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Stay ahead with essential CPA resources

From Transition to Transformation

While there's no single playbook that explains how to navigate your career, panelists at Elevate: Women's Leadership Forum shared the lessons, doubts, and breakthroughs that helped them create meaningful change.

Accounting Meets Innovation: Why STEM Recognition Matters

From data analytics to AI-driven insights, today’s accountants work at the intersection of finance and technology. Learn how CalCPA, AICPA and other state CPA societies are supporting legislation that could expand access to accounting education nationwide.

CalCPA Conversation Circle: AI in Practice 

Generic claims about AI adoption won't impress clients for long. Firms that win will be specific about how they use AI and what measurable benefit it delivers.

Taking Ownership of Your Career Growth

From self-advocacy to sponsorship, Janine K. Brown shared practical strategies behind career advancement at CalCPA's Elevate: Women's Leadership Forum.

Golden State wisdom straight from the experts

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At first, the conversation sounded like it was going to be about strategy.

Change management. Career pivots. Leadership transitions. The mechanics of professional growth.

But within minutes, the panelists on “From Transition to Transformation: Creating Opportunity Through Change” made it clear that transformation is rarely about titles, technology or organizational charts. It is about people—and often, about the quiet internal battles no one else sees.

“The hardest part about change management isn’t the planning,” moderator Heather Esposito told the audience as she opened the discussion during CalCPA’s Elevate: Women’s Leadership Forum. “It’s the people.”

The panel, featuring Heather Esposito of BPM, Nellie Montoya of RSM and Marilyn Suey of Diamond Group Wealth Advisors, became less of a conversation about career advancement and more of an honest exploration of identity, ambition, fulfillment and self-advocacy.

For Suey, the first major pivot came after years inside corporate America.

“I got my MBA and I thought, I’m ready to be noticed and to be promoted,” she recalled. “And I knew I wasn’t going to get promoted. It just wasn’t going to happen.”

So instead of waiting for recognition, she made a move.

“I had to keep looking and be proactive about it,” she said. “I couldn’t wait to have somebody notice me.”

That first leap led to six or seven more pivots throughout her career—each one bringing more experience, more learning and more clarity about what she actually wanted and led her to launch The Diamond Group Wealth Advisors, where she is CEO, and become a nationally recognized financial educator, author and speaker.

Montoya’s transition looked different. After nearly a decade on the assurance side at RSM and a clear trajectory toward partner, she realized the work that energized her most wasn’t the technical side of accounting.

“I really enjoyed the people side of it more,” she said. “How do you prepare the people? How do you make the shift? And how do you make it stick?”

That realization eventually led her into change advisory and organizational transformation work. But walking away from the partner path wasn’t easy.

“That hurt a little bit,” she admitted. “Because that had been the goal for the nine years prior.”

One of the strongest themes throughout the discussion was the evolution of success over time.

Early in their careers, success often meant promotions, compensation, visibility and titles. But over time, both women said they began redefining success in more personal and holistic ways.

“Success is immediate, ‘I got a promotion. I’m going to get compensated better. I’m going to have a bigger role,’” Suey said. “But I think it’s also in the fulfillment.”

She now coaches many women to think differently about achievement.

“When your mind and your heart and your soul are fully aligned, you’re going to do your very best work,” she said. “And that opportunity will find you.”

Montoya described her own evolution in similarly personal terms.

“A lot of the validation that I saw come my way was external,” she said. “It was the promotion, it was the raise, it was the exposure. What I had to let go of was essentially allowing others to determine what was successful for me.”

That shift became especially important as she reconsidered how work fit into the larger picture of her life.

“My involvement with community and the causes that I really care about—I just didn’t have time,” she said. “And then when I re-evaluated, I realized I really like focusing on those things in my definition of success.”

One of the most powerful moments of the panel came when the conversation turned toward grief. Not grief in the traditional sense, but the grief that accompanies transformation itself.

“In anything that we’re doing, there’s a giving up of something else,” said Esposito, who is Director of Learning, Development and Colleague Engagement at BPM.

Montoya spoke candidly about how difficult it was to acknowledge feelings of loss after stepping away from the partner path she had worked toward for years.

“Once I allowed myself to really say, ‘I’m really sad that I did walk away from this potential path,’” she said, “everything shifted. Two things can be true at once. I can be sad about it, and I can be really, really happy that I’m on to the next step.”

For someone raised in a culture where emotions were often suppressed, even acknowledging grief was transformational.

“I learned that there are certain emotions that I could express that were safe,” she said. “For me, I had to work a lot of years on really trusting myself.”

