Management Summit

Tax Update

Tim O’Shaughnessy, CPA | LarsonAllen LLP

Tim is a tax manager in the St. Louis office of the top 20 accounting firm, Larson Allen. With more than 400 tax professionals on staff, Larson Allen has received national recognition for their external tax training programs. Tim has over 10 years of public accounting and tax specific experience with International and National accounting firms.

Accounting & Auditing Update

Larry Gramling, PhD, CPA | University of Connecticut

This session will address recent professional accounting auditing and SSARS standards. Accounting standards coverage includes: Business Combinations (FAS 141R, 160 and 164), Fair Value Accounting (FAS 157), Uncertain Tax Positions (FIN 48), Subsequent Events (FAS 165) Revenue Recognition issues, implications of recent IFRS developments, and the new FASB Codification of Accounting Standards.

The auditing standards portion will include: Risk Assessment Standards (SAS 104 - 111), Audit Documentation (SAS 103) and Communicating Matters…(SAS 115).

The SSARS Update will include: the soon-to-be-released SSARS on “Reliability,” and the recently issued SSARS (15 to 17).

Ethics—The Role of You

Dr. Jeremy Wortman | TD Ameritrade and HRD Initiatives, LLC

Jeremy Wortman is the Manager of Organizational Development for a large financial and technology company spanning the United States and owner of HRD Initiatives, LLC; a local human resources consulting firm. He is also an adjunct Professor of Management and a former Program Director at Bellevue University. Jeremy holds a Ph.D. in organizational behavior from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His areas of research interest are in moral decision-making and leadership. He's back this year by popular demand!

Tax Update

Tim O’Shaughnessy, CPA | LarsonAllen LLP

Tim is a tax manager in the St. Louis office of the top 20 accounting firm, Larson Allen. With more than 400 tax professionals on staff, Larson Allen has received national recognition for their external tax training programs. Tim has over 10 years of public accounting and tax specific experience with International and National accounting firms.

Accounting & Auditing Update

Larry Gramling, PhD, CPA | University of Connecticut

This session will address recent professional accounting auditing and SSARS standards. Accounting standards coverage includes: Business Combinations (FAS 141R, 160 and 164), Fair Value Accounting (FAS 157), Uncertain Tax Positions (FIN 48), Subsequent Events (FAS 165) Revenue Recognition issues, implications of recent IFRS developments, and the new FASB Codification of Accounting Standards.

The auditing standards portion will include: Risk Assessment Standards (SAS 104 - 111), Audit Documentation (SAS 103) and Communicating Matters…(SAS 115).

The SSARS Update will include: the soon-to-be-released SSARS on “Reliability,” and the recently issued SSARS (15 to 17).

Ethics—The Role of You

Dr. Jeremy Wortman | TD Ameritrade and HRD Initiatives, LLC

Jeremy Wortman is the Manager of Organizational Development for a large financial and technology company spanning the United States and owner of HRD Initiatives, LLC; a local human resources consulting firm. He is also an adjunct Professor of Management and a former Program Director at Bellevue University. Jeremy holds a Ph.D. in organizational behavior from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His areas of research interest are in moral decision-making and leadership. He's back this year by popular demand!

The Management Summit Expo is an outstanding place to preview products and services from some of the country’s best suppliers to the accounting industry. The Expo will be open throughout the conference so you will have time to find those great products to help your firm succeed. There will be many door prizes awarded so be sure to visit all of our wonderful sponsors.

The Loyalty Effect: Driving Profitability Through Superior Client Relationships

Jeff Pawlow | The Growth Partnership, Inc.

Every firm demographic segment cited “client retention” as their #1 issue or concern in the recently released 2009 PCPS Top Issues Survey. In this dynamic kickoff to the Management Summit Conference, Jeff Pawlow will explore the Loyalty Effect and how firms are driving profitability through superior client relationships, even within this challenging economic client. Participants will learn how to calculate their firm’s “Net Promoter Score” and learn about systems designed to elevate you key relationships from “simply satisfied” to “enthusiastic loyalists”. Practical take-aways (tools and resources) are included in the materials for this session!

