“Diversity is about building bigger tables, not just filling seats.”

Accounting Influencers
with Rob Brown

As past chair of AICPA and CIMA, Okorie Ramsey represented nearly 700,000 members worldwide. But in his view, leadership isn’t about wielding power—it’s about partnership, innovation, and service to the public.

In a wide-ranging conversation on the Accounting Influencers podcast, Ramsey reflects on his tenure, the profession’s most significant challenges, and what excites him most about the future.

“It’s a huge role,” Ramsey says, “but it’s also a wonderful opportunity."

Ramsey challenges the perception of accounting as static or resistant to change. While he acknowledges that legacy systems and outdated incentive structures persist—particularly in large firms—he sees momentum building. “If organizations are not utilizing technology to advance how they do their work, they will go by the way of the dinosaur,” he warns.