TaxPulse Podcast

🎧 Episode Description

In this episode of the Tax Pulse Podcast, Tony Santiago sits down with Wayne Hamilton, former Vice President of Indirect Tax at Walmart, to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping corporate tax departments, outsourcing models, and the future of tax talent.

As AI continues to advance, tax leaders face an important question: Could technology eventually allow companies to bring more tax work back in-house rather than relying on traditional outsourcing and co-sourcing arrangements?

Tony and Wayne explore how tax departments are adopting AI, the competition between traditional tax service providers and emerging AI-first companies, and how data quality, business complexity, and leadership expectations influence technology decisions.

They also examine how AI could reshape tax department structures by automating routine responsibilities while increasing demand for professionals with strong technical expertise, analytical capabilities, and sound judgment.

Ultimately, the conversation reinforces a critical message: the future of corporate tax will depend on investing in both technology and the people needed to use it effectively.

🔑 Key Discussion Highlights

AI Adoption in Corporate Tax: How company size, data complexity, and leadership expectations influence technology implementation.

The Future of Outsourcing and Co-Sourcing: Whether AI could allow companies to bring certain tax responsibilities back in-house.

Traditional Providers vs. AI-First Companies: Which providers may be better positioned to drive innovation and technological advancement.

Data Quality and Reliability: Why accurate data and confidence in AI-generated answers are essential.

The Importance of Human Judgment: Why experienced professionals must continue evaluating AI-generated results and underlying assumptions.

Restructuring Tax Departments: How automation could reduce routine responsibilities while increasing demand for highly skilled professionals.

Changing Tax Talent Requirements: The growing importance of technology, analytical skills, decision-making, and cross-functional collaboration.

Developing Future Tax Leaders: How tax departments can build technical knowledge and professional judgment as traditional entry-level work becomes automated.

📌 Top Quotes

On AI and Accuracy:

"Do I trust the answer, not the cost to get to the answer?" — Wayne Hamilton

On the Future of In-House Tax Functions:

"That work begins to come more internal than external." — Wayne Hamilton

On Changing Tax Talent Requirements:

"We need people who understand tech because that's going to change how we answer questions and they have to understand how we handle big data." — Wayne Hamilton

On Balancing Technology and Talent:

"We all need to bet on the technology, but invest on the individual human talent that's going to be needed to harness that technology." — Tony Santiago

✅ Key Takeaways

Reevaluate Outsourcing Strategies: Consider how advancing technology could change which tax functions are handled internally versus externally.

Prioritize Data Quality: Ensure your department has reliable, structured data to support successful AI implementation.

Maintain Human Oversight: Develop professionals who can validate AI-generated answers, challenge assumptions, and apply sound judgment.

Prepare for Organizational Change: Anticipate how automation may reshape staffing needs, departmental structures, and compensation models.

Invest in Future Tax Talent: Build technical expertise, analytical capabilities, and professional judgment through training and development.

Strengthen Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with finance and IT to support technology adoption and meet growing business expectations.

👤 About the Guest Speaker

Wayne Hamilton is the former Vice President of Indirect Tax at Walmart with extensive experience in corporate tax operations, controversy, governance, and organizational leadership.

Throughout his career, Wayne has held positions with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), General Motors, JM Family Enterprises, and Walmart, where he spent approximately 16 years in various tax leadership roles.

His experience provides valuable insights into how emerging technologies, organizational complexity, and changing business expectations are influencing corporate tax departments and the future of tax talent.

Connect with Wayne Hamilton on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-hamiltonjd

▶️ Next Steps for Listeners

• Evaluate Your AI Strategy: Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and automate routine responsibilities.
• Review Outsourcing Arrangements: Consider whether emerging technologies could support bringing certain functions back in-house.
• Develop Your Team: Invest in technical expertise, technology skills, analytical thinking, and professional judgment.
• Validate AI Results: Establish processes for reviewing AI-generated answers and challenging assumptions.
• Plan for Organizational Change: Assess how technology may influence staffing, compensation, and succession planning.

📬 Connect With Us

Follow us on LinkedIn or visit TaxTalent.com for more Tax Pulse Podcast episodes and tax leadership resources.

