The 2024 Top 100 People: Building a legacy

January 2, 2025 9:00 AM

What would you like to be remembered for in your career? We'd hope being among Accounting Today 's Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting would be one highlight for those on our 2024 list, but this year's class aspires to make a lasting impact in myriad ways.

When asked, "What would you like your professional legacy to be?" the Top 100 People shared their goals to inspire others, elevate their peers, and, overall, leave the accounting profession in a better place than they found it.

(To see the full responses of all the candidates for the Top 100, click here. And to see who the Top 100 voted the most influential, see here.)

Legacy is something that other people decide, not me. I do hope, however, people understand the passion that I have had for the profession and the spirit in which everything that I did was for the betterment of the profession and with a long-term view. I think that we have played a big part in enabling the success of the profession and by virtue of that success, the success of society and business.

It is important to point out that whatever has been accomplished, or whatever anyone thinks about a legacy, is not accomplished by a single person. We have on an annual basis more than 2,000 volunteers serving on 100-plus different committees and task forces. We have a phenomenal staff that works extremely hard to instill a passion for the profession and with members. And they deliver that in a fantastic way.

So, the reality is in my 30 years in accounting, and for three-year terms on committees, there have been more than 25,000 volunteers that have contributed to our profession and to our organization. All those people and all our staff now and in the past deserve credit for what anybody might attribute to these past 30 years.

— Barry Melancon, president and CEO, American Institute of CPAs; CEO, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants

There are three words I want people to associate with my name: inspiring, trailblazer and empowering. I aim to inspire others to truly believe they can surpass their own expectations. I hope that women see me as a trailblazer in the profession, knowing that while I've begun this journey, it's up to them to carry forward the fight for true equality. Every day, I work hard to empower those I meet, showing them that while they are great today, they have the potential to be even better tomorrow through education and tapping into their inner strength.

— Sandra Wiley, president, Boomer Consulting Inc.

He buried the billable hour and the timesheet across the professions.

— Ron Baker, founder, VeraSage Institute

Governmental Accounting Standards Board chair Joel Black

Creating opportunities for professionals to use their time for thoughtful analysis and creative problem-solving and less time spent on tasks which involve less critical thinking.

— Joel Black, chair, Governmental Accounting Standards Board

That I made people think differently and influenced firm leaders to be more open and fair-minded when it comes to DEI and its importance for firms.

— Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk, president, BBR Cos. and Accounting MOVE Project

I would have contributed well to the profession if I were remembered as the person who inspired accountants to focus on delivering positive "impact," not just outcomes or outputs to their clients.

I would have achieved my purpose in the profession if most accountants, if not all, intrinsically think that "it is not about what they do, but it is about what happens because of what they do."

— Hitendra Patil, CEO, Accountaneur, LLC

Jon Williams

I'd like to be remembered as a transformative leader who helped redefine success in the accounting profession and how we work. My legacy would be inspiring this generation and beyond of accounting professionals and leaders that it is possible to achieve both professional excellence and personal fulfillment, creating more engaged, balanced and innovative workplaces with career paths that are exciting future generations. I would also like for women to know that it is possible to achieve your dreams in this profession and not limit themselves or feel there are perceived limitations between their career and personal lives.

— Amy Vetter, CEO, The B3 Method Institute

As the first CEO of color for NYSSCPA (and a past national president of NABA), I suspect much of my legacy will focus on that. But, while I am quite proud of that, I also would like my legacy to be that I was a staunch advocate for the accounting professional and the public, and that I helped transform the profession for the best and provided opportunities for future generations of accountants.

— Calvin Harris Jr., CEO, New York State Society of CPAs

As a first-generation immigrant, the sacrifices my parents made are never far from my thoughts. Their courage to immigrate to this country and give their children a shot at the entrepreneurial American Dream has made a lasting impression and serves as strong motivation for wanting to build a truly impactful company in Fieldguide.

