Roger Kenyanya, vice president of finance at home improvement store Lowe’s, took part in the inaugural AICPA and CPA.com AI Symposium about three months ago in New York. Why did he refer to the event as a “humbling, full-circle moment” in a LinkedIn post? Find out on this episode of the JofA podcast.

Kenyanya, a member of the Future of Finance Leadership Advisory Group, shares how both the finance function and overall business are harnessing the power of AI. He also details his career journey and notes how the skill sets of next-generation finance employees will change.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

·         The “significant milestone” in Kenyanya’s career — in his junior year of college.

·         Kenyanya’s path to his current role as a finance leader at Lowe’s.

·         His takeaways from a January symposium about AI.

·         Some of the ways AI is being harnessed at Lowe’s.

·         How the skill set for tomorrow’s finance employees is changing and the three-pronged focus of that shift for Kenyanya and Lowe’s.

·         The peer “platform to collaborate” that Kenyanya said is valuable.

Danielle Supkis Cheek, CPA, vice president and head of Analytics & AI for Caseware, had an interesting way to continue her exploration of the ethics of using AI tools in accounting: She asked ChatGPT to give her an answer.

The response helped in her assessment of such tools. She shared more about that result — and answered our questions — in this episode of the JofA podcast. 

What you’ll learn from this episode:

·         What a well-known generative AI tool had to say about the risks of using large language models in accounting.

·         The surprising thing an early version of ChatGPT said about Supkis Cheek.

·         The top-of-mind AI ethics concerns for the accounting profession.

·         How the development of smaller-scale language models, with accounting specifics, can improve confidence in large language models.

·         An explanation of the MAYA principle as it relates to AI.

·         Thoughts on taking a “measured approach” when it comes to AI auditing.

To Jen Croneberger, it’s easy for many in society to spend a lot of time planning to do big things but not always carrying out those plans. Taking an “if/then response approach” to life prevents accomplishing big goals, and so Croneberger advises people to take big leaps, even if they’re uncertain about having a safety net.

That’s one of several leadership concepts discussed on this JofA podcast episode. Croneberger, an author and consultant, is the keynote speaker June 17 at the AICPA & CIMA Not-for-Profit Industry Conference. In this conversation, she previews that session, explains the words behind the acronym BRAVE, and shares the importance of human-focused leadership in an AI-driven world.

Croneberger also responds to the topic of a JofA episode from April 2022 about how belief differs from arrogance.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

·         A preview of Croneberger’s keynote session at the AICPA & CIMA Not-for-Profit Industry Conference in June.

·         Why leadership is “a behavior, not a title.”

·         Some of the ways she applies a sports background to her role as a consultant.

·         Why Croneberger likes the leadership advice “Go before you’re ready.”

·         How we can use digital devices to improve self-care.

·         The importance, in Croneberger’s mind, of speaking openly about topics such as depression.

In the first part of a two-part podcast discussion, Hamza Khan detailed how he was affected by a severe case of burnout about 10 years ago. In this episode, Khan, an author and keynote speaker, shares more about his battle with burnout today.

Khan explained some of the reasons burnout can affect women in particular and shared some of the knowledge gleaned from attending two AICPA & CIMA Women’s Global Leadership Summits. He also discussed why having relatively few one-on-one meetings with his boss became a bad thing — and how leaders can make those meetings better.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

·         Why Khan wanted to emulate Jay-Z.

·         The CASTLE acronym and it’s tie-in to burnout.

·         Why Khan took one-on-one meetings for granted earlier in his career.

·         The tough questions managers should ask employees in one-on-one meetings.

·         Why the technological disruption in business today is “a time of danger but also a time of opportunity.”

Hamza Khan believes the four-day workweek to be “an inevitability.” It is the sort of workplace trend that could help to diminish burnout, which is the main topic of this JofA podcast episode with Khan, an author and entrepreneur.

This episode is the first of a two-part conversation with Khan, who has given keynote presentations at several AICPA & CIMA events, including the Global Women’s Leadership Summit and the CFO Conference.

Khan spoke last year on the JofA podcast about the difference between managing and leading, and he’ll talk on the next episode about how strong leadership should include meaningful one-on-one meetings.

Tom Hood, CPA/CITP, CGMA, executive vice president–Business Growth and Engagement at AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, has his finger on the pulse of the profession. He’s traveled all over, talking to everyone from corporate CFOs to newly minted accountants and accounting apprentices, and he’s sharing some of the insights gained from those discussions on this episode of the JofA podcast.

Hood, who has been in his current role for three years after a long stint as CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs, takes time to reflect on his move to the “global stage,” to explain the issues that most concern finance leaders, and to detail an early apprenticeship success story.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

·         Hood’s reflection on three years in an AICPA & CIMA executive role.

·         The “pre-Internet” computer technology Hood’s company used when he was a CFO.

·         One example of how the power of peers has built the Future of Finance Leadership Advisory Group.

