Top Movers and Shakers of Accounting Industry 2024

Alex leads investments in Consumer and Business Services at F3. He previously led real estate and restaurant investing across all of Diameter Capital Partners' funds and spent five years at MFP Investors with a primary focus on consumer, real estate and telecom. He earned his B.A. in Economics from Yeshiva University and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Allan Koltin, CPA, CGMA, is the CEO of Koltin Consulting Group, a Chicago-based consulting firm that specializes in working with professional and financial services firms in the areas of practice growth, practice management, human capital, and mergers and acquisitions. A nationally recognized speaker and industry analyst, Allan has appeared on the CNN, WGN and Fox Television networks and....

Amy Vetter, CPA, CGMA, RYT500, CSP, and CEO of The B³ Method Institute, is a distinguished leader known for her transformative approach to integrating business strategy with personal fulfillment. With over 25 years of experience across finance, technology, and corporate leadership, Amy has consistently driven impactful change in diverse industries. Amy’s journey began in the finance sector, where....

Andrew Lassise (pronounced La-Cease) is the founder of Tech 4 Accountants, now Rightworks, an IT company specializing in small accounting firms. He is a certified instructor with the Florida Institute of CPA’s and has become a thought leader in the data security space. He is an expert on IRS cyber security publications and helped thousands of firms with....

Anton began his career in 2003 working for Smith Barney while studying business in college. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in the top 5% of his class, and was honored as the “Student Leader of the Year” by The Society of Leadership and Success. Since graduating, he has developed a diverse and valuable financial....

With over 25 years of senior marketing leadership across top CPA, consulting, and financial firms, I’ve built a career helping professionals connect strategy to measurable growth. As Founder and Strategic Marketing Advisor at Fixyr, I work with accounting, tax, and advisory firms across North America to clarify their market positioning, improve client acquisition, and implement scalable marketing systems.....

Hi, I'm April Simpkins, SHRM-CP, PHR, a dynamic HR powerhouse with 30 years of executive-level experience. As an HR industry thought leader, I've supported and empowered hundreds of small and mid-sized businesses across numerous industries. As an international speaker, I've shared my knowledge and expertise on leadership, culture, mental health in the workplace, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion....

Benjamin graduated from the University of Texas Business School with a Bachelors and Masters in Accounting. After graduating, Benjamin began his public accounting career with KPMG. He has also worked at Ryan, a leading global tax services firm, and also with PMB Helin Donovan. In addition to public accounting experience, Benjamin has worked in tax departments at Valero....

Bill has been consulting for three decades to all sizes of businesses, from Mom and Pop operations to Fortune 100 companies, primarily in the areas of strategy, leadership and change management. He decided to add the credentials of CPA behind his advisory work and became a CPA in 1986. Prior to his life as a CPA, he worked....

Bob was voted one of Accounting Today's Most Influential People. He has navigated The Visionary Group over the past 30 years to meet the changes occurring in the CPA profession. His experience is deeply rooted in identifying M&A opportunities on both the buy and sell side and he has deep knowledge and involvement in private equity for the....

Bobby Nadella is currently the CFO for X-Caliber, for a rapidly growing company in the Commercial Lending and Investment space. Bobby brings 20 years experience and has been facilitating the tremendous growth from the accounting side. Bobby is great at collaborating with all departments of the company to find solutions. His greatest skill is remaining calm in the....

Brandy Derrick is the founder of Legal Ease Bookkeeping, an award-winning firm recognized nationally as a Top 50 Bookkeeping Firm. Since 2016, she has grown her company to serve more than 150 law firms across 30 states, specializing in compliance with bar association rules and delivering accurate, efficient financial solutions. Brandy is a respected voice in the accounting....

Poe Group Advisors (PGA) was founded by Brannon Poe, CPA. Brannon has been brokering Accounting Firms for 20 years. He got his start as a CPA at Ernst and Young. In 2003 he began facilitating accounting firm sales on the East Coast of the U.S. Now, PGA has helped facilitate hundreds of transitions all over the U.S and....