Follow the Tax Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Connect with our host and guest speaker on LinkedIn:

• Tony Santiago: LinkedIn Profile
• Wayne Hamilton: LinkedIn Profile

Sources

• Thomson Reuters Institute & Tax Executives Institute, 2026 Corporate Tax Department Technology Report (survey of 170 US corporate tax leaders, fielded Nov to Dec 2025). Technology maturity and proactive work stats. 
• Deloitte, AI-enabled Tax Transformation (2026). Trust and accuracy threshold stat, plus barriers related to budget, expertise, strategy, and leadership support. 
• Blue J & CPA.com, 2026 AI Tax Research Solution Outlook Report (survey of 1,000+ US tax professionals). Weekly AI research usage stats. 
• U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-26-107522, Artificial Intelligence: IRS Actions Needed to Address Skills Gaps, Information Quality, and Strategic Management (released March 24, 2026). IRS AI use case count and governance gaps. 
• Internal Revenue Manual 10.24.1, formalized February 2026, and IRS CEO Frank Bisignano's March 4, 2026 testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee. IRS audit-selection AI policy and targeting of large corporations, partnerships, high-wealth individuals, and digital assets. 
• Magesh, Surani, Dahl, Suzgun, Manning & Ho, Hallucination-Free? Assessing the Reliability of Leading AI Legal Research Tools, Journal of Empirical Legal Studies (2025). Hallucination rates for purpose-built legal AI research tools. 
• Siva, Citing the Unseen: AI Hallucinations in Tax and Legal Practice, The International Tax Journal, Vol. 53, No. 1 (Jan 2026). Citation error count across court and administrative filings. 
• AI inference pricing trend data aggregated from Epoch AI, Stanford HAI's AI Index, and a16z's LLMflation analysis (2025 to 2026 reporting). Cost-per-token decline supports the 6- to 12-month timeline argument. 

🎧 Episode Description

In Part 2 of the Tax Pulse Podcast, Tony Santiago sits down once again with Eric Resch, former Senior Vice President and Chief Tax Officer at TE Connectivity, to discuss one of the most important—and often overlooked—components of a successful year-end tax provision: building strong relationships with the stakeholders surrounding the tax function.

Building on Part 1, Tony and Eric explore how tax leaders can identify and prioritize the people and functions that have the greatest impact on year-end execution. From the board and audit committee to the CFO, controllers, treasury, legal, HR, business leaders, external auditors, outside counsel, and service providers, each stakeholder requires a different relationship, communication style, and cadence.  

Eric explains why these relationships cannot be built only when a problem arises. Tax leaders need to establish regular communication, understand what matters to each stakeholder, listen to their concerns, and create transparency around risks before year-end. When relationships have already broken down, Tony and Eric discuss the importance of identifying what went wrong, taking ownership where appropriate, and rebuilding trust over time rather than looking for a quick fix.  

Ultimately, the conversation reinforces a broader lesson for tax leaders: technical expertise alone is not enough. Strong tax organizations depend on relationships, communication, transparency, and the ability to build trust across the business throughout the entire year.  

🔑 Key Discussion Highlights

Identifying Your Stakeholder Network: Understanding the internal and external groups that can directly impact the tax department and year-end reporting process.

Prioritizing Relationships: Assessing which stakeholder relationships are strong, which need to be developed, and which require immediate repair. 

Creating a Communication Cadence: Establishing regular conversations instead of waiting until a major tax issue or year-end deadline creates urgency. 

Practicing Transparency: Sharing important risks early so key stakeholders understand potential issues and are not blindsided during the year-end process. 

Repairing Relationships When Things Go Wrong: Looking honestly at what caused a relationship or process to break down, taking ownership, and rebuilding trust without pointing fingers. 

Communicating With the Board and Audit Committee: Helping leadership understand the tax department’s structure, risks, opportunities, and potential year-end issues before they become surprises. 

Understanding New Leadership: Learning how incoming CFOs, CEOs, board members, and other executives have historically viewed and interacted with corporate tax. 

Building Business Partnerships: Listening to business leaders, understanding their challenges, and identifying where tax can provide meaningful support. 

Strengthening External Relationships: Developing trust with external auditors, outside counsel, outsourcing partners, and other specialized providers before difficult issues arise. 

📌 Top Quotes

• On Building Trust Throughout the Year:
“Work throughout the whole year to build that relationship, communication, trust.” — Eric Resch 

• On Repairing Relationships:
“The idea is not to point fingers.” — Eric Resch 

• On Continuous Improvement:
“Look at this whole process as a process of continuous improvement.” — Eric Resch 

• On the Importance of Relationships in Tax:
“Tax is not a technical field only. It is a relationship business.” — Tony Santiago 

✅ Key Takeaways

Know Your Stakeholders: Identify the people and functions that have the greatest influence on your tax department and year-end reporting process.

Prioritize the Relationships That Need Attention: Separate stakeholders into those where relationships need to be created, those that are working well and should be reinforced, and those where something has gone wrong and needs to be repaired. 

Build Relationships Before You Need Them: Do not wait for a difficult transaction, audit issue, or year-end problem before establishing communication.

Listen Before You Speak: Understand what matters to each stakeholder and what challenges they are facing before determining how tax can support them. 

Communicate Risks Early: Transparency gives stakeholders time to understand and prepare for important tax issues instead of being surprised at year-end.

Take Ownership When Something Goes Wrong: Evaluate what happened honestly, avoid finger-pointing, and work collaboratively to improve the relationship. 

