AICPA elects BKD COO Eric Hansen as next chairman

The American Institute of CPA has appointed BKD CPA & Advisors CEO Eric Hansen.
The Board of Directors of AICPA elected Hansen, 56, at its autumn board meeting, and voted for the Deputy Executive Director of the Emerging Institute, Bill Reeb. They will begin their terms on February 1, 2018 and will serve until May 20, 2019.
In a speech Tuesday, Hansen described some of his priorities, which include focusing on technologies such as Blockchain, data analysis to audit and assessing cybersecurity risks as new opportunities. for CPA and its customers. "Technology is not just about data," he said. "It is about establishing connections: it is about empowering people and companies to expand their possibilities."
Hansen also wants to expand the reach of the CPA profession worldwide. AICPA recently created an International CPA Association in collaboration with the UK Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and Hansen is on the association's board of directors.
Hansen hopes to foster more learning opportunities and career skills to encourage more CPA leaders. "The future is uncertain and change is accelerating," he said. "But if we are ahead, if we have the courage to be bold and a prejudice for action, we will be ready, as Harry Truman said," progress happens when brave and skillful opportunity to change things for the better. "
As chief operating officer of BKD, one of the top 100 companies, Hansen oversees company-wide operations and serves as a liaison between BKD's national office and its four regions. Previously Associate Director of the BKD office in Oklahoma. He has been active as a member of the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants and its Board of Directors.
"Having Eric in this influential position improves our reputation and gives us a better perspective on the range of issues affecting the accounting industry," BKD CEO Ted Dickman said in a statement.
Hansen has served on the Board of Directors and the Board of Directors of AICPA. He and his wife, Jana, live in Springfield, Missouri. They have three children: Todd, Elise and Luke.
"Eric and BKD are doing a great job supporting the profession," AICPA president and CEO Barry Melancon said in a statement. "Business leaders of all sizes, as well as companies and industry members, have backed Eric and have expressed great respect for his ability to lead AICPA at a crucial time in the world of accounting."
On the other hand, the AICPA also said on Tuesday that it had developed a Q & A technical document to assist preparers and practitioners in determining whether their organization or client is a public business entity as defined by US GAAP. updated.
On Monday, he published a report on the Institute's progress in improving the quality of auditing. The publication describes some of AICPA's key achievements in the areas of peer review, audit documentation, single audits, employee benefit plan audits, and quality control. It also discusses some of the changing needs for talent, including the sections of the CPA's uniform review and assessment ratings.

MBA Careers: CIMA Leads The Way For Women In Accounting

Women accounted for more than 50% of accounting graduates entering the profession, but - according to the American Institute of Chartered Accountants (AICPA) - they account for only 19% of accounting firms in the United States.

CIMA - The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants is the largest professional professional accounting management firm, globally supporting 150,000 Chartered Global Management Accountants (CGMA). It adopts measures to address the gender divide in leadership and to promote women in accounting.

Samantha Louis has worked for CIMA for 19 years. She moved from CIMA management in South Africa to the entire sub-Saharan Africa region, moving to London where she now works as CIMA's Strategic Vice President - Management Accounting.

 "I have had the opportunity to meet many inspiring women of my career who have guided, guided and helped me," he says. "Today, I see more women in managerial positions that drive and influence the profession around the world - they certainly would not have seen it when I started work."

CIMA leads by example. He had several female chairs - CIMA in South Africa had its first female president in 1989. In the UK, the CIMA Women's Accounting Group supports women at all levels of their careers.

The Business Case

 According to a McKinsey report of 2015, top quartile companies for gender diversity are 15% more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry averages.

The analysis of diversity has been carried out, and there have been changes in the accounting industry. The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) has had two women in succession.

Deloitte in the UK has promoted gender diversity in each KPI as a partner and manager. Deloitte is part of a number of companies with gender-neutral curricula, eliminating the unconscious bias between the sexes in the selection of candidates.

Samantha is positive: "You're going to do what drives your business in a sustainable way over the long term, and I think the deal has been made that diversity at all levels of leadership does it."

CIMA and the MBA

 Samantha attended her MBA at the University of Pretoria in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is also a General Accountant in Management (CGMA), having studied the CIMA qualification through the CIMA Master Door, a fast track for MBA holders that exempts them from 11 exams.

CIMA's rating goes beyond traditional accounting programs, encompassing technical accounting techniques as well as modern management-oriented topics such as large data, sustainability and leadership.

CIMA students are evaluated through task-oriented case studies that reflect the current work environment. The qualification allowed Samantha to make about 18 months.

"Once I started growing in a leadership role, it was clear to me that I needed to have a better understanding of finances," he says.

"How does money really work in an organization?" What is the financial impact of the decisions you make? How are resources allocated most effectively? The CIMA qualification answers these questions.

"MBAs are often quite broad and do not take all the subjects in depth," continues Samantha. "If you aspire to work at the board or senior management level, CIMA is a very good qualification to do in addition to your MBA."

The future

 Bryony Stewart is a management consultant with a leading global financial services company. He completed his CIMA in 2003 and decided to take a part-time MBA at Strathclyde Business School a year later.

She knows that women face challenges in leadership roles in accounting and finance. For Bryony, key issues include women's family and care responsibilities and the lack of women's models and mentors in some organizations. However, she is optimistic about the future.

"Progress is being made as they increase awareness, support and commitment to address the gender imbalance in the first rank. Some companies are also beginning to define the board's goals in terms of gender diversity," she says.

"It is not only a desire to improve equality statistics, but also to capitalize on financial performance amel