The 2021 Top 100 People: Words from the wise

December 15, 2021 9:00 AM

This year’s T100 had plenty of advice for future classes of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting. They advised the next generation to embrace change, be continuous learners, and be strategic and nimble, among other qualities that will help them shape the future of accounting, in response to the question “What guidance would you give future influencers of the profession?”

They also urged the next wave of thought leaders to follow their passion and remember to value relationships above all else, which means being just as good — if not better — of a listener than a knowledge sharer.

(To see the full responses of all the candidates for the Top 100, click here.)

Be bold. Say the quiet stuff out loud. Rattle the cages of the powerful, the entrenched, the institutional. Fight like hell. And when you've won one fight, go look for the next one. Stay a step ahead.
— Rick Telberg, CEO and founder, CPA Trendlines Research

Embrace a proactive business model and continue to educate the profession on why it’s critical to long-term success. Now more than ever, as trusted advisors, we have to anticipate the needs of our clients and offer the services required for clients’ success—before they have to ask.
— Darren Root, GM, Rootworks LLC

Our profession has an important role to play as the world becomes more and more complex. We can help a diverse stakeholder group to negotiate these tensions and intricacies in order to decide the best use of their resources. Thus, accountants have to be critical thinkers as well as accomplished technicians so that we can continue to make a meaningful difference to our societies.
— Andreas Barckow, chair, International Accounting Standards Board

Lisa Fitzpatrick

Never stop listening and learning. We have much to learn from others, especially those who have different backgrounds, experiences, and skills. This will be critical toward building the pipeline of future professionals who will further transform the tax and accounting profession.
— Lisa Fitzpatrick, president, Bloomberg Tax & Accounting

Be open-minded. Listen. Weigh all factors. Keep in mind the critical role small firms play in the health and success of the profession’s ecosystem.
— Carl Peterson, VP, small firm interests, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants

Joanne Barry

Get out of the echo chamber. Oftentimes, processes and procedures are retained not because they’re effective but because it’s the way things have always been done. When they get in the way, younger professionals can sometimes hesitate to complain or make suggestions, as they don’t want to rock the boat. I say, rock away. Is there a better way to do things? Maybe a new tool, a new policy, a new outlook? Say it! Successful careers are built not on blind adherence to tradition but on innovation and disruption that moves everyone forward. You are coming into the profession at a time when the rules everyone took for granted before are being rewritten, and through your work and your ideas you have a once in a lifetime opportunity to be one of the authors. Think not in terms of what the profession expects of you, but what you expect of the profession. You’ll be doing a favor not only to your own career but those of all CPAs, as the profession is in need of the dramatic change that only you can bring.
— Joanne Barry, executive director and CEO, New York State Society of CPAs

Bill Pirolli

Courtesy of AICPA

Embrace change, challenge everything and get comfortable with risk.
— William Pirolli, chair, AICPA; co-chair, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants

Build a new generation of partners who are passionate about empowering entrepreneurs to become more successful.
— Chandra Bhansali, co-founder, AccountantsWorld

My advice would be to follow your passion and find what gets you energized and engaged. Be willing to challenge the status quo and find ways to communicate your message in an impactful way. Stand out from the crowd. Read everything you can get your hands on. Talk with people constantly, so you understand the challenges and the opportunities. Never stop learning or growing. Don’t be intimidated. View the world with an abundance mentality, not a scarcity mentality as collaboration is powerful. Use your experiences and disappointments to help others, don’t let the disappointments get you down. Be energized by competition, not intimidated. Work hard to make an impact on those around you and do it every single day.
— Angie Grissom, owner, chief relationship officer, The Rainmaker Companies

Joe Woodard

Stay connected to the front lines – to the practical issues and challenges facing the accounting profession. You can do this by continuing to operate an accounting practice (however small that practice may be) or through one-on-one coaching/mentorship of practicing accountants.
— Joe Woodard, CEO, Woodard Events

Don’t get too comfortable with the steady state and current way of doing things. The speed of change and the importance of reacting quickly and positively is paramount if the accounting profession is to remain relevant.
— Ken Bishop, president and CEO, NASBA

It’s your responsibility to deliver the hard truths.While it’s not comfortable most of the time and the reception can be difficult, you will gain the respect and appreciation of those you help along the way.
— Jim Boomer, CEO, Boomer Consulting Inc.