Involve the Entire Tax Team: Relationship-building should not fall solely on the Head of Tax. Developing communication skills across the team is an important part of preparing future tax leaders. 

Treat Relationship Management as an Ongoing Process: Establish goals, communication cadences, accountability, and regular assessments to continuously improve. 

👤 About the Guest Speaker

Eric Resch is the former Senior Vice President and Chief Tax Officer at TE Connectivity with more than 45 years of experience in tax, including approximately 40 years working with tax accounting and the tax provision process.

Throughout his career, Eric held roles at JPMorgan, PwC, United Technologies, Tyco International, and TE Connectivity. At TE Connectivity, he helped build the tax department as the company transitioned into a public company and worked through the processes and controls necessary to address a material weakness inherited from the Tyco separation.  

His experience provides a practical perspective on tax accounting and reporting, organizational leadership, stakeholder management, risk management, and building the relationships necessary to support a successful year-end process.

▶️ Next Steps for Listeners

Identify the internal and external stakeholders that have the greatest impact on your tax organization.

Evaluate which relationships are strong, which need additional attention, and which may need to be repaired.

Establish a regular communication cadence with your highest-priority stakeholders.

Discuss significant tax risks early so leadership and other stakeholders are not surprised during the year-end process.

When a relationship has broken down, assess what went wrong, take ownership where appropriate, and begin rebuilding trust.

Include your tax leadership team in stakeholder conversations so they can develop their own communication and relationship-building skills.

Conduct an annual assessment of your stakeholder relationships and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

📬 Connect With Us

Follow us on LinkedIn or visit TaxTalent.com for more Tax Pulse Podcast episodes and tax leadership resources.

Follow the Tax Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Connect with Tony Santiago and Eric Resch on LinkedIn.

🎧 Episode Description

In this episode of the Tax Pulse Podcast, Tony Santiago sits down with Eric Resch, former Senior Vice President and Chief Tax Officer at TE Connectivity, to discuss how tax leaders can prepare their departments for a successful year-end tax provision and reporting cycle.

Drawing on 45 years of tax experience across JPMorgan, PwC, United Technologies, Tyco International, and TE Connectivity, Eric explains why year-end preparation should begin immediately after the prior year closes. He shares practical strategies for assessing staffing risks, strengthening processes and technology, improving data quality, and coordinating with stakeholders throughout tax, finance, the business, and external audit teams.

The discussion emphasizes that improving people, processes, and systems is not enough on its own. Successful year-end execution requires structured communication that strengthens relationships, creates transparency, and ultimately builds trust across the organization.

🔑 Key Discussion Highlights

Planning Beyond Year-End: Why preparation should begin immediately after the prior year closes rather than waiting until the fourth quarter.

Assessing Staffing Risks: Evaluating whether the department has the right people in the right roles and addressing critical talent gaps early.

Hiring Before the Market Tightens: Why key tax accounting and reporting positions may require six months or longer to fill successfully.

Strengthening Stakeholder Coordination: Building productive relationships with controllers, treasury, internal audit, business leaders, the CFO, and the audit committee.

Creating Business Partnerships: Assigning tax professionals to specific business units and establishing a consistent communication cadence.

Developing Future Leaders: Using HR resources, management training, surveys, and employee feedback to prepare strong individual contributors for leadership roles.

Building Trust Through Structure: How consistent communication, accountability, transparency, and follow-up create stronger relationships across the organization.

📌 Top Quotes

• Start Planning Immediately:
 “You need to start immediately.” — Eric Resch

• Hire for More Than Technical Ability:
 “We were looking at them in three ways: can do, will do, and fit into the organization.” — Eric Resch

• Trust Takes Time:
 “It takes time. You have to build trust. That doesn’t just happen overnight.” — Eric Resch

• Transparency Is Essential:
 “Transparency is, again, critical.” — Eric Resch

✅ Key Takeaways

Start Early: Begin evaluating the next year-end cycle as soon as the previous one closes.

Assess the Entire Department: Review staffing, skills, processes, technology, data quality, and stakeholder coordination.

Address Talent Gaps Quickly: Critical tax accounting and reporting roles can take six months or longer to fill.

Create Structured Communication: Establish regular meetings, clear responsibilities, measurable goals, and consistent follow-up.

Develop Business Relationships: Help business leaders understand tax’s value and give them a dedicated tax contact.

Prepare New Managers: Technical expertise does not automatically translate into strong leadership; new managers need training and support.

Build Trust Across the Organization: Strong year-end execution depends on transparent relationships within tax and with finance, business leaders, executives, and external auditors.

👤 About the Guest Speaker

Eric Resch is the former Senior Vice President and Chief Tax Officer at TE Connectivity. Across a 45-year career in tax, Eric spent approximately 40 years involved in the tax provision process and held leadership roles at JPMorgan, PwC, United Technologies, Tyco International, and TE Connectivity.

