and founder, Rosenberg Associates

To say Rosenberg wrote the book on running an accounting firm is an understatement: He's actually written 16 of them, distilling the wisdom he shares in his blogs, his consulting engagements, his speeches and more into a single shelf full of answers to every question a firm leader might have about how to build and manage a successful practice.

Born: Chicago, 1948
College: University of Illinois at Chicago
First full-time job: Staff, Ernst & Young
Favorite snack: Cheetos

Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk

President, BBR Cos. & Accounting MOVE Project

Ruszczyk's imprint can be felt in the communications and content of the many firms she has advised in her more than a decade helming her marketing firm, but over the last year she has parlayed these skills into leading the DEI-driven mission of the MOVE Project, gathering and interpreting the necessary data to ultimately advance women and people of color in the profession.

Born: Lakeland, Florida, 1969
College: Troy (State) University (B.A.); Georgia State University (MBA)
First full-time job: Marketing assistant, Mighty Auto Parts
Favorite snack: Salt and vinegar potato chips

Timothy Ryan

U.S. senior partner, PwC

Ryan is making his Big Four firm a showcase for what the future will look like, from its restructuring around the concept of "trust," to bringing technology and innovation (and, lately, artificial intelligence) to bear in reimagining the people experience in public accounting, to experimenting with bold new ways to attract the next generation of CPAs.

Born: Dedham, Massachusetts, 1965
College: Babson College
First full-time job: Grocery store clerk, Roche Brothers Supermarket
Favorite snack: Powdered donuts

Guylaine Saint Juste

President and CEO, NABA

Saint Juste is focused on breaking down barriers — the ones that have historically restricted access for Black and other underrepresented communities — with an insightful understanding of the many stages within the talent pipeline where they may find themselves blocked. In her work with NABA, she is designing more accessible paths to CPA licensure.

Born: Haiti, 1969
College: George Mason (undergraduate); University of Virginia (graduate)
First full-time job: Expeditor, Hecht's
Favorite snack: Popcorn

Frank Sands

President, NCCPAP

Now in his second year as president of the National Conference of CPA Practitioners, Sands advocates for the needs of tens of thousands of small accounting firms in all the halls of power in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere, and brings back guidance and insight on the laws and regulations that are critical to them and their millions of small-business clients.

Born: Esterville, Iowa, 1951
College: Winona State University
First full-time job: Manager, central accounting and tax, Professional Management Midwest
Favorite snack: Blueberries

Gary Shamis

CEO, Winding River Consulting

While most consultants to the profession have some experience working in the trenches, few can match Shamis in having built a hugely successful firm of his own, and he brings that expertise — and a keen eye for the trends that matter today — to his many leadership training and consulting engagements with firms of all sizes.

Born: Cleveland Heights, Ohio, 1953
College: Tulane University (B.S. biology); Ohio State University (master's, accounting)
First full-time job: Staff accountant, Touche & Ross
Favorite snack: Pretzels

Donny Shimamoto

Founder and managing director, IntrapriseTechKnowlogies

If you've ever gone to an accounting conference recently, you have likely seen at least one talk by Shimamoto. A keen observer on emerging topics, he guides accountants through challenges like adapting to AI, improving cybersecurity and understanding novel service areas like ESG. And through his Center for Accounting Transformation, he is also doing important research on things like staffing strategies, the pipeline and belonging in the profession.

Born: Honolulu, Hawaii, 1975
College: University of Hawaii at Manoa
First full-time job: Associate, Coopers & Lybrand
Favorite snack: Ice cream

Seth Siegel

CEO, Grant Thornton

With a strong first year of double-digit growth and record revenues under his belt, Siegel is searching out ways to use technology not just to deliver more for clients, but to help his employees personalize their careers to ensure they're doing work that excites and rewards them. He's also working with a range of stakeholders and community partners to help fill the pipeline and cultivate diverse talent to take up those personalized careers.

Born: Oceanside, N.Y., 1972
College: Florida Atlantic University
First full-time job: Associate, Grant Thornton
Favorite snack: Tortilla chips and peanut M&M's

Lisa Simpson

VP, firm services, AICPA & CIMA

As co-host of the institute's Town Hall series, Simpson's audience is vast — but also incredibly engaged, following her timely technical updates, insight into growth opportunities, and practice management strategies. She also leads the Private Companies Practice Section in supporting the many accountants seeking peer-tested tools and examples of business-model transformation they can implement.

Born: Danville, Kentucky, 1964
College: Eastern Kentucky University
First full-time job: Staff accountant, Ernst & Whinney
Favorite snack: Dark chocolate

Sean Stein Smith

Accounting working group chair, Wall Street Blockchain Alliance

Through lectures, podcasts, research and education, Stein Smith has emerged as a major figure in helping the profession understand technologies like blockchain, cryptoassets and artificial intelligence. Balancing both theory and practice, Smith is not only a prolific speaker — he was recently certified as a cryptocurrency auditor himself.

