Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA, was less than a week into his tenure as AICPA & CIMA CEO when he joined the Journal of Accountancy podcast for a two-part conversation.

In part one, published Thursday, Koziel discussed wanting to hear from members about their challenges and success stories. In part two, he talks about how accountants can work with artificial intelligence tools, why he initially was interested in pursuing work with the FBI, and the value he sees in a hybrid work environment for some firms.

Koziel has invited members to send email to [email protected] and "tell me how the Association can help you, your career, and the profession."

What you'll learn from this episode:

· The career-related questions Koziel used to ask fellow CPA firm partners.

· One aspect of Koziel's preparation to become an accountant that he would have changed.

· The key things he learned as an employee of the grocery store Wegmans.

· What he says to students considering a career in accounting.

· More on how client advisory services have "erupted" over the years.

Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA, was officially just a few days into his role as CEO of AICPA & CIMA when he took time to join the Journal of Accountancy podcast for a conversation that will be shared in two parts. Part one is below, and part two will be published in the coming days.

Koziel — named in October to succeed the now retired Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA — discussed the importance of hearing about the successes and challenges facing members, how he hopes to create communities, and more in this interview.

Koziel also invited members to send email to [email protected] and "tell me how the Association can help you, your career, and the profession."

Related links:

n The news of Koziel's hiring, succeeding Barry Melancon as CEO.

n Melancon's words about Koziel in a December podcast conversation.

n Koziel's previous JofA podcast appearance, as part of a 2022 episode when he was the CEO of Allinial Global.

What you'll learn from this episode:

· Three facts for members to know about Koziel, in his words.

· What he sees as the profession's strengths and opportunities.

· Why he calls accounting pipeline concerns "not a U.S.-only problem."

· Koziel's "listening tour" with members and his request for feedback.

· More about his ideas for creating communities within the global membership of AICPA & CIMA.

· Koziel's thoughts on the evolution of the profession.

· The important distinction between outsourcing and offshoring.

· A look ahead to part two of the conversation.

Chris Dyer, whose recent book details seven pillars of corporate culture, joined the Journal of Accountancy podcast from the Future of Finance Summit in San Diego to explain some of the ways companies can get culture right — and the ways they get it wrong.

For instance, Dyer said that a common approach of individuals and organizations, after a strengths and weaknesses assessment, is to think about the areas where their performance is mediocre.

"They want to … start with the ones they're OK with," Dyer said. "I say go after the one where you're terrible, and you fix that, and your people all of a sudden get excited."

Also, get insight, in the form of a quick-hitting sound clip to close the episode, on how high-level thinking serves a CPA who played in the NFL.

What you'll learn from this episode:

· Why Dyer got into the exploration of team and corporate culture.

· Dyer's assertion that building company culture is more science than art.

· The value of saying "yes" more often — and strategies to pull it off.

· Why he says it's not valuable for companies and individuals to focus on improving their "so-so" skills.

· A recap of the JofA Q&A with an NFL player turned CPA, just in time for the Super Bowl.

It's not even five weeks into 2025, and already there's a bevy of news affecting tax practitioners. Melanie Lauridsen, the AICPA's vice president–Tax Policy & Advocacy, joined the Journal of Accountancy podcast amid all the tumult to update listeners on several fronts.

Lauridsen discussed the latest on beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting and the Supreme Court, how IRS service might be affected by various executive orders, and what aspects of a new tax bill or bills are being followed closely by the AICPA.

One bit of related news happened Thursday, one day after recording. The Senate Finance Committee released a discussion draft, the bipartisan Taxpayer Assistance and Service Act, which includes provisions the AICPA strongly supports.

Resources:

• Melanie Lauridsen on LinkedIn
• The AICPA's BOI resource center
• JofA coverage of the IRS rescinding some job offers

What you'll learn from this episode:

• A recap of court cases related to beneficial ownership information reporting requirements.
• The potential effects of an IRS hiring freeze on tax filing season.
• The role that retirements could play in future IRS service.
• Details of the AICPA's interest in proposed Circular 230 regulations.
• Why tax legislation this year could come in pieces instead of in one bill.

On LinkedIn, the congratulatory messages poured in for Janice Stucke, CPA, after she completed an Ironman triathlon in October. Those messages all had named authors — her LinkedIn contacts.

One message, from a still unknown author, attached to her bike on race day, continues to resonate with Stucke, the CFO of CREW Network.

In an earlier podcast episode, Stucke detailed her nontraditional path to becoming a CPA and, later, a CFO. In this conversation, Stucke recaps the obstacles she faced in the race, how problem-solving skills played a role in her crossing the finish line, and why she is thankful for a group of friends she first met at the Future of Finance Summit.

What you'll learn from this episode:

· A recap of Stucke's "exhilarating" day completing the triathlon.

· The reason Stucke felt nauseous during the run segment — and strategies she tried to overcome the feeling.

· The message that inspired Stucke — one that an unknown person put on her bike.