The discussion opened the door to something rarely addressed in conversations about leadership: the emotional complexity of ambition.

A recurring theme for the panelists was the idea of self-advocacy.

Suey described finally learning how to advocate for herself in her 40s and how dramatically it changed her career.

“When I learned to advocate for myself, everything changed on a dime,” she said. “I was recognized. I was seen and heard.”

Montoya agreed, noting that women are often their own harshest critics.

“There’s so many friends and loved ones that know how amazing you are,” she said. “And yet somehow, oftentimes, you are the one that actually doubts that you can do it.”

Her advice was simple but emphatic: “Believe in yourself. It really is that.”

As the conversation wrapped up, the panelists offered one final insight: careers do not always unfold in straight lines. In fact, sometimes the best opportunities emerge from curiosity rather than rigid planning.

“I always just picked the next thing I was curious about,” Montoya said. “And I can draw a red thread from each experience into how that serves me today.”

Suey echoed that sentiment through her own experience of reinventing herself repeatedly across decades.

“Every decade you need to be a different you,” she said.

Transformation, the panel suggested, is rarely a single dramatic leap. More often, it is a series of decisions to listen to yourself, redefine success, release outdated expectations and trust that the next chapter may look very different from the one you originally planned.

You can relive the fun and revisit some of our favorite moments—or get a taste of what you missed if you couldn't join us this year—by visiting the 

. And we hope to see you in 2027—take advantage of our 

early access discount while it’s available through July 7

The accounting profession is no longer defined solely by spreadsheets and balance sheets. Today’s CPAs are increasingly working at the intersection of finance, technology, analytics and strategic business leadership—a shift that is driving efforts to have accounting recognized as a STEM-related field.

To help advance that vision, CalCPA, alongside the AICPA and CPA societies across the country, continues to advocate at the federal level for policies that modernize perceptions of the profession and expand access to accounting education.

At the center of those efforts is support for federal legislation designed to strengthen educational pathways into accounting and better position the profession for the future workforce.

CalCPA joined the AICPA and state CPA societies in urging members of Congress

, introduced by California Rep. Young Kim, and 

. The legislation would add accounting education to the list of approved uses under the federal Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant program, giving states greater flexibility to invest in accounting programs and career pathways in public schools.

The push comes at a critical time for the profession.

Businesses increasingly rely on accountants not only for financial reporting, but also for data analysis, risk management, cybersecurity oversight, technology implementation and strategic decision-making. As AI and automation continue to reshape industries, accounting professionals are expected to possess stronger technical and analytical skills than ever before. Recognizing accounting within the broader STEM conversation reflects the realities of the modern profession.

STEM-related recognition could help schools access additional educational resources, create stronger accounting programs and introduce students earlier to careers in accounting and finance. It could also help reshape outdated perceptions that often fail to capture the profession’s growing technological sophistication and impact on business strategy.

The effort also aims to strengthen the future CPA pipeline at a time when the profession faces ongoing workforce challenges. Expanding awareness and access to accounting education could help attract a broader and more diverse generation of students into the field.

Policies that connect accounting with innovation, technology and modern workforce needs position the profession as a dynamic career path that plays a vital role in business, government and the broader economy and ensuring the profession remains strong, relevant and prepared for the future.

Members across firm sizes and specialties came together to explore what AI is actually doing to—and in—the accounting profession. Moderated by Ron Baker and Ed Kless, hosts of 

, the conversation provided a clear picture of where the profession stands and where it needs to go. 

The Experiment That Started the Conversation 

Much of the early discussion centered on a recent book documenting what happened when someone set up an AI-powered accounting firm using multiple AI agents, each assigned a specific role. The output was reviewed by a credentialed third party, who described it as impressive and identified issues that human reviewers had missed. A highlighted finding was that the human directing the operation was consistently flagged by the AI agents themselves as the primary bottleneck, not because the human wasn’t valuable, but because the system’s capacity to produce work exceeded what one person could direct and review. 

The group didn’t treat this as a warning or a promise. It was framed as a grounded, honest look at what AI can do today, and a signal that the profession needs to redefine what human involvement looks like rather than defend the status quo. 

A recurring theme was the irreplaceable nature of human judgment, relationships and accountability. Several perspectives landed and resonated with the group: 

Clients don’t stay with professionals because of unique technical skills. They stay because of the trust built over time through real human interaction. AI can’t take a client to lunch or sit with someone through a hard moment. 

