Journal of Accountancy Podcast

Mark Beasley, CPA, Ph.D., director of the ERM Initiative at North Carolina State University, joined the Journal of Accountancy podcast to discuss the results of an annual survey and report published in collaboration with the AICPA and CIMA.

The main news from the survey, now in its 17th year: Risks continue to grow in magnitude and complexity, but organizations' risk management response isn't always keeping pace.

Organizations have awareness of risks, but many struggle to connect enterprise risk management (ERM) with strategy and decision-making. This episode explores what's holding risk management back, why scenario planning matters, and how better risk intelligence can become a strategic advantage.

Resource link: The State of Risk Oversight report

What you'll learn from this episode:

• The job roles of survey respondents, whose answers form the basis of the annual report.
• Why many organizations still struggle to connect ERM to strategy and decision-making.
• How geopolitical uncertainty, AI, and the accelerating pace of change are complicating the risk environment.
• The "surprise factor" to Beasley related to the survey results.
• His opinion on what keeps organizations from adopting more robust approaches such as scenario planning.
• How risk intelligence can help leaders anticipate emerging threats and create strategic advantage.

With CFO responsibilities continuing to expand beyond finance, Janice Stucke, CPA, discussed the challenge of leading in areas where expertise and certainty aren't guaranteed. Stucke, speaking at the Future of Finance Summit in National Harbor, Md., shared her perspective on acknowledging weaknesses, balancing data with judgment, and learning to listen before jumping to solutions.

She recently wrote a JofA article on the changing remit of the CFO. And, in a previous podcast appearance, alluded to in this conversation, Stucke recounted the resilience lessons learned from competing in difficult endurance events.

What you'll learn from this episode:

• Why CFOs have to become comfortable with leading beyond their expertise.
• Why making a data-backed decision might not always be the best path.
• What authenticity as a leadership trait means to Stucke.
• Her answer to the question, "Do you want to be a CEO?"
• What Stucke means when she talks about having "1% more."
• The career paths Stucke sees opening up for those in finance leadership.

A Baltimore-based economist joined the Journal of Accountancy podcast to discuss interest rates, labor market trends, artificial intelligence, and other forces shaping the U.S. economy. Anirban Basu, Ph.D., scheduled to speak at both the National Tax Conference in November and the Construction & Real Estate Conference in December, explains why the economic outlook is more nuanced than many headlines suggest and what business leaders should be watching in the months ahead.

What you'll learn from this episode:

• Why interest rates remain one of the biggest economic storylines, according to Basu.
• How AI is affecting jobs, productivity, and professional services.
• What labor market data say about layoffs and employment.
• Why simple narratives often miss the complexity of the U.S. economy.
• How Basu prepares to connect with conference audiences.
• The meaning behind his phrase "play like a Raven."

Finance leaders can become consumed by today's challenges, but long-term thinking is essential to staying competitive and relevant.

In this episode of the Journal of Accountancy podcast, hear from former AICPA chair Okorie Ramsey, CPA, CGMA, on how the Rise2040 initiative identifies key forces shaping the profession, why embracing change is critical, and how trust can remain a powerful advantage for CPAs.

Ramsey, speaking from the Future of Finance Summit in National Harbor, Md., also discussed the purpose of the AICPA Foundation and why he enjoys being part of the Future of Finance Leadership Advisory Group.

What you'll learn from this episode:

• A framing of the Rise2040 initiative and how it can help finance leaders think beyond this week's task list.
• Ramsey's comment on Rise2040 including the statement from accountants that "our biggest threat is us."
• Why embracing change is a critical skill for the profession.
• The reason trust is particularly important now in Ramsey's mind.
• His focus areas as vice president of the AICPA Foundation.

Tiffany Willis, a former Starbucks finance executive, spoke recently at the Future of Finance Summit, presenting real and challenging boardroom scenarios for the audience.

In a podcast interview, she expanded on those ideas, sharing practical advice for handling high-pressure moments, communicating with executives, and presenting financial insights effectively.

Willis explained why preparation, audience awareness, and composure are critical skills. She also discussed the leadership lessons behind her book, Own Your Narrative, and the importance of authenticity in building successful teams.

What you'll learn from this episode:

• Why the "meeting before the meeting" can minimize surprises in the boardroom.
• How to tailor financial insights and data presentations for different audiences.
• Ways to maintain composure and credibility when your work is challenged.
• How finance leaders can bridge gaps between organizational goals and financial realities.
• Her emphasis on authenticity.
• Why Willis said she's "still developing" as a leader.

Employers continue to face headwinds when it comes to landing and retaining accounting and finance talent — with AI, demographic shifts, and evolving skills needs reshaping the hiring landscape.

