The top people in public accounting — 2022

November 29, 2022 11:00 AM

As part of our annual Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting list, Accounting Today asks candidates to name who they think are the most influential people in the field, and here they are, ranked by the number of votes they received from the 127 candidates.

The top 12 are listed below, and you can see Accounting Today's full list of the Top 100 here.

No. 12: Emmanuel Faber

Since his installation as the inaugural chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board, Faber has become one of the most prominent advocates for the role sustainability information plays in global markets and investment decisions as he leads the ISSB in pushing through numerous standards in this previously uncharted territory, which merited appreciation from his fellow Top 100 candidates.

No. 10: Charles Rettig (tie)

IRS commissioner nominee Charles Rettig at Senate confirmation hearing

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

While Rettig's term as IRS chief recently came to an end, his efforts to reform the agency and guide it through years of turbulence made a large impact on the profession, and its leaders, over the last year.

No. 10: Sue Coffey (tie)

SUEBARR

As she continues to lead the charge on the AICPA and CPA.com's game-changing Dynamic Audit Solution (along with fellow top vote-getter Erik Asgeirsson), Coffey was also noted not just for her current influence but her lasting impact as she works to improve the profession's pipeline with initiatives like the CPA Evolution project.

No. 8: Erica Williams (tie)

PCAOB

Since taking the helm at the PCAOB, Williams has wasted no time in working to make improvements, update standards, and emphasize enforcement in ways that will majorly influence the future of the audit.

No. 8: Ron Baker (tie)

Baker's expertise remained in high demand for his peers again this year, as the value-pricing visionary was touted for his passion, and for, as two of his fellow candidates noted, being on the "front lines in our battle against commoditization" and helping "change the way we value ourselves as accountants."

No. 7: Jennifer Wilson

Wilson was repeatedly endorsed for her expert coaching through today's complex problems, along with her ability to deliver straightforward solutions to the many talent-related challenges the profession is currently facing.

No. 6: Erik Asgeirsson

As technology's role in the profession only grows and evolves, the CPA.com head was oft-mentioned as a crucial voice for accountants to modernize their practices, processes and service lines — including advisory services, for which he has been a longtime advocate and educator.

No. 5: Gary Gensler

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

The SEC chair was widely mentioned for presiding over the agency's ambitious agenda and his guidance over a host of financial issues — along with a number of nonfinancial concerns as burgeoning areas like ESG require new standards and reporting.

No. 4: Kimberly Ellison-Taylor

Kimberly Ellison-Taylor remained a power player among her Top 100 peers, with words like "passionate," "trailblazer" and "joyful advocate" used to describe the accounting ambassador who enthusiastically advocates for the profession while recognizing — and pushing for — necessary changes within it.

No. 3: Allan Koltin

The prolific M&A facilitator remained popular among his peers this year, even moving up a few spots to claim the No. 3 position, for his tireless work and guidance in this, and other practice-management-related, arenas.

No. 2: Tom Hood

Retaining last year's position as the second-highest vote-getter, Hood was lauded for his ability to not only lead accountants into the future, but his role in helping shape it. As one candidate put it, "Tom is already in the future, and to our profession's benefit, is calling us to join him."

No. 1: Barry Melancon

For another consecutive year, the AICPA CEO was unsurprisingly voted the most influential figure by this year's Top 100 People candidates, with many praising his years of steady and effective stewardship of the profession — not only in spite of rapid change, but by leaning into the opportunities born of these disruptions.