Message from the CTCPA Chair: A People-First Approach to the Profession

Thank you for trusting me with the honor to serve as Chair. I have met so many of you who believe, as I do, that it is important for us to adopt a people-first approach that encourages mutual support, lifelong learning, and personal development.  

As I look forward to my year as Chair, I'm most excited about the opportunities in front of us and for those we serve. Gone are the days when we were just “numbers” people – we are now relied upon to provide vital business analysis and complex problem-solving. There are a few things that I feel are important to discuss as we move forward in the coming year.

The New Career Paradigm

I recently retired as a partner at a Big 4 firm where I was the global lead partner for fraud risk management services. From that experience, I made an interesting observation. When I was first starting out, most accounting graduates began their careers in public accounting. Some stayed, but many – probably most – moved to industry to finish their careers.

Today, with the rise of consulting and advisory services, we see professionals who have left firms to work in industry and then return to public accounting to serve as trusted advisors.

We will work to support you, our members, throughout these transitions by getting feedback on the resources needed to navigate a new career path.  Our Immediate Past Chair Mike Maksymiw has spearheaded many of these discussions, and I look forward to working with Mike as we progress.  

New Committees and Expanded Collaboration 
 
Currently, I am an executive-in-residence at the School of Business at Fordham University, where I am responsible for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) literacy.  I am proud to say that the CTCPA ESG Committee has been ramping up, and we are expanding to form an even more robust group with the Maine and New Hampshire state societies. This expanded collaboration is part of a new model to share information and connect more broadly with professionals in our region.

In addition to ESG, we have added a Cannabis Committee to help us navigate all applicable laws, regulations, and accounting and reporting requirements in that emerging space. In addition, to help our members take advantage of opportunities to grow through consulting services, we are developing a new Consulting and Advisory Services Committee.

These committees join an array of specialized committees and groups – almost two dozen – covering areas from tax to audit to not-for-profits, employee benefit plans, finance, and professionals in industry. As we capitalize on these opportunities, we've started considering other committees.

If you have ideas for how we can collaborate and solve problems, please get in touch with anyone at the society.

Pipeline and Recruitment Issues

The candidate pipeline will get much attention this year. In addition to my executive-in-residence position, I am a member of the accounting faculty at Fordham University. I work daily with students who will be our profession's future. They are ready for great success, but they will need our help to navigate their careers.

With the new CPA Exam and licensing model launching in January 2024, we will benefit from welcoming these highly qualified individuals into the fold. Unfortunately, many accounting majors choose not to sit for the CPA Exam, and many that start don't complete the process. It's important for our future that we attract a diverse group of CPA candidates and encourage them to stick with it.  

This will require us to help individuals understand the excellent opportunities our profession offers and that the hard work pays off. Brian Reilly, another CTCPA past chair, will lead a group to identify ways to attract students to the profession sooner and approaches we can take to support and encourage sitting for the CPA Exam and completing the licensing requirements.  

I also want to mention our success with the CTCPA Professional Colleague category. From this collaboration, we are forming more meaningful relationships with a broad range of professionals, including attorneys, technology experts, and consultants. We must work together to make our network as robust as possible. 

Mike Maksymiw, thank you for your leadership during the past year. I look forward to serving as this year's CTCPA Chair.