His experience spans global tax operations, tax accounting and reporting, organizational design, technology, talent development, stakeholder management, and building high-performing tax departments. At TE Connectivity, Eric helped build and lead the company’s global tax organization following its transition into a public company. He also led TE’s global tax planning and transfer pricing strategies, overseeing the company’s approach to managing complex international tax matters across its worldwide operations.

▶️ Next Steps for Listeners

Conduct a year-end risk assessment covering staffing, processes, technology, data, and stakeholder relationships.

Identify critical positions and begin addressing talent gaps well before the fourth quarter.

Create a calendar of important year-end activities, reviews, responsibilities, and deadlines.

Establish regular communication with controllers, finance leaders, business units, and external auditors.

Evaluate whether newly promoted managers have the training and support needed to lead effectively.

📬 Connect With Us

Follow us on LinkedIn or visit TaxTalent.com for more Tax Pulse Podcast episodes and tax leadership resources.

Follow the Tax Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Connect with Tony Santiago and Eric Resch on LinkedIn.

🎧 Episode Description 

In this episode of the Tax Pulse Podcast, Tony Santiago and Jake Tuchmann sit down with Wayne Monfries, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Tax at Visa, to discuss how today's tax leaders can successfully navigate budgetary constraints, shifting business priorities, and unexpected organizational pressures without sacrificing team performance or long-term strategic value. 

Drawing on leadership experience spanning Mars, Nike, TransUnion, and Visa, Wayne shares practical strategies for protecting teams from external pressures while maintaining high performance, developing talent, and strengthening relationships with executive leadership. From managing M&A activity and major audits to building political capital, leveraging AI, and rethinking organizational design, Wayne explains how tax leaders can transform challenging environments into opportunities for growth and innovation. 

The discussion emphasizes the importance of prioritization, transparent communication, organizational agility, and positioning tax as an enabling business partner rather than simply a compliance function. 

🔑 Key Discussion Highlights 

• Managing Uncontrollable Pressures: Strategies for handling M&A activity, audits, budget reductions, and shifting corporate priorities while protecting team morale and retention. 
• Prioritization Over Perfection: How tax leaders can reallocate resources, identify high-value work, and intentionally defer lower-priority activities. 
• Building Political Capital: Why trust with CFOs and executive leadership is essential for navigating constrained environments and influencing decisions. 
• Developing Talent Through Opportunity: Using challenging assignments as growth opportunities while balancing workloads and avoiding burnout. 
• Technology as a Strategic Lever: Leveraging AI, automation, and tax technology investments to improve efficiency and create organizational value. 
• Marketing the Tax Function: Communicating tax's value in business language that resonates with executive leadership and earns continued investment. 
• Embracing Organizational Change: Exploring shared service centers, new operating models, and innovative approaches to scaling the tax function. 

📌 Top Quotes

• Protect Your Team:
"As leaders, we need to do our best to shield them from the uncontrollable. I want to allow my team to do their best work without having to worry about some of the external pressures." — Wayne Monfries

• Political Capital Matters:
"It's a long game. The political capital is what allows you to manage these situations." — Wayne Monfries

• Tax as an Enabler:
"The tax tail does not wag the business dog." — Wayne Monfries

• Tell Your Story:
"You have to market yourself in a way that people understand the value you're bringing." — Wayne Monfries


✅ Key Takeaways
 

• Protect the Team: Leaders should absorb external pressures whenever possible so their teams can stay focused on delivering high-quality work. 
• Prioritize Relentlessly: Not every project deserves equal attention. Successful tax leaders clearly distinguish between critical priorities and work that can wait. 
• Build Executive Trust: Political capital is earned through consistent execution, transparent communication, and delivering solutions—not simply identifying problems. 
• Invest in Technology: AI, automation, and tax technology can unlock efficiencies that allow departments to accomplish more without increasing headcount. 
• Think Like a Business Partner: Position tax as an enabling function that supports organizational objectives rather than simply enforcing compliance. 
• Stay Open to Change: Shared service centers, new operating models, and evolving talent strategies provide opportunities to strengthen tax organizations for the future. 

👤 About the Guest Speaker

Wayne Monfries is the Senior Vice President and Head of Global Tax at Visa. Throughout his distinguished career, Wayne has held leadership positions at Visa, TransUnion, Nike, and Mars Incorporated, where he has led global tax organizations through periods of significant business growth, organizational transformation, and economic uncertainty. His expertise spans global tax strategy, organizational leadership, technology transformation, and building high-performing tax teams that create measurable business value.