The medical analogy came up more than once. Most people want AI to help their doctor diagnose a disease. But no one wants a bot to deliver a serious diagnosis. The way difficult information is delivered matters enormously, and that’s entirely a human responsibility. 

Legal and professional accountability can’t be delegated to a tool. No one can tell the IRS that the bot made a mistake. 

Clients are also arriving at appointments with more AI-generated knowledge than they used to. The role of the professional is evolving from primary knowledge source to trusted interpreter and guide, which is a higher-value role, but one that requires a different mindset and skill set. 

This was one of the most energized parts of the discussion. The core issue is simple: if AI compresses a 10-hour task to 15 minutes, the hourly billing model doesn’t hold. 

Some firms are already choosing to bill for the value delivered, not the time spent, even when AI does the work faster. Others haven’t figured out how to have that conversation with clients yet. 

A real-world example was shared involving a large firm demanding a significant fee reduction from an outside firm after learning AI was being used in the work. The outside firm complied. The group saw this as a cautionary signal about what happens when the value conversation doesn’t happen proactively. 

The consensus was that value-based and subscription pricing aren’t just theoretical anymore. The hourly model has been under real pressure, and firms that don’t get ahead of it will be in a reactive position. 

Specialized Tools vs. General-Purpose AI 

Members had a wide-ranging conversation about the tradeoffs between specialized AI tools built for accounting and general-purpose platforms. Different firms have had different experiences, and there was genuine debate about which factors matter most when evaluating options, including workflow fit, flexibility, cost and how each tool type handles customization and experimentation. 

The group recognized that there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer and that the right choice depends heavily on a firm’s specific context and its overall approach to AI adoption. 

Accuracy, Over-Reliance and Professional Judgment 

A few themes surfaced that centered on concerns about AI making mistakes. 

AI speaks with confidence even when it’s wrong, which can mislead users who associate confident delivery with correctness. That’s a useful reminder for the profession that critical thinking matters regardless of the source. 

The risk of de-skilling was raised, drawing a parallel to how calculators affected math skills. As professionals rely more on AI, there’s a question about whether they’re maintaining the foundational knowledge needed to catch what AI gets wrong. 

At the same time, the standard isn't perfect. Humans aren’t 100 percent accurate. AI only needs to be better than current human performance, and on many routine tasks, it is. The goal is human oversight of AI output, not the replacement of human judgment. 

A thread that drew genuine enthusiasm was AI as a personalized tutor. Examples were shared of students and professionals uploading textbooks or course materials and using AI to generate practice questions, receive explanations for wrong answers and progress at their own pace. The phrase “a tutor with infinite patience" came up. This is already being used in academic settings with positive results. 

One of the more forward-looking conversations was about whether and how firms should use AI adoption as a market differentiator. The group agreed that the differentiator isn’t claiming you use AI. It’s being specific about how you use it and what tangible benefit it delivers. Accuracy, speed, cost efficiency and better outcomes are things clients can evaluate. 

As AI becomes standard across the profession, the differentiator will shift from “we use AI” to “here is specifically how we use AI to deliver better outcomes for you.” Firms that develop clear, credible AI use cases will be ahead of that curve. 

CalCPA Conversation Circles are free, member-only experiences designed to foster conversation and connection. Be sure to 

, when we’ll rethink what innovation means beyond technology; explore how language, mindset and processes shape outcomes; and provide new perspectives you can apply in your organization.

National Accounting Day may have come and gone—but the opportunity to recognize the essential role CPAs play in strengthening businesses, communities and public trust remains—and here how you can help showcase the people behind the accounting profession in the form of a photo as the celebration becomes a collective moment to show the impact of the profession in a visible way.

At the heart of this year’s National Accounting Day is a new, interactive digital mosaic: “

.” The mosaic invites CPAs across the country to share photos that represent their pride in the profession and the trust they build every day. As individual photos come together, they form a larger picture—one that tells the story of CPA impact through real people and real moments.

A Simple Call to Action with National Impact

Participation is simple and personal. You might choose:

Every submission adds a new tile to the mosaic that helps illustrate the depth, diversity and value of the profession nationwide.

The digital mosaic is more than a celebration; it is the lead up to a broader national advertising and promotional campaign sponsored by the AICPA in collaboration with CalCPA and other state CPA societies, and other key stakeholders designed to increase market understanding of CPAs.

Advertising to reach business leaders and other influential audiences begins after the June 9 launch. The goal is clear: to reinforce that CPA is where trust meets expertise, and that CPAs are essential partners in navigating complexity and achieving long-term success.