I am out to change the public accounting industry as we know it. Since accounting firms came into existence, the model has been the same: bring in as much business as possible, work your staff as hard as possible and pay them only as much as you have to. Because of this, many CPAs eventually burnout and leave....

Chris was recognized as 40 under 40 in 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022, is a 2018 graduate of the AICPA Leadership Academy and is the owner of Chris Hervochon, CPA, CVA LLC. In his firm, Chris specializes in providing outsourced accounting, consulting and tax preparation services to marketing agencies and nonprofit organizations. Chris’ outsourced accounting offering is at....

I’m Chris Salem, a recognized expert in Emotional Intelligence (EQ) with over 25 years of experience helping professionals like CPAs and accounting firms lead more effectively, communicate with impact, and retain top talent. I work with firms to create psychologically safe cultures where trust, accountability, and innovation thrive, reducing burnout, strengthening client relationships, and driving profitability. As a....

Hi! My name is Daniel Pho and I am an Enrolled Agent and Owner of DMP Management, a Tax and Accounting firm, specializing in being a local presence for Taxes, Accounting, Bookkeeping, Payroll, and CFO Services. I am one to enjoy the advances that me make in technology for accounting and tax and look forward to the future.....

I am Dawn Goldberg, CPA, author of "The Smarter Accountant" and host of The Smarter Accountant Podcast. I teach accountants what they never learned in school, in any CPA exam prep course, in any accounting CPE seminar, or in any business building workshop. I teach them about their accountant brain - the most important asset they have and....

Hi I am Deb Hellman. I have had my accounting business since 2011 doing monthly work with small and medium size businesses helping them have up to date financials especially inventory e-commerce companies. I work closely with the CPA's of these businesses so that tax planning can be done. Before that I worked for many businesses in different....

Diane L. Yetter is the “Sales Tax Nerd®” as well as a strategist, advisor, speaker, and author in the field of sales and use tax. She is president of YETTER Tax, a sales tax consulting and tax technology firm. She is the founder of The Sales Tax Institute, which offers live and online courses to educate business professionals....

Donny C. Shimamoto CPA, CITP, CGMA is the managing director at Intraprise TechKnowlogies. He has been recognized as one of the Top 25 Thought Leaders in Public Accounting (US) and is a frequent speaker at AICPA conferences and CGMA webcasts. He specializes in organizational development and IT advisory services for small and mid-market businesses, nonprofits and accounting firms.

Hello, I’m Reverend Dr. Nicole B. Simpson, CFP® and I am a practitioner with over 30 years of experience in the securities industry On September 11, 2001, my life was drastically altered as a financial planner working at 2 World Trade Center on the 73rd floor. Today, I focus on assisting families on how to begin to walk....

Sean is an Associate Professor at the City University of New York – Lehman College. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, where he chairs the Accounting Working Group. Sean also serves as an Advisor to Crescent City Capital, a cryptoasset investment fund, and is also an Advisor to Hyperion, a crypto accounting....

Hi, I'm Edi! I am a Workforce Development Consultant and Career Strategist, and proud Founder of Her Career Cafe — a company thoughtfully created to protect a space for Black Women to elevate their confidence, career and compensation. My journey extends 18 years in the field of Diversity & Inclusion and Talent & Acquisitions in HR roles at....

My background in investment banking, hedge funds, and equity research served as my inspiration for my book, "The Intelligent Option Investor", published in 2014 by McGraw-Hill and for my company, Framework Investing. I also serve as an adjunct professor of strategy at Temple University’s Fox School of Business and have written a popular column on Forbes since 2014.....

A CPA, Author, Speaker, Business Advisor, and Creator of the Accountant Success Formula™. I worked in public practice for over 26 years, providing accounting, tax, and advisory services to incorporated business owners and their families. So....I understand the challenges of running an accounting practice. I discovered a business MODEL that was so effective that it allowed me to....

