The ‘robot uprising’ and you: A CPA leader’s view on harnessing AI
Journal of Accountancy Podcast
Release Date: 05/15/2025
Accelerating accounting outreach, a CPA leader’s campus return
Journal of Accountancy Podcast
This episode of the JofA podcast explores Accounting Opportunities Experience month, a growing nationwide program to inspire students to pursue accounting careers. Liz Burkhalter, the AICPA’s vice president–CPA Pipeline, shares how CPAs and volunteers are working to reach 50,000 students through classroom visits and events. She also mentioned resources that can help listeners who want to volunteer. n Specific n home page n Burkhalter’s n The Scott Spiegel, CPA/CITP, CGMA, the chief operating officer of the Association of International Certified...
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Want to stop work from consuming your life? First, learn self-awareness
Journal of Accountancy Podcast
Andrea Millar, CPA/PFS, thought she knew what really mattered. Getting good grades in school and going above and beyond at work were part of her being. But she came to the realization that work was consuming her life, at the expense of other things she cared about. Millar wrote about that experience, and some of the changes she made to create a more fulfilling life, in . She also joined the JofA podcast to discuss the topic. What you’ll learn from this episode: An explanation of how work can “unconsciously” take over our lives. Understanding the “default state” of being and how it...
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Real estate tax changes that advisers need to understand
Journal of Accountancy Podcast
Withum partner Brian Lovett, CPA, CGMA, J.D., is the guest on this week’s episode of the Journal of Accountancy podcast. Lovett is scheduled to speak at the in December on industry-specific impacts of new tax provisions in H.R. 1, P.L. 119-21, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. He joined the podcast to preview some of those topics and explain the main way he separates fact from fiction when it comes to the details of H.R. 1 provisions. What you’ll learn from this episode: What real estate professionals and advisers should know about the expansion of Sec. 179. The PDF on...
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3 types of difficult people — and how to work better with them
Journal of Accountancy Podcast
Executive coach and author Nick Robinson illuminates the challenging traits of work colleagues and shares strategies from his book — The 9 Types of Difficult People: How to Spot Them and Quickly Improve Working Relationships — that professionals can employ to improve relationships on the job. Robinson, a speaker at UK & Ireland ENGAGE, explores the interplay between organizational pressures, psychological stressors, power dynamics, and how those factors can influence the development of traits and behaviors that make people difficult to work with. He also shares strategies...
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Reflecting on AI’s rise in accounting, looking to what comes next
Journal of Accountancy Podcast
“You cannot avoid AI” — but you can and should continue to experiment with it. That’s one key message from consultant and keynote speaker Pascal Finette, who returned to the JofA podcast to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) adoption has grown and how the profession is dealing with rapid changes and uncertainty. The conversation revisits topics Finette discussed in 2021 and 2022, and it looks ahead to the , Dec. 7–10 in National Harbor, Md. Resources Early 2022 (recorded in December 2021). Early 2023 (recorded in December 2022). . What you’ll learn from this episode: The...
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AI, succession, the talent pipeline, and defining ‘unapologetic’ ambition
Journal of Accountancy Podcast
This week’s podcast guest is Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, CPA/CITP, CGMA, the CEO of KET Solutions and former AICPA and Association of International Certified Professional Accountants chair. Ellison-Taylor joined the show from the National Association of Corporate Directors 2025 Summit earlier this week, where AI was the main topic of conversation. What else are corporate boards discussing? And how is the accounting profession faring on certain aspects of growing the talent pipeline? Ellison-Taylor has answers, along with a look ahead to AICPA events in November and December. Resources: ...
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Shutdown concerns, the quest for tax guidance, the future of IRS service
Journal of Accountancy Podcast
Melanie Lauridsen, the AICPA’s vice president–Tax Policy & Advocacy, joined the JofA podcast on Tuesday to provide context on the government shutdown and its effect on IRS services, along with discussion on other tax advocacy topics. The interview was conducted the day before that most of its operations were closed and that a plan to furlough employees had begun “for everyone except already-identified excepted and exempt employees.” In the Q&A, Lauridsen also provided background on shutdowns and their effect on filing season. She also explained why the IRS...
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Car talk: M&A, AI and EVs changing the dealership landscape
Journal of Accountancy Podcast
Jimmy Robinson, CPA, CGMA, the national chair of the AICPA Dealership Conference, and his co-presenter and co-worker Jesse Stopnitzky joined the JofA podcast to preview discussion points of their conference session later this month. Their expertise is industry-specific, but some of the topics are applicable to a broader audience. Robinson, a former dealership CFO, shared the key traits of strong finance leadership, and Stopnitzky offered advice for better succession planning. What you’ll learn from this episode: The aspect of M&A deals that is, to Stopnitzky, more art than science....
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Professional liability risks related to Form 1065, CPA firm acquisitions
Journal of Accountancy Podcast
Sarah Ference, CPA, an author of the JofA’s Professional Liability Spotlight column, returns to the JofA podcast to discuss recent column topics and the advice CPAs can gain from them. In particular, Ference details some of the risks for CPA firms engaging in mergers and acquisitions, the subject of a recent two-part series. The articles discussed in this episode are: n June: “.” n July: “.” n August: “.” n September: “.” What you’ll learn from this episode: Why CPA firms should pay close attention to recent changes in tax compliance...
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‘We’re still the thinkers’ — a reminder for tax pros in the AI era
Journal of Accountancy Podcast
In her professional career, Annette Nellen, Esq., CPA, CGMA, cannot recall a time when there was more misinformation in the realm of taxes than today, as practitioners wade through H.R. 1, P.L. 119-21, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. She believes an overreliance on artificial intelligence tools in analyzing the budget law is one reason. “You still have to review it,” said Nellen, a past chair of the AICPA Tax Executive Committee. “These AI tools — they’re tools. We're still the thinkers. We’re the responsible party involved here.” In this JofA podcast...
info_outlineThis week’s episode is a mix of CPA-centric news and a Q&A with a leader in the profession. First is a summary of the House Ways and Means Committee’s tax bill, the AICPA’s reaction to some of its provisions, and an update on paths to CPA licensure.
Danielle Supkis Cheek, CPA, is the guest on the main segment, discussing how accountants can avoid head-spinning dizziness when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) — and why the profession is well suited for technology adoption.
Supkis Cheek, senior vice president–AI, Analytics and Assurance at Caseware, also discusses how organizations can use AI to scale operations. Finally, citing a set of criteria from Digital CPA speaker — and JofA podcast guest — Alex Dorr, Supkis Cheek rates the amount of drama she brings to the workplace.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
· A summary of top JofA news items from earlier this week.
· Why conference speakers on AI topics have a hard time providing timely slides for sessions.
· The importance of the evergreen nature of accounting standards.
· Supkis Cheek’s explanation of professional skepticism’s role in harnessing AI.
· Detailing the public expectation gap as it relates to audits and technology.
· Why Supkis Cheek considers the AI era a curation age instead of a technology age.