· The meaningful support of a group of finance leaders Stucke first met at the Future of Finance Summit.

· How completing the race helps in her role as a CFO.

· What her next big goal might be and why technology implementations will be prioritized this year.

· Why Stucke enjoys being around others who set audacious goals.

Risk management, in the words of Sarah Ference, CPA, doesn't have to be overly complicated or time consuming. "It's really a mindset," said Ference, an author of the JofA's Professional Liability Spotlight column and the guest on this week's episode of the JofA podcast.

Ference shares several risk management maxims that have resonated with her – ones that are the focus of the January column, Risk Management Mantras to Add to Your Daily Practice.

In addition, Ference details the topics in some previous Professional Liabillity Spotlights:

n October: 10 Tips to Help Avoid Wire Fraud Scams.

n November: Missed Due Dates: Diligence and The Lurking Danger.

n December: How to Not Lose Sleep Over NOCLAR.

What you'll learn from this episode:

· Some of the risk management mantras that stand out to Ference.

· The difference between being friendly and objective with clients.

· The answer CPAs should give to the question "Who's your most important client?"

· Why Ference says that being a natural helper can get in the way of a firm's best interests.

· Explanation of the mantras "trust your gut" and "take the high road."

· Highlights of other recent JofA Professional Liability Spotlight columns.

What's the future of fully in-office work? What's the hiring outlook for finance and accounting roles in 2025? Steve Saah, the executive director of the finance and accounting permanent placement practice at Robert Half, tackles those and other questions in this episode of the Journal of Accountancy podcast, recorded in December in San Diego.

Saah discusses how companies have to walk a fine line when it comes to requiring in-office minimum hours or days – and how that tightrope can affect the pay they offer new employees.

The episode is the first of 2025 and the second from the Future of Finance Summit. In the first summit-focused episode, four CPA leaders looked back on what they learned and ahead to their expectations for 2025.

What you'll learn from this episode:

· Saah's assessment of the future of fully in-office work.

· The tie-in between required time in an office and recruiting new hires.

· How the amount of time agreed upon to spend in the office could affect a new hire's pay.

· Is the annual employee review a thing of the past?

· The hiring outlook for finance and accounting professionals and the in-demand skills for those roles.

Last week in San Diego, a group of 165 finance leaders convened for the fourth Future of Finance Summit. This JofA podcast episode is a compilation of takeaways from the event and a look at key areas of focus for leaders in 2025. It is the first of several Future of Finance recordings.

The speakers for this episode are:

n Tom Hood, CPA/CITP, CGMA, AICPA & CIMA's executive vice president–Business Growth & Engagement

n Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, CPA, CGMA, the CEO of KET Solutions and former AICPA chair

n Becca Shane, CPA, CGMA, the CFO of Blue Marlin Ventures

n Okorie Ramsey, CPA, CGMA, vice president–Sarbanes Oxley at Kaiser Permanente and former AICPA and Association of International Certified Professional Accountants chair

What you'll learn from this episode:

· More about Tom Hood's summation that the event "leveled up."

· The top priorities of finance leaders, based on polling last week at the Future of Finance Summit.

· Why Kimberly Ellison-Taylor says she's looking forward to "clarity" in 2025.

· Why the phrase "feed forward" and an emphasis on positivity resonated with CFO Becca Shane.

· Okorie Ramsey's focus on the talent pipeline and relevance.

· His explanation of the profession's need to "tell a better story."

It's no secret anymore: Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, is retiring as CEO of AICPA & CIMA. He was first named CEO of the AICPA nearly 30 years ago, and he leaves the now global organization with a legacy of change. His last official day is Dec. 31, and Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA, is his successor.

In this episode of the JofA podcast, recorded earlier this week at Digital CPA in Denver, Melancon explains why he's not counting down the days of his tenure, why there likely will be more recreation in his future, and why he expects he will "still wake up every day and think about the profession."

What you'll learn from this episode:

· Why Melancon hasn't been counting the days until his tenure as CEO ends.

· His "stellar" assessment of how he will transition into retirement.

· His relationship over the years with incoming CEO Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA.

· The "unsettled" nature of the world and how accountants can help.

· Why Melancon prioritized the profession and the members before thinking of the organization.

· The "humbling" messages he has received.

The potential for less regulation is one factor driving optimism among CPA decision-makers in a quarterly survey, according to Ken Witt, CPA, CGMA, AICPA & CIMA associate director–Management Accounting Research and Development.

Witt joined the JofA podcast to discuss fourth-quarter results of the Business and Industry Economic Outlook Survey — statistics that were dramatically different from the third quarter.

The executives are mostly optimistic about the domestic economy in 2025. They also have a brighter outlook as it relates to their own organizations, although that increase since the third quarter was more muted.

What you'll learn from this episode:

• A breakdown of the quarter-over-quarter change in optimism.
• What challenge returned to its familiar top spot in this quarter's survey.
• The reasons that optimists and pessimists feel the way they do, according to Witt's analysis.
• The hiring outlook for 2025.