My commitment to fostering innovation and sharing my entrepreneurial spirit goes beyond my role as a co-founder. I love networking with and mentoring entrepreneurs within the CPA profession, focusing on inspiring and empowering others — qualities I believe are critical to an entrepreneurial mindset. I strive to embody a growth mindset and to instill it in my colleagues, teams and everyone around me, emphasizing continuous learning and improvement. By inspiring others to achieve greatness, I aim to create an environment where innovation thrives. I'm always on the lookout for opportunities to innovate within the company and across the industry, whether through new business models, streamlined workflows or emerging technologies.

— Jin Chang, CEO, Fieldguide

I'd like to be remembered as an authentic leader who worked tirelessly to help others achieve their goals and contribute toward the profession being the best profession in the world.

— Mark Koziel, incoming president/CEO, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, AICPA & CIMA

I want my legacy to be that I led a 55-year-old powerhouse for Black excellence to ignite a movement that mobilized Black professionals, allies and organizations to close the wealth gap. I aim to transform NABA into a launchpad that doesn't just lift as we climb but accelerates the climb, reshaping the economic landscape and building a more just society for everyone. This isn't about incremental change — it's about sparking a lasting transformation that redefines what's possible.

— Guylaine Saint Juste, president & CEO, NABA Inc.

I've spent my career trying to lead by example while building inclusive teams that put people in a position to succeed, valuing diverse perspectives and being willing to take bold, decisive action to create a better future for the organizations I had the privilege to serve.

With the IIA, I'm optimistic that my time as CEO will be remembered for positioning the profession for the future we want to achieve. I'm confident that we're laying the groundwork for internal audit to thrive for the next century by taking a broad and clear-eyed view of how the profession can cement our critical role in the organizations of the future.

— Anthony Pugliese, president & CEO, Institute of Internal Auditors

I strive to be known as a leader of an organization that helped CPA firms make the best of their business. If, after working with our team, an accounting practice has better ways of operating, communicating and profitability to share with their people and communities, we've done our job.

— Kristen Rampe, managing partner, Rosenberg Associates

That I made a positive difference in the professional lives of the partners in my client firms that were previously struggling with their firms' futures.

— Terry Putney, managing director, Whitman Transition Advisors LLC

I would like to be seen as someone who is an advocate for the profession and for the individuals in the profession. I want everyone I work with and coach to feel as if they have learned something or improved as a result. Everyone has a superpower, and I like helping people uncover what it is — whether they are a managing partner, a new staff member, an association executive director, etc. I hope they feel I offer a unique perspective and have overcome many personal and professional challenges in my career.

I hope to use these experiences in my work with others. I love to build things and feel that if you can uncover your passions and work hard to create things you love, you never grow tired of these things. I also think you can work hard and have a successful career without losing sight of the things that are most important — your family, friends, relationships, health and experiences, for example. I want people to see themselves as valuable, capable and successful. Then I want them to help others feel this way as well.

— Angie Grissom, owner, chief relationship officer, The Rainmaker Companies

Allan Koltin at the 2024 Accounting Today PE Summit

I would like my legacy to be that I was always there to help others, whether they were individuals, teams or firms; also, that I was a thought leader in the continual transformation of the accounting profession, both in terms of strategies for growth and talent, as well as strategies for client success.

— Allan Koltin, CEO, Koltin Consulting Group

I want to be remembered for integrity, authenticity and innovation. I must teach others how to use tools today, strategically plan for the future, and equip others to become the leaders and innovators of tomorrow.

— Randy Johnston, CEO and founder, EVP, NMGI and K2 Enterprises

As a perpetual early adopter and innovative thinker, I aspire to be remembered for my contributions to the "intersection of technology and accounting" (I remember when there weren't even any street signs!). My deep passion, tenacity and curiosity have led me to embrace new technologies and methodologies ahead of others, then share these observations and recommendations via my lively "Inspector Gadget" presentations. I hope these presentations have been inspirational, empowering and truly enabled attendees to "work smarter/better every day!"

— David Cieslak, EVP, chief cloud officer, RKL eSolutions LLC

I would like my professional legacy to be that I served in my career with honesty and integrity, and that I left things a little better than when I arrived.

— Richard Jones, chair, Financial Accounting Standards Board