I am the founder of Analytics-Based Performance Management LLC. My firm provides advisory services to organizations, consulting firms, and software vendors with their challenges to get started, implement, and leverage enterprise and corporate performance management (EPM / CPM) methods such as customer profitability analysis (using ABC), analytics, rolling financial forecasts, strategy maps, and balanced scorecards (KPIs). I am....

I’m Gary Shamis, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Winding River Consulting. For decades, I’ve been dedicated to transforming the accounting profession through strategic leadership, aligned values, and a commitment to helping firm leaders reach their full potential. As an award-winning strategist, author, and mentor, I’ve had the privilege of guiding some of the industry’s most forward-thinking firms.....

Dr Jackie Meyer, a 40 under 40 honoree with CPA Practice Advisor 2018-2022, is a pioneering serial entrepreneur speaker, focusing on practical solutions that enhance tax & financial literacy, from recruitment and retention to leveraging AI in accounting firms. As the former founder of an award-winning CPA firm (2010-2022), she now leads TaxPlanIQ, a SaaS Tax Advisory Platform....

I'm Jason 👋 A former $5M firm runner, SAAS founder and AI researcher. 🤓 If you're an accountant Join my weekly email list to stay on top of small firm strategy & tech https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter 🌎 If you're a software company Join this list to learn how to fluently speak accountant, and identify new opportunities in the accounting vertical!

Jennifer Lee Wilson is co-founder and partner of ConvergenceCoaching, LLC, a national consulting firm dedicated to developing leaders and transforming teams. Jen is a nationally recognized and sought after speaker, facilitator, and coach for partners, CEOs, and emerging leaders within the accounting profession. Repeatedly recognized as a thought leader and change agent in our profession, Jen is committed....

Jessica Velazquez is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in Illinois & Nevada and Managing Partner of Indiva Advisors LLP, a full-service CPA firm for cannabis and hemp businesses. Jessica assists business owners as they navigate through unique accounting, tax, and financial industry challenges. She brings with her a wide array of experience, working with closely held businesses....

Jim Boomer is CEO of Boomer Consulting, Inc. and a trusted strategy consultant to accounting firms nationwide. Accounting Today called him a “thought leader who can help accountants create next-generation firms.” He leads many of the Boomer Circle peer groups to help members build a trusted network and the expertise to navigate opportunities and challenges. Jim is a....

Jody Padar, CPA, known as The Radical CPA, is a top influencer in accounting, recognized for advocating tech adoption and modernization. She’s the author of three books, including the upcoming "Radical Pricing." Jody writes for industry publications and currently works as a senior tax advisor at april, focusing on AI and automation in tax. Based in Door County,....

As an author, consultant, business coach, and national speaker, Joe has trained over 150,000 accounting and business professionals in areas of practice development, changing technology trends, strategic consulting, and how to maximize the use of accounting software in their practices. Joe founded Woodard Events, LLC (aka Woodard® ) a training and resource organization for accounting professionals that provides....

Hi, I am Jordan Hayes, Partner, Senior Accountant, and Operations Manager as Associates In Accounting, CPA. I have worked for the last 10 years to create systems to improve our internal efficiency and team communication. For the last 6 years, I have had the pleasure of leading our team across three different countries. Through the implementation of internal....

Julie Smith, MBA, is a serial entrepreneur in the public accounting space. She is the Founder of EmpowerCPA™, Founder of PureTax, LLC, COO for Harper & Company CPAs Plus, and Co-host of the Empowering Entrepreneurs podcast. Named CPA.com's 2021 Innovative Practitioner of Year, Julie led Harper & Company's transition to an advisory-focused firm, doubling revenue and profit in....

Hi I am Larry Swedroe, with 50+ years of experience in managing all kinds of financial risks, and with 30 years of experience as head of financial and economic research at one of the largest RIAs in the country. I am also the author of 18 books on investing, and I write for Morningstar, Financial Advisor, Wealth Management,....

Hi, I am Melissa Rhodes - a CPA with over 19 years of experience. I started my firm because I’ve always been passionate about helping people. Numbers just make sense to me, so I knew that accounting would be the perfect fulfilling career. Now, I get to serve other business owners by finding the best tax strategies and....

