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.