Born: Union City, N.J., 1988
College: Fairleigh Dickinson University (B.S., M.S., M.B.A.); Capella University (D.B.A.)
First full-time job: General ledger accounting, Suez Environnement
Favorite snack: Sour cream and onion chips

Jason Staats

Founder, Realize

Podcaster, writer, YouTuber, social media influencer — Staats uses a host of channels to share his tech-forward perspective on the challenges and opportunities faced by the accounting profession today. He's currently one of the profession's foremost experts on AI, having been directly involved in initiatives like the AICPA's AI toolkit, and regularly providing training and insight on the topic.

Born: Salem, Oregon, 1988
College: George Fox University (undergrad); Portland State University (grad)
First full-time job: Best Buy
Favorite snack: Nerds gummy clusters

Andrej Suskavcevic

President & CEO, FEI and FERF

As leader of Financial Executives International and its research foundation, Suskavcevic focuses on raising awareness of the profession with college students and retaining accountants with career development and management content, and mentorship opportunities with senior-level leaders. His group regularly attracts top leaders to their events, while generating reports on topics like how corporate finance is preparing for climate disclosure.

Born: Zagreb, Croatia, 1968
College: Montclair University (B.S., finance); New York University's Stern School of Business (MBA)
First full-time job: Manager, accounts payable, Jugobanka
Favorite snack: Apples

Rick Telberg

Founder & CEO, CPA Trendlines Research

Think of former Accounting Today editor-in-chief Telberg as the head of the profession's intelligence agency, delivering regular briefings full of facts, figures, insights and what they all mean to help accountants at firms of all sizes advance their careers, build more successful practices, and better serve their clients.

Born: New York City, 1956
College: New York University
First full-time job: Long Island Traveler-Watchman
Favorite snack: Wheat Thins

Joe Ucuzoglu

Global CEO, Deloitte

Ucuzoglu widened his scope this year, moving from head of the U.S. firm to overseeing Deloitte globally, bringing his commitment to parallel investments in technologies like artificial intelligence, and in his people to help advance the profession — and it seems to be paying off, with the global firm reporting almost 15% growth.

Born: Los Angeles
College: University of Southern California
First full-time job: Audit Intern, Deloitte & Touche
Favorite snack: Doritos

Barbara Vanich

Gary D. Newlen

Chief auditor & director of professional standards, PCAOB

While the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's crackdown on auditors has everyone's attention, it's also undertaking its most ambitious standard-setting and rulemaking agenda in over a decade, and Vanich plays a key role in managing efforts around things like its new audit confirmation standard, tougher rules on negligence, and much more.

Born: Pittsburgh, 1969
College: Point Park
First full-time job: Bookkeeper, Iconnex
Favorite snack: Potato chips

Christopher Vanover

Founder & senior chief auditor, CPA Club

The ongoing labor crisis in accounting calls for innovative solutions, and Vanover has delivered just that: His "auditor-as-a-service" model — where his PCAOB-registered firm provides experienced, on-demand help to short-staffed audit firms — can serve as a blueprint for a raft of future alternatives for firms with capacity problems.

Born: Anaheim, California, 1979
College: Claremont McKenna College; University of Southern California (M.S., accounting)
First full-time job: Assurance associate, PwC
Favorite snack: Animal crackers

Amy Vetter

Jon Williams

CEO, The B3 Method Institute

For a business based entirely people, accounting hasn't always as strongly focused on the human side of things as it might be, but Vetter is working hard to change that, helping accountants take a holistic approach to building their careers, and teaching firms and firm leaders how to build cultures that nurture the individual while also being forward-thinking about technology and innovation.

Born: Los Angeles, 1974
College: University of Cincinnati (B.B.A., accounting); Nova Southeastern University (MBA)
First full-time job: Assistant accountant (audit), KPMG
Favorite snack: Green tea matcha latte from Starbucks

Daniel Werfel

IRS commissioner Dan Werfel being sworn in 2023

Ting Shen/Bloomberg

Commissioner, IRS

All eyes are on Werfel to see whether his long experience at the IRS — and $50 or $60 billion in extra funding — can help him turn the agency from an embattled bete noir into a lean, mean, technology-driven taxpayer-service machine that you can feel comfortable having file your taxes for you. The jury will be out for some time, of course, and not everyone is rooting for him … .

Born: 1971
College: Cornell University; University of North Carolina School of Law; Duke University (master's)
First full-time job: Policy analyst, Office of Management and Budget

Tifphani White-King

Partner, Mazars

White-King has been breaking down barriers as international tax services practice leader at Top 100 Firm Mazars USA, and by being an outspoken voice on behalf of the profession, she's working to reverse the current perspectives and negative perceptions that are driving people away from accounting every day.

Born: New York City
College: Columbia University (B.A.); St. John's University School of Law (J.D.); King's College of London – Dixon Poon School of Law (LLM)
First full-time job: Associate, international tax practice, Arthur Andersen
Favorite snack: Classic vanilla and chocolate cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles

Geni Whitehouse

President, Information Technology Alliance

A CPA already well-known as a trainer and coach who guides accountants in the mindset and methodologies behind advisory services, the self-styled "Countess of Communication" recently became the president of the Information Technology Alliance, where she hopes to drive innovation in the tech space that supports accountants and their clients in creating the kind of future they desire.