·         Why the story one bank’s apprentice provides hope in addressing the accounting talent pipeline drought.

·         The top-of-mind issues for finance leaders for this year and into 2025.

Ken Witt, CPA, CGMA, AICPA & CIMA associate director–Management Accounting Research and Development, explains in this JofA podcast episode why finance decision-makers in the first-quarter Business & Industry Economic Outlook Survey are more optimistic now compared with the end of 2023.

Witt summarizes the survey results, including CPA decision-makers’ expectations for revenue and profit increases and the top challenges facing them and their businesses.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

·         A breakdown of sentiment about the domestic economy and CPA decision-makers’ own organizations.

·         Projected increases in revenue and profits for the coming 12 months.

·         The top challenges facing finance executives.

·         The hiring outlook for the coming year and how it differs by company size.

The AICPA & CIMA CFO Conference begins April 24 in Charleston, S.C.

Sandy Sloyer, CPA, CGMA, and Misty Geer, CPA, CGMA are long-time members of the conference planning committee, and they joined the JofA podcast to discuss how priorities have changes for finance leaders over the past few years — and how the conference agenda has been adapted as a result.

Here’s a link to the list of conference sessions.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

·         Attendance options for the April conference.

·         How the conference planning committee adapted to the pandemic era.

·         Key issues facing CFOs and the finance function these days.

·         Agenda highlights, along with some of Geer’s favorite speakers from previous years.

·         Sloyer’s feeling every year when the conference ends.

·         Why the event is for current CFOs and aspiring ones.

Melanie Lauridsen, vice president–Tax Policy & Advocacy for the AICPA, returns as a guest on the JofA podcast to update listeners on the focus areas of tax advocacy.

Her team is paying close attention to employee retention credit claims, beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements, and IRS contingency plans in the event of a government shutdown.

Resources:

• January advocacy conversation with Lauridsen on the JofA podcast
• JofA coverage of the federal court opinion holding the Corporate Transparency Act unconstitutional and the appeal of that court decision
• Tax Section landing page, with extensive resource library on topics mentioned, including resources specific to the employee retention credit

What you’ll learn from this episode:

·         Recent developments related to BOI reporting – who has to file reports and who doesn’t.

·         Why BOI reporting often falls to tax practitioners.

·         The differences between BOI requirements and the customer due diligence rule.

·         Why March 22 is important as it relates to government funding.

·         Lauridsen’s analysis of a tax bill now with a congressional committee.

The factors contributing to a decline in the accounting talent pool are many, and so are the strategies to address the issue. 

In this podcast episode, Sue Coffey, CPA, CGMA, AICPA & CIMA’s CEO–Public Accounting, explains what early research has shown about why students are showing less interest in accounting. She also details the steps that multiple entities, including the National Pipeline Advisory Group (NPAG), are taking to grow the pipeline.

In the interview, Coffey discusses CPA licensure, the 150-hour educational requirement, CPA practice mobility, and other issues important to her and the profession.

Resources

NPAG survey page:

https://www.accountingpipeline.org/survey/

AICPA & CIMA business model transformation tools

JofA content:

n  Podcast episode with NPAG Chair Lexy Kessler, CPA, CGMA

n  Podcast episode with NPAG independent facilitator Jennifer Wilson

n  Podcast episode about including accounting in STEM curriculum with Jan Taylor, CPA, CGMA, and Lauren Pfingstag-Vahey

n  Article on the formation of NPAG

What you’ll learn from this episode:

·         The main goals of the National Pipeline Advisory Group (NPAG).

·         Why the recently released NPAG survey is aimed at current professionals and students.

·         What NPAG research is showing about the reasons for a decline in CPA candidates.

·         Coffey’s response on whether the AICPA is being stubborn about the 150-hour education requirement for CPA licensure.

·         The importance of audit transformation in Coffey’s mind.

·         Some of the regulatory agencies she speaks to as part of advocacy efforts.

Wassia Kamon, CPA, was a featured speaker at the Future of Finance Summit in Orlando late last year, and she joined the JofA podcast from the event to discuss how leaders can overcome their own biases to be more inclusive.

Kamon, vice president of finance at the Low Income Investment Fund in Atlanta, points out that with social media and other commonly used applications, it’s very easy for us to choose our own news, friends, and interest areas — or have algorithms choose the focus areas for us.

That can be detrimental to people expanding their understanding of the world and learning about others.

Kamon also explains a few types of bias and how they can hold people back, and she explains why it’s important to mix progression planning with succession planning.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

·         Why we’re now in the “golden age of self-curation,” according to Kamon.

·         The danger of “blocking people” if you’re in a leadership role.

·         An explanation of implicit bias and status quo bias.

·         The meaning of leading in a “roundabout” way — and how it differs from a “traffic light” approach.

·         How Kamon once reacted when approached by a manager about receiving a promotion.

·         The importance of being “receptive to change.”