This episode, a conversation with Robert Half executive Steve Saah, explores what leaders can do to attract and keep professionals, prepare future managers, and build teams equipped for the future of finance.

Saah — speaking at the Future of Finance Summit in National Harbor, Md. — also explains one of the ways that artificial intelligence is slowing down the hiring process, comments on insights from the Rise2040 initiative, and notes the role that workplace flexibility plays in the pursuit of talent.

What you'll learn from this episode:

• Why accounting and finance talent remains in short supply.
• The estimated number of Baby Boomers retiring each day.
• How AI-generated résumés are changing the hiring process.
• Some of the ways leaders can balance staffing needs and employee burnout.
• The skills that professionals need to stay marketable in an AI-driven future.
• Best practices for succession planning and leadership development.

Melissa Furman, a leadership coach and consultant, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address Oct. 19 at the AICPA Governmental and Not-for-Profit Conference in Dallas. She joined the Journal of Accountancy podcast to preview her session, touching on the challenges organizations face in dealing with multiple generations in the workforce.

She explained how differences in communication and technology preferences and workplace expectations can lead to conflict but also can create learning opportunities for employers.

Furman singled out her own generation as both "the problem and the solution" and made a college football-related comparison to the generation's communication style. She also advised professionals to learn more about colleagues and direct reports instead of relying on generational stereotypes.

What you'll learn from this episode:

• Why five (or more) generations in the workforce create both challenges and opportunities.
• How communication preferences differ across generations and affect workplace relationships.
• Why Melissa Furman calls Generation X the "Heisman generation."
• What millennial and Gen Z workers want from employers when it comes to flexibility, leadership access, and technology.
• A parting thought to leaders: "Get out there" and "learn your people."

Boards need more than reports to provide effective fraud risk oversight; they need structures that help them determine whether risk management programs work.

Jonathan Marks, CPA/CFF/CITP, CGMA, CFE, the author of the most recent FVS Eye on Fraud report, explains more about how boards should be involved — and how they shouldn't — when it comes to oversight of fraud risk.

Key points of the discussion include how information that reaches the board is often "scrubbed" and why the right questions can help directors stay in the loop on fraud risk.

Editor's note: The summer FVS Eye on Fraud report is available for download at the link above. It becomes exclusive to FVS Section members after Oct. 9.

What you'll learn from this episode:

• Why effective fraud risk oversight is a structural discipline rather than a reporting exercise.
• How boards can determine whether a fraud risk management program works in practice without stepping into management's role.
• Why feedback loops are essential to ensuring that directors receive and understand the right information.
• An explanation of the Candor Chain and the ways critical information can be softened, altered, or lost before reaching the board.
• How the COSO Fraud Risk Management Guide can help boards evaluate risks, controls, and the human factors behind fraud.

Overall, those who are pessimistic about the U.S. economy outnumber those who are optimistic this quarter. But, optimism rose slightly compared with the previous quarter, according to a quarterly survey of CPA decision-makers.

In this episode of the JofA podcast, Ken Witt, CPA, CGMA, associate director–Management Accounting Research & Development for the AICPA and CIMA, breaks down sentiment about the domestic economy, the global economy, and respondents' companies.

Witt also touches on top challenges and the CPA leaders' views on hiring, projected revenue growth, and spending plans for the coming 12 months.

What you'll learn from this episode:

• The increase in optimism related to the domestic and global economies.
• The decrease in own-company optimism from the previous quarter.
• The familiar obstacle for CPA decision-makers that returned to No. 1 on the list of challenges.
• Projected revenue and profit growth in the coming 12 months.
• Projected spending on IT, training, and other capital expenditures.
• A farewell to the survey's longtime guru.

Artificial intelligence is accelerating the transformation of the finance function in ways that go beyond automation of existing processes.

Gartner senior director Mallory Bulman explains how finance teams can help organizations move faster, make better decisions, and prepare for 2030 and beyond.

The conversation explores digital talent, enterprise simulations, product management techniques, and what Bulman heard from attendees at the Future of Finance Summit about contending with volatility and deciding whether to be "AI-forward" or "AI-cautious."

What you'll learn from this episode:

• The number of CFOs that Bulman speaks with each week, and the universal truths she hears in those calls.
• What an OODA loop is and why, in Bulman's words, the "observe" part of that acronym will be getting shorter.
• A key theme of a Gartner finance presentation and its tie-in with one of Bulman's sons' science classes.
• How a product management mindset and self-service tools can help finance teams effectively deliver decision-ready information.
• Bulman's takeaways from the Future of Finance Summit earlier in August.