Trust has always been the profession’s foundation. At a time when organizations and communities face rapid change, that trust matters more than ever. The National Accounting Day mosaic and the broader CPA promotional campaign are reminders that trust isn’t abstract—it’s built every day, by people, through actions.

By participating in the mosaic and social media activities supporting the CPA campaign this summer and fall, you are celebrating the profession and helping tell a story that resonates far beyond May 19. It’s a story of expertise, integrity and public service told through thousands of individual voices coming together as one.

National Accounting Day: What Trust Looks Like in Action

National Accounting Day may have come and gone—but the opportunity remains for you to be a part of the celebration to highlight the trust placed in CPAs and the value CPAs deliver.

With the accounting profession changing rapidly, executive coach and leadership strategist Janine K. Brown said women can no longer afford to wait for opportunities to find them.

Speaking at CalCPA’s Elevate: Women’s Leadership Forum, Brown delivered a clear message: technical excellence alone is no longer enough to move ahead.

“Performance matters,” said Brown, CEO of Everyday Lead. “But positioning matters too. And sometimes positioning matters more.”

Brown spoke about her own journey from her Midwestern upbringing, her love of the ocean and her early years in accounting, wearing “little gray suits and black suits” from Casual Corner before upgrading to Brooks Brothers.

But beneath the humor was a serious call to action for women navigating a profession undergoing massive transformation.

A former accounting professional who worked in state and local tax and banking strategy before moving into leadership consulting, Brown spoke about how dramatically the accounting industry has evolved since she entered it in 1999.

“We are not the accountants we used to be,” she said. “The profession is so different than when I entered it.”

She pointed to the growing influence of private equity investment, rising pressure around revenue generation and the accelerating pace of change across firms.

“The business of accounting is changing, and it’s not just AI,” she said. “Are you prepared? Do you know how it’s going to impact you? Can you manage your career to respond to that change?”

Drawing from her leadership experience with the AICPA & CIMA Women’s Initiatives Executive Committee, Brown said firms increasingly need professionals who are future-ready—not just technically capable.

“We need women who are not only prepared to lead the next generation of practitioners, but who know how to manage their own careers,” she said.

One of the strongest themes of Brown’s presentation centered on what she called “the good work myth”—the belief that hard work alone will naturally lead to advancement.

She described the mindset many professionals adopt early in their careers: work hard, stay reliable, keep your head down and eventually someone will notice. But too often, she said, that strategy leaves talented women overlooked.

“The only thing that happens to people who wait is that they keep waiting,” she said.

Instead, Brown encouraged attendees to think intentionally about how they position themselves within their organizations. Technical competency may open doors early in a career, she explained, but visibility, advocacy and influence become increasingly important over time.

“Those first four to five years are extremely important because you have to be technically competent,” she said. “That’s a baseline. But how you position your competency is the thing that matters.”

Perhaps the most powerful moment of the session came when Brown addressed one of the barriers she believes continues to hold women back in leadership pipelines.

“You’re not advocating for each other,” she told the audience.

Brown described conversations she’s had with firm leaders and managing partners who say women often undersell themselves and fail to actively champion other women in promotion and performance discussions.

The solution, she argued, requires both self-advocacy and collective advocacy.

“We have to self-promote,” Brown said. “And we have to be promoters of other women. That’s the only way we’re going to win.”

Throughout the presentation, Brown repeatedly returned to the importance of visibility and communication.

“A lot of women are not comfortable bragging about themselves,” she said. “But if you don’t, who will?”

She encouraged attendees to think carefully about how they describe their impact and contributions so others can accurately advocate for them when they are not in the room.

“Don’t think that just because they see it, they know the right words to say about your work,” she explained.

Brown also acknowledged that cultural background, personality and upbringing can shape how comfortable professionals feel speaking up. Drawing from her experience teaching graduate students, she encouraged women to practice using their voices early and often.

While Brown’s focused on career strategy, she carried a message of community and encouragement, and spoke about building a stronger sense of sisterhood within the profession and creating environments where women support each other. Because in today’s rapidly changing professional landscape, she said, leadership isn’t something that simply happens to you. It’s something you actively claim.

Stay ahead with essential CPA resources

Golden State wisdom straight from the experts

From Transition to Transformation

Accounting Meets Innovation: Why STEM Recognition Matters

CalCPA Conversation Circle: AI in Practice

Taking Ownership of Your Career Growth

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Professional Interest Areas

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Daily Clips newsletter

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Listen and watch...

Rise & Stride Podcast

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CPAs: Making Sense of What Comes Next campaign