Pursue new opportunities and experiences whenever you get the chance – you will learn something new and may find the perfect niche in need of an expert (you!).
— Jennifer Burns, chief auditor, AICPA

Shimamoto-Donny-IntrapriseTechKnowlogies 2018

Figure out what you’re passionate about and then figure out where there is a blue ocean for you to lead and define that area for the profession
— Donny Shimamoto, managing director, IntrapriseTechKnowlogies LLC

Sue Barr

Be courageous and bold, and hold true to your values. Learn from mistakes, but don’t let them hinder progress.
— Sue Coffey, CEO, public accounting, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants

Edward Karl

Photographer: Alex Kroke

Be strategic but nimble. It is critical to have a vision that guides you on a path of influence but the path has to have some flexibility to adapt to unforeseen challenges. The last 2 pandemic years bares that out.
I also believe that it is critical for influencers to work on their core skills. Accounting is a dynamic profession. Consciously working on transferable skills that grow qualities such as leadership, communication, presentation, organization, and motivation is critical. Also, looking for opportunities a little outside ones comfort zone will create a more strategic environment where change won’t appear so foreign. The idea would be to position yourself to learn and develop skills that complement the concept of adaptability.
— Edward Karl, vice president, tax policy and advocacy, AICPA

Strive to be the best at what you do to serve your clients, but be cognizant of what is happening outside of our profession that could change it. I learned a lot about information technology innovation and process improvement opportunities by seeing how other industries and business were adopting them and then applying them within accounting firms.
— Roman Kepczyk, director, firm technology strategy, Right Networks

The guidance that I would give future influences of the profession is that we all have an inherent responsibility to leave the profession in a better position than when we joined it. For most practitioners, it might just be in how they represent their clients. But for those that have an opportunity to have a greater voice, I’d say use it to the best of your abilities. And as best as possible to remain “party neutral” as influencing the profession is just that – party neutral. Regardless of the party in office, the needs of our profession don’t necessarily change. Further, when going about your tasks, you never know who you might need support from and that support will come from both sides of the aisle.
— Stephen Mankowski, co-chair, National Tax Policy Committee, NCCPAP

Geni Whitehouse

Embrace all aspects of yourself and be as authentic as you can. Don’t doubt yourself or what you contribute to the world. We need to hear everyone’s voice, no matter how different it might be.
— Geni Whitehouse, countess of communication, Even a Nerd Can be Heard, The Impactful Advisor, Solve Services, www.bdcocpa.com

Always focus on people. Always. Relations with people makes the world go round. Clients, co-workers, business contacts, family. Time spent today training, developing and mentoring CPA firm staff is the best investment a firm can make because it pays off handsomely, both short and long-term. Think more long-term than short-term. Partners should come to the office today thinking: “What can I do today to position our firm to be successful tomorrow.” We see way too much short-term thinking at CPA firms.
— Marc Rosenberg, president, The Rosenberg Associates

Mark Stewart

Despite the changes we deal with in the profession every day, this is and always will be a people business. Never lose sight of that. We often get bogged down in the “technical” details of this profession, whether it be the minutiae of the tax code or financial statement regulations. However, what our clients value is addressing their pain points and solving problems that make their lives better. This philosophy is key to influencing the profession for the better in the future.
— Mark Stewart Jr., president, National Conference of CPA Practitioners

Teach yourself to stay curious. Not that our profession is unique in this manner, but the work that auditors perform, and how they do it, is constantly evolving, and those who choose this career path will have the opportunity to explore so many corners of the business world. In many ways, this work prepares people to start and run their own businesses because of the broad business skills that a career as an auditor gives people.
— Julie Bell Lindsay, executive director, CAQ

Lisa Simpson

Get involved early, whether through your state society or the AICPA. You can start with a conference planning committee or public speaking. Find your passion and develop your voice. But it’s never too late to make an impact.
— Lisa Simpson, VP, firm services, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants

I would recommend future influencers become good listeners. People have a tendency to talk before they know all of the issues. To me, when I came into the role as CEO and executive director at the NJCPA, I immediately set up one-on-one meetings with managing partners and sole practitioners to find out what they were struggling with and what the NJCPA could do for them. This was a better approach than simply telling them my agenda from the start.
— Ralph Thomas, CEO and executive director, New Jersey Society of CPAs

Wright-Candace-Postlethwaite & Netterville

In our industry, it’s easy to get caught up in the technical aspect of what we do—accounting standards, compliance requirements, etc. There is a lot of work, and quality is critical. However, at the end of the day, we are a people business. Forming relationships with our clients, our colleagues, and leaders in the profession helps us grow our knowledge and skills, and it also brings personal enjoyment to our day to day jobs. My advice would be to prioritize genuine relationships with your peers, beyond a LinkedIn connection.
— Candace Wright, chair, Private Company Council