Dustin Hostetler | Lean CPA, LLC

How are your firm’s processes? Do you have a bunch of work in process but nothing seems to be getting done? Does client work routinely back up at certain steps in the process? Do you have partners spending excessive time in the minute details and not enough time on higher-level, value-added services? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, you’ve just identified some of the wastes and inefficiencies that exist in CPA firm processes.

Learn how CPA firms are using the world-class process improvement tools of Lean and Six Sigma to improve their processes and profitability—and ultimately add more value to client relationships—by removing waste and inefficiencies. One thing firms have recognized in the last several years… process is not just technology. While technology and software available to firms has grown leaps and bounds, firms still complain about efficiency as much as ever.

Succession and Valuation

Terry Putney | Accounting Transition Advisors

Whether you are buying or selling, this will give you the information you need on how to value a firm in the next 12 months.

Keys to Building Equity Value in Your Firm

Jim Clarahan | RSM McGladrey

Have you ever wondered what the equity value of your firm is? Join professionals from RSM McGladrey’s Accounting Industry division as they help you understand the key elements of building equity value in a CPA firm. They will share fundamental tools, best practices and resources available to help you maximize this value.

A Look at Enterprise Solutions for Today’s CPA Firm

Adam Kupperman | Thomson Reuters

The Global Delivery Model: Harnessing International Labor Markets to Deliver Superior Client Service

Arun Parameswaran | InSourcePro

The Global Delivery Model (GDM) was pioneered in the software industry when the foremost players in that industry realized that to be competitive and to continuously raise the bar on innovation, they had to have the best and the brightest talent from all over the world working towards a common goal. Today, the same paradigm has immense applications in the accounting industry. For those managing partners that see a future for our industry without any borders or limitations that future can be today’s reality.

Technology Update for Partners—How CPA Firms Leverage Cloud Computing and Increase Efficiences and Decrease Costs

Trey James | Xcentric

Learn how and why many firms are choosing to leverage cloud computing/Saas/hosting technology platforms for growth, scalability, cost savings and tax season efficiencies. The Cloud is providing many opportunities to improve security and to reduce IT, capital expenditure and cash flow inefficiencies. Trey James the CEO of Xcentric will lead this interactive session specifically designed for Partners.

The Accounting Today Fireside Chat

Bill Carlino | Accounting Today
Jim Metzler | AICPA

Organized by firm size.

Problem Solving Roundtable

Organized by firm size.

Techniques for an Effective Online Presence

Michelle Golden | Golden Marketing Inc.

Michelle explains where traditional marketing approaches and new media intersect! With an illustrated road map of traditional marketing strategy, she depicts which proven “comfortable” strategies are also accomplished through websites and today’s most commonly-used tools: Linked In, Twitter, Facebook, and blogs. And she explains how.

Avoid getting sucked into social media hype. Instead, make informed choices about which tools are best for your firm, and why. No matter how your firm chooses to market, Michelle shows you ways to maximize your efforts by understanding the promise and perils of four categories of marketing activities: Passive, Participate, Publish, and Outreach. Learn which are most meaningful in your firm’s unique practice development.

How a Firm Administrator Can Make You More Successful

Rita Keller | Keller Advisors, LLC

Is there someone in your business life who enables you to be a better and more successful accountant? In these challenging times, you need to be helping clients and finding new ones. You need to be mentoring your young accountants, not worrying about the routine management of the firm. Join Rita Keller and learn what a professional, well-trained firm administrator can do for you personally, and for the entire firm. Learn what you really should be doing and how to find the time to actually do it!

Problem Solving Best Practices (Reunion Participants Only)

Beth Burright | The Growth Partnership

2020 Europe (Private Session)

Chris Frederiksen | 2020 Group USA

Creating a Learning Culture Using Ladders and More

Lyndsey Havill | The Growth Partnership, Inc.

In the information age and particularly in this industry—where technology, regulatory requirements and client needs/wants are constantly changing—the need to learn new skills is essential to maintaining a competitive advantage in the market. As a result, firms want people who are versatile and well-equipped with a diverse set of skills. In this session we will discuss how to create a culture that fosters learning and growth opportunities and provide you with a Manager’s Toolkit to ensure your firm is moving ahead without leaving anyone behind.