Mike is a CPA with over 15 years of experience working with Top 20 and Big 4 firms and industry-leading Fortune 500 companies like Walmart Inc. and Google. He’s an outspoken ambassador of the accounting profession who’s worked across the East Coast, West Coast and Mid-West. Mike pushes the boundaries of what it means to be a CPA.....

Randy Crabtree, CPA, is co-founder of Tri-Merit Specialty Tax Professionals, host of The Unique CPA podcast, and creator of the Bridging the Gap Conference. Recognized as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting By Accounting Today in 2023, 2024 & 2025 and a Top Influencer and Thought Leader by MYCPE One in 2024. He’s a....

Randy Dean, The E-mail Sanity Expert®, is a professional speaker and expert on time & e-mail management and the related use of technology. For 30 years, Randy has been leading programs for major corporate, university, association, and governmental audiences. Obsessed with time management and personal productivity, he left a successful career as a university administrator, professional marketer, and....

I am a speaker, writer and facilitator for the accounting profession, working with leaders to improve their ability to grow, develop and inspire teams. I get excited about people AND numbers through topics like flexible work programs, innovative recruiting strategies, mentoring and career manager techniques, and firm economics. My favorite work is coaching individuals in our Individual Coaching....

Rob Nixon empowers accountants to achieve peak performance through innovative training, consulting, and coaching, helping firms increase profits and efficiency. He believes that: Accountants are the No. 1 in numbers – not a piece of software. Accountants can and need to be the trusted advisor. Accountants can help their clients build amazing businesses. Accountants need to help their....

Meet Robin Thieme, Anticipatory Financial Strategist and Virtual CFO Robin Thieme is the Founder, CEO, and CAO (Chief Anticipation Officer) of KBS CFO, LLC. Robin is a seasoned expert with a passion for seeing around corners and leveraging new technologies to drive business growth. Together with the dynamic team at KBS, she provides strategic guidance and innovative system-based....

Samantha Mansfield is an experienced mentor and coach, supporting CAS practice leaders, up-and-coming managers, senior managers, newer partners, and managing parters in their quest to be inspiring, difference-making leaders. Samantha combines her real-world technology and accounting profession background with her ability to transfer knowledge and motivate change. She has a smiling and encouraging influence on many leaders in....

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. You’ve probably heard this expression before, but I find it especially true in the CPA profession. With firms growing faster than ever, it is important to have not only a great pool of talent but also a strong plan to guide individuals and create a collaborative, energized team.....

Scott Reams began his career in 1997 with the big 4 in the audit and assurance practice in San Francisco, California and has worked on clients in various industries, including construction, manufacturing, oil and gas, mining, non-profit, real estate and restaurant franchising. Scott’s experience includes national and international SEC public companies, private companies, companies considering going public and....

Terrell A Turner, CPA is a 2x 40 under 40 CPA, and 2x Top 20 Global Finance Influencer. In 2020 he founded the TLTurner Group which gained recognition from the New York Times and NYC Times Square big screen features for the amazing bookkeeping and fractional CFO work that they provide for law firms. As the CEO and....

Tom is one of the most influential leaders in the Accounting Profession. In 2019 he was named the Second Most Influential Person in Accounting for the seventh year by Accounting Today Magazine (His 15th year on the Top 100). He was one of the first five thought leaders inducted into the Accounting Hall of Fame (2015) by CPA....

William J. Rothwell, Ph.D., SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CPLP Fellow is a Professor of Learning and Performance in the Workforce Education and Development program, Department of Learning and Performance Systems, at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park campus. He is also President of his own consulting firms—Rothwell & Associates, Inc. and Rothwell & Associates, LLC. At Penn State University he....

Hi, I’m Zach Gordon, a seasoned CPA with over fifteen years of experience, specializing as a fractional CFO, strategic advisor, and technical accounting expert for various industries including crypto, cannabis, and tech. I focus on tax planning, financial modeling, business structuring, and transaction support, with additional expertise in real estate, healthcare, nonprofit, fintech, media, and consumer goods. Formerly....