2014 Annual Meeting Conference [Conference]

Full Description

Wednesday, May 28, 2014 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm
AICPA Town Hall Meeting Recommended 3 CPE Credits

Speaker: William Bill E. Balhoff is Chairman of the American Institute of CPAs for 2013-2014.

Balhoff has an extensive history of service to the CPA profession. From 2003-2004 and from 2008-2009 he served as a Member at Large of AICPAs governing Council and from 2005-2007, he served as a member of the AICPAs Board of Directors. Bill has been heavily involved in the AICPAs Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS), having chaired the Executive Committee from 2001-2004 and the Strategic Assessment Task Force from 2002-2004. He has also served as a member of the Major Firms Group, Private-Held Company Financial Statements Task Force and Finance Committee, and on the AICPA Peer Review Board.

Balhoff is a past President of the Baton Rouge Chapter of the Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants and has served on their Board of Directors. He is a former Chair of the International Accounting Standards Boards Assessment Special Task Force.

Balhoff is the Managing Director and CEO for Postlethwaite & Netterville, APAC. He joined P&N in 1976 and became a director in 1986. Bill has 36 years of experience in technical audit, accounting, and consulting activities. He frequently speaks on topics including professional standards and managing practices.

Bill graduated with a B.S. in Accounting from Louisiana State University.

Thursday, May 29, 2014 CPE Sessions Recommended for 8 total CPE Credits
IT Strategy & Technology Update for Non-Techies (200 minutes)

Description: Technology is constantly changing and evolving. How do I determine how and where to invest my IT budget to not have something thats going to be obsolete next year? When is the right time to make certain IT purchases? What impact will the new technologies or even just new versions of software have on how I work, and when should I switch or upgrade? Do I stay on premise, move to the cloud, or work in a hybrid/half-cloud environment? This session will provide you with a business (not technical) framework that includes decision factors and guidelines, as well as updates on the current developments and trends that impact technology-related decisions.

Key Takeaways & Insights:
Learn to utilize an IT decision-making (IT governance) framework to guide your IT staff or service providers.
Look at current developments in Microsofts and other key technologies and how they may impact your IT plan and budget.
How to analyze your cloud options and decide which ones are the best fit for you and incorporate them into your organizations strategy.
Understand the risks of cloud computing and different approaches to mitigating them.
Switching the IT paradigm from cost to investment and tying to organizational strategy.

8 Keys to Success for Technology Adoption (75 minutes)

Description: Is your firm looking to improve realization rates and staff productivity? Strategically leveraging technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the services you provide are key. However, many firms experience difficulty in realizing the full value that technology can provide. This session explores the lessons learned from a variety of firms that were both successful and unsuccessful in utilizing technology to automate their work processes. Learn about the eight keys that should help guide firms as they strive to maximize the return from their technology investments.

Key Takeaways & Insights:
Learn how high performing firms perceive technology
Learn how to develop an IT Strategy
Learn about the 8 keys to ensure successful technology adoption
Social Media for Accountants (50 minutes)

Description: Many of us are being told that Social Media is a must adopt technology in the business world. Many of you probably use it on a personal level to keep in touch with family and friends, and share pictures. And many of your also may want nothing to do with Social Media. However Social Media has reached a maturity point where for some people it has replaced newspapers and, especially in the accounting world, one can often get word of new developments faster via social media than other sources. Attend this presentation to learn a strategy for using social media as an accounting resource.

Key Takeaways & Insights:
Social media basic concepts
The implications of social media for professional and business use
How to use Social Media as an Accountant's Resource
Using Twitter as a trusted news feed
How to ask questions via LinkedIn Groups

CPA Firm Horizons: Are you setting or rising in the horizon? (50 minutes) + state society strategy exercise (25 min group)

Description: The CPA firm of the (not too distant) future looks different than todays CPA firm. Tax preparation is not a core CPA service. Audits will be more automated and technology utilization is a must rather than nice-to-have. Increased specialization and collaboration among specialists will be necessary to service clients. Scared yet? Get yourself ready for this change through a glimpse of how the CPA profession is expected to evolve as we review the results of the AICPAs CPA Horizons 2025 research study and key insights from thought leaders in the profession. Walk away with insights into what you need to do to ready your firm to be CPA firm of the future.

Key Takeaways & Insights:
Learn how the CPA profession is expected to evolve over the next decade
Understand the major trends impacting the profession and your firms strategy
Obtain insight into the skills and knowledge you will need to build in your staff to maintain your firms relevance and win & retain clients in a competitive market


Discussion Leader
Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA, is the founder and managing director of IntrapriseTechKnowlogies LLC, a CPA consultancy focused on organizational development and advisory services for the middle market. An active CPA, Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP), and Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), Donny is a recognized national expert in IT management and international author/speaker on business intelligence initiatives. Donny helps many organizations by bridging accounting and IT to strengthen organizational governance and risk management, improve business processes through IT, and increase the effectiveness of decision-making through business intelligence and evidence-based management.

Donny is a current member of the AICPA Council, chairman of its IT Executive Committee, and former member of its Assurance Services Executive Committee. He has worked on several international collaborations between the AICPA and CIMA related to business intelligence and is also a frequent speaker on how management accountants can help add-value to their organizations. Donny was recognized as a Top Thought Leader in Public Accounting by CPA Practice Advisor in 2012 & 2013, received the 2009-2010 Presidents Award from the Hawaii Society of CPAs, was named to CPA Technology Advisors 40 Under 40 list in 2007 & 2009, and was also a Hawaii Top High Tech Leader in 2004. Most recently, Donny received the AICPA's first Maximo Mukalebai Award for service to the CPA profession. Donny was part of the inaugural class of the AICPAs Leadership Academy program and was also a member of the CPA Horizons 2015 Advisory Panel, where he served as an active voice for upcoming and emerging professionals.

Print Page back to list