Tech leader Rick Richardson dies at 81

Dana "Rick" Richardson, an accounting technology leader and CPA, passed away on Nov. 17, 2025. He was 81.

Over his six-decade-long career in accounting, he was the recipient of numerous awards, including being featured several times on Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting list. Richardson was the managing partner at tech consulting firm Richardson Media & Technologies. He previously spent over 28 years at Big Four firm Ernst & Young, serving his last 12 years there as the national director of technology. 

"We lost a remarkable man. If you knew him, you understood immediately that he was one of a kind: a visionary CPA, a futurist long before the rest of us caught up, and a generous soul who lifted everyone around him. Rick wasn't just in the profession — he helped shape it," Greg LaFolette, a former strategic advisor at CPA.com and accounting technology thought leader, said in a Facebook post. "He saw further down the road than most of us even thought to look, and he never hesitated to share that insight to make the rest of us better. But for me — and for many of us — the titles only tell part of the story. Rick was a steady friend, a loyal colleague, a man with a big laugh and an even bigger heart."

Richardson was a member of CPA Practice Advisor's Accounting Technology Hall of Fame and received two lifetime achievement awards from the American Institute of CPAs for his contributions to the profession. He was also the first CPA to earn a certified information technology profession — or CITP — credential. He was a frequent keynote speaker at accounting technology conferences around the country.

"Rick was that guy that was truly genuine and always helping others," Doug Sleeter, retired founder of the major industry conference SleeterCon, said in a post. "He was always giving our audience insights into the future that nobody else ever looked at. ... I will honor him forever. He has no idea how much he impacted my life, and The Sleeter Group business."

Richardson grew up in Southern California in the 1960s. He was the studio drummer for the recorded versions of The Beach Boys' hits "Fun, Fun, Fun," and "California Girls."