▶️ Next Steps for Listeners
 

• Evaluate whether your team's current priorities align with your organization's most critical business objectives. 
• Look for opportunities to develop employees through strategic work assignments rather than simply increasing workloads. 
• Assess how AI, automation, and tax technology can improve efficiency within your department. 
• Build stronger relationships with executive leadership by communicating tax's impact in business terms. 
• Stay open to new operating models, organizational structures, and talent strategies that can help your department remain agile. 

📬 Connect With Us
 

• Follow us on LinkedIn or visit TaxTalent.com  for more Tax Pulse Podcast episodes and tax leadership resources. 
• Follow the Tax Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 
• Connect with Tony Santiago and Wayne Monfries on LinkedIn.

🎧 Episode Description

In this episode of the Tax Pulse Podcast, Tony Santiago and Jake Tuchmann sit down with Emily Whittenburg, Vice President and Chief Tax Officer at Nike Incorporated, to discuss the evolving landscape of managing outside service providers in the tax function. Emily shares her extensive experience and insights on navigating the complexities of co-sourcing, outsourcing, and managed service models. 

The conversation delves into the challenges tax leaders face in evaluating these services, the critical importance of thorough due diligence, and strategies for effective negotiation. Emily emphasizes the need for tax leaders to clearly define their needs, involve internal stakeholders, and advocate for contractual terms that drive year-over-year efficiency and protect the company's interests, moving beyond traditional cost-saving approaches to truly strategic partnerships.

🔑 Key Discussion Highlights 

•Evolution of Service Models: Tracing the shift from basic compliance outsourcing to comprehensive managed services and co-sourcing arrangements. 

•Defining Internal Needs: The necessity for tax leaders to clearly articulate their specific requirements and objectives before engaging service providers. 

•Internal Alignment and Buy-in: Strategies for involving key internal leadership and ensuring team buy-in for new operating models with external partners. 

•Strategic Negotiation: Leveraging legal and procurement teams, establishing guiding principles, and maintaining a professional distance during contract negotiations. 

•Driving Contractual Efficiency: Implementing terms that require service providers to demonstrate year-over-year efficiency gains without sacrificing scope or quality. 

•Mindset Shift for Tax Leaders: Encouraging tax leaders to take a proactive, driver-seat approach in managing external relationships. 

📌 Top Quotes 

•Bread and Butter: "When these came onto the scene, these arrangements, everyone talked about them as outsourcing. Let's just get rid of the stuff that seems mundane and routine and repeatable so that your team can get focused on the more strategic." - Emily Whittenburg 

•Worth Weight in Gold: "That is worth its weight in gold to take the time up front. This advice is grateful and you guys are listening. Ladies and gentlemen, this is where you put your time in." - Tony Santiago 

•Guiding Principles: "I sat down, and I just took out a pen and paper and wrote down, what are the guiding principles that I want to achieve here? And I had a list of those. And I walked through those with my legal team and my procurement team and said, hey, these are the kind of the boundaries on which we should approach this so that we get out of this what we need." - Emily Whittenburg 

•Find the Quotes: "If you're going to have done these returns for me for five years, you should get faster and better every year. And so we actually came up with a way to bend the curve and require an efficiency indicator now year over year. So their fees actually get reduced year over year..." - Emily Whittenburg 

✅ Key Takeaways 

•Proactive Management: Tax leaders must take a proactive stance in defining their needs and managing relationships with outside service providers, rather than passively accepting vendor offerings. 

•Thorough Due Diligence: Beyond contractual terms, it is crucial to conduct in-depth due diligence on the actual personnel and operational models of service providers. 

•Internal Collaboration: Engaging legal, procurement, and internal tax leadership teams is vital for successful negotiation and implementation of managed service arrangements. 

•Contractual Innovation: Negotiate contracts that include provisions for year-over-year efficiency gains from service providers, ensuring continuous improvement and value. 

•Relationship over Transaction: While contracts set parameters, fostering strong working relationships with service providers is key to long-term success. 

👤 About the Guest Speaker 

Emily Whittenburg is the Vice President and Chief Tax Officer at Nike Incorporated. With 28 years of experience in the tax business, Emily has a diverse background that includes public accounting firms (Arthur Andersen, EY), a law firm specializing in M&A and corporate real estate, and 18 years in-house at companies like Waste Management, Shell Oil, and, for the last six years, Nike. Her expertise lies in effectively managing external service providers and driving strategic value within tax functions. 

▶️ Next Steps for Listeners 

•Assess Your Needs: Clearly define what your tax department needs from external service providers before engaging in discussions. 

•Involve Your Team: Bring in key internal stakeholders, including legal and procurement, to collaborate on service provider evaluations and negotiations. 

•Question Everything: Don't hesitate to ask detailed questions about personnel, processes, and expected efficiencies from potential partners. 

•Negotiate for Value: Advocate for contractual terms that ensure continuous improvement and cost-effectiveness from your service providers. 