Leading an Accounting Firm in Turbulent Times

Tim Michel, CPA | Michel Consulting Group

Just as every cloud has a silver lining, the current economic downturn presents opportunities for CPA firms to position themselves for long-term growth and profitability. Please join us for an interactive discussion of practice management techniques you can employ to address internal issues facing your firm and impacting its effectiveness. Topics include:

• Leadership/Management—creating an environment for success
• Exceeding clients’ expectations—differentiating your firm in the marketplace
• Creating a growth culture—making it a way of life
• Succession—developing tomorrow’s leaders from top to bottom
• And more.

Benchmarking: A Great Way for Your Firm to Weather the Recession

Marc Rosenberg, CPA | Rosenberg Associates

CPA firms tap into roughly 1/3 of their profit potential. When the total potential is huge, a 1/3 share isn’t bad. But with the tightening of firms’ bottom lines, more firms are focusing today on profitability than since the early 90s. Any program to increase earnings must make liberal use of the industry’s largest and most reliable MAP survey for medium size CPA firms, The Rosenberg MAP Survey. This session will highlight the results of the 2009 Survey and show participants which benchmarks they need to focus on.

Techniques for an Effective Online Presence

Michelle Golden | Golden Marketing Inc.

Michelle explains where traditional marketing approaches and new media intersect! With an illustrated road map of traditional marketing strategy, she depicts which proven “comfortable” strategies are also accomplished through websites and today’s most commonly-used tools: Linked In, Twitter, Facebook, and blogs. And she explains how.

Avoid getting sucked into social media hype. Instead, make informed choices about which tools are best for your firm, and why. No matter how your firm chooses to market, Michelle shows you ways to maximize your efforts by understanding the promise and perils of four categories of marketing activities: Passive, Participate, Publish, and Outreach. Learn which are most meaningful in your firm’s unique practice development.

Quantum of Gadgets

Roman Kepczyk, CPA, CITP | InfoTech Partners North America, Inc.

An inside look at today’s tools and technologies that will make your firm more effective as well as those gadgets that will help CPAs rule the world in the future. Roman Kepczyk, AKA CITP.008 shares with you the latest equipment to make quantum improvements in productivity within your firm and your life! Whether you are in the office or on the go, learn about new technologies that streamline production processes and improve communications. Find out what tools are on the leading edge it today’s firms, as well as those that are beyond the bleeding edge!

How a Firm Administrator Can Make You More Successful

Rita Keller | Keller Advisors, LLC

Is there someone in your business life who enables you to be a better and more successful accountant? In these challenging times, you need to be helping clients and finding new ones. You need to be mentoring your young accountants, not worrying about the routine management of the firm. Join Rita Keller and learn what a professional, well-trained firm administrator can do for you personally, and for the entire firm. Learn what you really should be doing and how to find the time to actually do it!

Partner Compensation Ideas Worth Spreading

Marc Rosenberg, CPA | The Rosenberg Associates, Ltd

Splitting the compensation pie continues to be the most intriguing MAP topic to partners. In the recently ended boom times for CPA firms, many firms erred on the side of being generous to underperforming partners because profits were plentiful and no one wanted conflict. But with the reality of the recession upon us, firms are taking a closer look at how income is allocated because there may be a smaller pie to split. In this session, Rosenberg will share practices and tactics firms use to make sure each partner's share of the firm’s income is consistent with what they truly deserve.

How to Turn On Your Sales Engine!

Charles Hylan, CPA | The Growth Partnership

The 4th quarter of 2008 marked the end of several years of growth for the accounting industry. During these years, firms all over the country grew despite the lack of formal systems or training. The current economic environment is forcing accounting firms to be more organized about their business development efforts and challenging leaders to develop the sales and client service skills in their people. What is your firm doing? Come to this session and learn best practices on developing and enhancing the business development culture within your firm.

Investing in Your Firm

Bill Reeb, CPA | Succession Institute, LLC

This lecture is about what CPA firms should be doing to build an infrastructure that can sustain the organization over a long term. In too many firms, the partners are taking out more profits than the organization can really support—slowly letting the firm deteriorate.