Born: Atlanta, 1959
College: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
First full-time job: Staff accountant, Deloitte Haskins & Sells
Favorite snack: Cheese and/or salted peanuts

Philip Whitman

CEO, Whitman Transition Advisors

Whitman's group has become one of the largest advisory organizations for CPA firms in the country, offering a wide range of tools to help succeed in an era of fast-paced change. In particular, he's helping them navigate the rapidly expanding set of ownership and structural models that are available, as private equity and other outside players reshape what's possible.

Born: Brooklyn, N.Y., 1962
College: Rutgers University
First full-time job: Staff accountant, Price Waterhouse & Co.
Favorite snack: Cashews

Sandra Wiley

President, Boomer Consulting

Talent management is a white-hot topic these days, but Wiley has been focused on it many years, arming accounting professionals with the skills to actually succeed not only as trusted advisors but as inspiring leaders, valued colleagues, and collaborative peers, and the audience for her conference sessions, webinars, articles and training sessions can only grow.

Born: Stafford, Kansas, 1960
College: Friends University
First full-time job: Office help, Sylvia Coop
Favorite snack: Cheetos

Erica Williams

PCAOB

Chair, PCAOB

Williams has brought new energy to the audit overseer, warning registered firms and the profession over and over that shoddy work will not be tolerated — and then levying multiple big-money fines and imposing the serious sanctions and practice bans to prove it.

Born: Raleigh, N.C., 1973
College: University of Virginia (B.A. and J.D.)
First full-time job: Litigation associate, large law firm
Favorite snack: Popcorn

Jennifer Wilson

Co-founder and partner, ConvergenceCoaching

Wilson offers her leadership training and tools across many platforms, all while personally coaching top firm leaders and the crucial next generation she develops through her seasonal programs. This past year, she's delved deeper into promoting the profession as the National Pipeline Advisory Group facilitator, studying the talent pipeline to identify "leaks," biases and other barriers.

Born: Hahn Air Force Base, Germany, 1964
College: University of Nebraska Omaha
First full-time job: Regional account manager, Pro Systems
Favorite snack: Chips and spicy salsa

David Wood

Professor, Brigham Young University

After putting ChatGPT 3.5 through a number of accounting courses and seeing it fail, Wood ran a practice CPA exam through ChatGPT 4.0 and saw it pass with flying colors — an experiment that is characteristic of his overall teaching and research focus of helping students and professionals increase their understanding of the technology influencing the profession.

Born: Idaho, 1979
College: Brigham Young University (B.S. and MAcc); Indiana University (Ph.D. and MBA)
First full-time job: Assistant professor, Brigham Young University
Favorite snack: Anything my wife bakes or savory snacks like nachos and popcorn

Joe Woodard

CEO, Woodard Consulting Group

Many people know Woodard through his annual Scaling New Heights conference — one of the biggest in the profession — but that's just a few days of his year. Far more people know him through the consulting, coaching, online and in-person training, podcasts, personal appearances, writing and much more that fill the rest of his time.

Born: Savannah, Georgia, 1967
College: Mercer University
First full-time job: Associate, Allen & Baxter
Favorite snack: Popcorn

Candace Wright

Wright-Candace-Postlethwaite & Netterville

Chair, Private Company Council

Small businesses, we're frequently told, are the backbone of the American economy — and yet they lack the resources to make their voices heard in setting the accounting standards they have to follow. Wright and the PCC serve as a crucial conduit for their concerns and challenges, elevating them to FASB's attention and giving small businesses a voice.

Born: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1962
College: McNeese State University
First full-time job: Accountant, pharmaceutical sales company
Favorite snack: Welch's fruit snacks

David Wurtzbacher

MIKE_BUSADA

Founder & CEO, Ascend

In most of its incursions into the accounting space, private equity is primarily a source of money, but in Wurtzbacher's model, it's a source of options — providing firms capital, to be sure, but also resources and back-office services, help with staffing, technology, and, perhaps most important, the ability to remain independent while pursuing their strategic plans.

Born: Denver, 1988
College: Wake Forest University (B.S., finance); Harvard Business School (MBA)
First full-time job: Analyst, JPMorgan
Favorite snack: Goldfish

Janet Yellen

Janet Yellen

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

U.S. Secretary of Treasury

While she has had a busy year advocating for the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act while trying to preserve the extra funding for the IRS in the face of continuing attempts at budget cuts by a Republican-led House of Representatives, Yellen has also been an outspoken proponent of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's global minimum tax while meeting with world leaders to promote the economic policies of the Biden administration.

Born: Brooklyn, N.Y., 1946
College: Pembroke College in Brown University; Yale University
First full-time job: Assistant professor of economics, Harvard University