•Build Relationships: Focus on fostering strong, collaborative relationships with your chosen external partners. 

📬 Connect With Us 

•Follow us on LinkedIn or Visit TaxTalent.com 

•Connect with Tony Santiago and Emily Whittenburg on LinkedIn. 

🎧 Episode Description 

In this episode of the Tax Pulse Podcast, Tony Santiago sits down with global tax executive Lionel Nobre to explore one of the most urgent challenges facing the profession today: how to properly train and develop tax professionals in an era shaped by AI, automation, and rising global complexity. 

Lionel shares why the common narrative that “AI will replace tax professionals” misses the bigger picture. While technology may automate calculations, the true value of in-house tax teams lies in judgment, business partnership, cultural intelligence, and leadership. 

Drawing on his experience building global development programs at Dell Technologies, Lionel explains how structured rotations, mentorship, and blended technical and human-skills training can transform tax departments from compliance centers into strategic business partners. He also addresses the shrinking talent pipeline, reduced training in public accounting, and why organizations—especially those without large tax teams—must rethink how they develop future leaders, highlighting his work with the Tax Leadership Academy at Tax Executives Institute to create scalable leadership solutions for mid-sized tax departments. 

🔑 Key Discussion Highlights 

• AI Myth Busting: Why automation handles calculations—but not judgment, strategy, or leadership
 • The 80/20 Shift: How technology changes the nature of tax work without eliminating it
 • Technical Skill Erosion: The impact of offshoring and reduced Big Four training models
 • Global Rotation Programs: Building in-house development models that mirror public accounting exposure
 • Cultural Intelligence: Why cross-border communication and change management are now core tax skills
 • Scalable Leadership Training: How the Tax Leadership Academy supports smaller tax departments 

📌 Top Quotes 

“AI may do 80% of the calculation—but it can’t replace judgment.” – Lionel Nobre 

“Tax has never been more complex, and that means leadership has never been more important.” – Tony Santiago 

“We love change in the tax code—but we don’t always love changing ourselves.” – Lionel Nobre 

✅ Key Takeaways 

• Automation will elevate tax roles—not eliminate them—by shifting focus to higher-value work
 • Technical training gaps are widening, making structured development programs essential
 • Cultural awareness and change management are critical skills for global tax teams
 • Smaller tax departments must leverage centralized programs to compete for talent

👤 About the Guest Speaker 

Lionel Nobre is a global in-house tax executive at Dell Technologies with more than two decades of international experience across Latin America and the United States. An attorney by background and longtime educator, he has published extensively in international tax and transfer pricing and is a leading advocate for modern tax leadership development through his work with the Tax Executives Institute. 

Lionel Nobre Contact Information 

TEI Website

ITMP Website

▶️ Next Steps for Listeners 

• Evaluate whether your tax team has a structured development roadmap
 • Invest in mentorship and rotational exposure—regardless of department size
 • Balance technical depth with leadership and communication training
 • Reframe AI as a tool for elevation—not replacement 

📬 Connect With Us 

• Follow us on LinkedIn or Visit TaxTalent.com 

Guest Speaker: Tim McDonald, Former VP of Global Taxes, Procter & Gamble

Duration: 26 minutes

 Release Date: November 5th, 2025

🎧 Episode Description

In this episode of the Exposed Podcast, host Tony Santiago sits down with Tim McDonald, retired VP of Global Taxes at Procter & Gamble, for a timely fireside chat on one of the most rapidly developing trends in the profession — the rise of private equity acquisitions in public accounting firms.

Tim brings decades of experience managing global tax operations and shares a unique insider’s view of how productivity pressures, outsourcing models, and talent dynamics are converging under private equity ownership. Together, Tony and Tim unpack what this means for corporate in-house tax leaders, especially those leveraging co-sourcing, shared service centers, or outsourcing arrangements.

The discussion goes beyond theory — highlighting contract considerations, talent retention risks, and the ripple effects of offshoring and labor arbitrage as private equity reshapes the accounting landscape.

🔑 Key Discussion Highlights

• Productivity Pressure: How PE’s drive for scale and efficiency mirrors internal productivity initiatives in corporate tax.
• Contract Readiness: Why in-house leaders must revisit co-sourcing and outsourcing agreements for change-of-control clauses.
• Shared Service Vulnerability: How private equity firms may poach skilled talent from shared service centers as they expand offshore.
• Plan B Preparedness: Why companies must develop contingency plans if key external providers become PE-owned or cost-prohibitive.
• Training & Succession: The long-term risk of losing data fluency and mentorship opportunities as more tax work is outsourced.
• Talent Competition: How shifting business models could create a labor crunch and spawn a “next generation” of boutique CPA firms.

