If you’re an accountant, AI might be coming for your job, but today’s guest believes that there’s never been a better time to be in the profession. CJ is joined by Scott Spiegel, the COO and former CFO of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He has decades of experience in finance and leadership at the intersection of business, mission, and membership. He breaks down how the accounting profession has changed and what skills you need to embrace in order to thrive in today’s world. He also shares insights into the surprising overlap between accounting and sales, the soft skills required for a successful accounting career, and the business dynamics of nonprofits, which, contrary to public belief, can and do make money. He also tells the story about how he uncovered fraud before making his predictions for the future of accounting.

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LINKS:

Scott Spiegel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-spiegel-cpa/

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants: https://www.aicpa-cima.com/home

CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222

Mostly metrics:

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Preview and Intro

(02:43) Sponsor – RightRev | Navan | NetSuite

(07:21) An Intro to the AICPA

(09:25) How the Accounting Path Has Changed in 20 Years

(13:37) The Talent Crunch and the Relationship Side of Accounting

(15:05) If You’re an Accountant, Your Job Is Sales

(16:02) Sponsor – Pulley | Brex | Aleph

(20:12) The Relationship Side of Sales

(23:00) Scott’s Personal Product Market Fit at AICPA

(24:55) Making Lateral or Downward Career Moves

(27:39) Fighting for the Role You Want

(30:48) Why Leaders Don’t Have To Know All the Answers

(33:57) A Nonprofit Can Make Money

(36:16) How AICPA Has Changed the Way They Recruit for Talent

(40:35) The Constraints That Come With Being a Nonprofit

(42:41) No Mission Without Margin

(44:35) AI in AICPA and the Accounting Industry

(49:14) Keeping Your Job in the Era of AI

(52:13) Stories About Fraud

(55:57) How Fraud Has Changed Over the Past 5 – 10 Years

(58:04) The Future of the Accounting Career Path

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“AI Might Be Coming for Your Job, but There’s No Better Time To Be an Accountant”

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