📌 Top Quotes

• “Productivity is a double-edged sword. You either own it—or it’s imposed on you.” – Tim McDonald
•  “When private equity steps in, you need to make sure your agreements let you step out.” – Tony Santiago
•  “Outsourcing can save money, but if you lose control of your data and your people, you lose leverage.” – Tim McDonald

✅ Key Takeaways

• Reassess your outsourcing and co-sourcing contracts for ownership and continuity protections.
• Protect shared service talent through stronger engagement, visibility, and training.
• Start succession planning early to preserve institutional knowledge as automation and offshoring expand.

👤 About the Guest Speaker

Tim McDonald is the former VP of Global Taxes at Procter & Gamble, where he led a global team across 30+ countries for nearly two decades. With prior leadership roles at Baxter International and in public accounting, Tim brings deep experience in tax strategy, transformation, and operational execution across complex, multinational environments.

▶️ Next Steps for Listeners

• Review your firm’s outsourcing agreements for potential private equity exposure.
• Begin mapping contingency plans for key tax functions.
• Stay tuned for future Exposed episodes exploring how private equity is reshaping the professional services landscape.

 📖 TaxNotes Article on Private Equity 

• For access to the TaxNotes article, click here ➜  https://bit.ly/3TQPjkU 

📬 Connect With Us

• Follow us on LinkedIn 
• Visit TaxTalent.com

Guest Speakers:

• Jed Larkin, SVP, Head of Tax, Moderna
• Doug Cronin, VP of Corporate Tax, Boston Scientific

Duration: 30 minutes

Release Date: July 17th, 2025

🎧 Episode Description

In this episode of the Exposed Podcast, Tony Santiago moderates a dynamic conversation with two tax leaders navigating large-scale transformation at two very different organizations: Jed Larkin of Moderna and Doug Cronin of Boston Scientific.

They dive into the evolving role of technology in tax, from process automation and data flow optimization to the practical limits of AI. Drawing from real-world implementation experiences, Jed and Doug shed light on the gaps between industry hype and operational reality, and what it takes to modernize a tax department.

The episode also explores the growing concern around training the next generation of tax professionals as automation accelerates, and what leaders must do now to avoid knowledge gaps in the future.

🔑 Key Discussion Highlights

• Reality vs. Hype: What tax tech can really do today—and where it still falls short
• Process First, Then Tech: Why understanding internal processes is the foundation for successful transformation
• Data Complexity: The unique challenges of integrating clean, actionable data across ERPs and systems
• AI & Indirect Tax: How both companies are using AI to validate VAT and withholding transactions
• Future-Proofing Talent: The risk of losing institutional knowledge as automation replaces manual tasks

📌 Top Quotes

"You can't automate a bad process—fix the foundation first." – Jed Larkin
"AI is powerful, but it won’t replace judgment. We still need tax professionals who understand the 'why.'" – Doug Cronin
"Governments will soon tell you what you owe. Are we ready for that?" – Tony Santiago

✅ Key Takeaways

• Optimizing tax technology starts with mapping and modernizing core processes
• AI and automation are best applied in repeatable, high-volume areas like indirect tax
• Training the next generation must evolve to ensure expertise doesn’t disappear with retiring talent
• Companies must balance innovation with controls, visibility, and adaptability

👤 About the Guest Speakers

Jed Larkin is SVP and Head of Tax at Moderna, where he brings a forward-thinking approach to tax technology, data integration, and strategic planning. His background includes senior leadership at 3M and a focus on scaling global operations.

Doug Cronin serves as VP of Corporate Tax at Boston Scientific and brings over two decades of experience in driving transformation, automation, and compliance across a highly regulated, rapidly growing business environment.

▶️ Next Steps for Listeners

• Audit your current tax processes—before applying new tech
• Start small with automation—target high-volume, repeatable work
• Begin building a knowledge-transfer plan for your team’s future

📬 Connect With Us

• Follow us on LinkedIn
• Visit TaxTalent.com

Guest: Heath Mitts

 Title: Chief Financial Officer, TE Connectivity

 Duration: 31 minutes

 Release Date: May 28th 

Episode Description

In this insightful episode of the Exposed Podcast, Tony Santiago sits down with Heath Mitts, CFO of TE Connectivity, to explore the evolving relationship between the CFO and the tax function. Heath shares his perspective on how CFOs are navigating today’s complex global tax environment, the expectations they have of tax leaders, and the key traits he values in a Chief Tax Officer.

The conversation also touches on strategies for balancing aggressive tax planning with risk mitigation, the challenges of maintaining compliance in a shifting regulatory landscape, and what CFOs should consider when hiring or promoting their first tax leader.

Key Discussion Highlights

🔹 The CFO-Tax Leader Dynamic: Heath discusses the critical role tax leaders play in shaping business decisions and the need for consistent communication.
🔹 Anticipating Global Change: Insights on how TE Connectivity’s tax function plans ahead for regulatory shifts and manages risk in over 100 countries.
🔹 Telescope Thinking: The importance of a tax leader who can switch between granular technical detail and big-picture strategy.
🔹 Talent Development: Why building and retaining a strong, adaptable tax team is essential for long-term success.
🔹 Balancing Compliance and Planning: How CFOs can work with tax leaders to integrate risk management and proactive planning.

Top Quotes

📌 “Our tax leader is not buried in layers—they have a seat at the table.” — Heath Mitts
📌 “Scenario planning wasn’t even a thing years ago in tax, but today it’s essential.” — Heath Mitts
📌 “Telescope thinking is critical—the ability to zoom in on the technical and then quickly zoom out to communicate with the business.” — Heath Mitts

Key Takeaways

✅ The CFO and tax leader must maintain open, proactive communication to navigate today’s evolving global landscape.
 ✅ Tax functions need to integrate risk management, scenario planning, and adaptability into daily operations.
 ✅ Building a culture of development within the tax team fosters loyalty and long-term business success.
 ✅ Hiring or promoting a tax leader requires prioritizing skills and fit over chasing the elusive “unicorn” candidate.

About the Guest Speaker: Heath Mitts

Heath Mitts is the Chief Financial Officer of TE Connectivity. With over two decades of financial leadership experience across manufacturing and technology sectors, Heath brings a unique perspective on how tax functions can create value, manage complexity, and align with broader business objectives.

Next Steps for Listeners

 🔹 Evaluate your tax team’s readiness for rapid regulatory changes.
 🔹 Foster a culture of development and adaptability within your tax function.
 🔹 Stay tuned for more Exposed episodes exploring leadership, compliance, and corporate strategy.

Connect With Us

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TaxTalent.com

Episode Information

Guest: Jared Dunkin

Title: Senior Partner, Global Advisory Firm

Duration: 29 minutes

Release Date: April 3rd 

Episode Description

In this compelling episode of the Exposed podcast, Tony Santiago sits down with Jared Dunkin, VP of Tax, at a leading global advisory firm, to discuss the evolving role of leadership in a rapidly shifting business landscape. This episode delves into the key forces shaping corporate decision-making, risk management, and the growing need for agility in today’s competitive environment.

Key Discussion Highlights:

• The Leadership Evolution: Jared shares his insights on how the expectations for corporate leaders are shifting, and what executives must do to stay ahead in an era of economic uncertainty.
• Navigating Risk and Compliance: With increasing regulatory pressures, businesses are being forced to rethink how they approach compliance and governance to avoid costly missteps.
• Strategic Agility in a Volatile Market: Jared explores how organizations can build resilience and adaptability into their long-term strategies to remain competitive amid global uncertainty.

Top Quotes:

On leadership transformation: "Companies that embrace a proactive approach to leadership will outmaneuver those who remain reactive." — Jared Dunkin

On risk and compliance: "Regulatory frameworks are only getting more complex—leaders need to anticipate and prepare, rather than simply respond." — Jared Dunkin

On strategic agility: "The companies that thrive will be those that embed flexibility into their core strategy." — Jared Dunkin

Key Takeaways:

• Business leaders must be more proactive in navigating regulatory and market challenges.
• Companies that fail to incorporate adaptability into their leadership structures will struggle to compete.
• Understanding and preparing for regulatory trends is critical to maintaining compliance and avoiding financial pitfalls.

About the Guest Speaker: Jared Dunkin

Jared Dunkin is a seasoned tax executive with over two decades of experience.  Jared is Vice President, Senior Tax Counsel at FTI Consulting, a publicly traded business advisory firm. Prior to FTI, Dunkin led the global tax and treasury function at VICE Media and was the global head of tax at CEB Inc. He also served as VP of global tax planning and M&A at Discovery, worked in EY's national tax group in Washington, D.C., and was an associate at Greenberg Traurig, LLP.

Jared lives in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area with his wife and five children.

Next Steps for Listeners:

• Assess your company’s leadership readiness for the evolving business landscape.
• Implement proactive risk management strategies to stay ahead of regulatory challenges.
• Stay tuned to Exposed for more expert insights on leadership, compliance, and corporate strategy.

Jared’s New Book “The Cat’s Meow”

We have the great privilege of announcing Jared's new book, “The Cat’s Meow”! It is an old phrase for something wonderful or remarkable, which is exactly what he hopes this book will be for those who read it. It’s a collection of short musings from his journey to be better, offering insights on mindset, leadership, relationships, decision-making, and wisdom. Jared’s hope is that it sparks reflection and growth, helping you on your own journey.
 
The book is now available on Amazon, and all profits will go to charity in memory of his late mother. https://www.amazon.com/Cats-Meow-Musings-Journey-Better-ebook/dp/B0F19GWS61?ref_=ast_author_dp 

Connect With Us

LinkedIn
TaxTalent.com