Journal of Accountancy Podcast

Tiffany Willis, a former Starbucks finance executive, spoke recently at the Future of Finance Summit, presenting real and challenging boardroom scenarios for the audience. In a podcast interview, she expanded on those ideas, sharing practical advice for handling high-pressure moments, communicating with executives, and presenting financial insights effectively.  Willis explained why preparation, audience awareness, and composure are critical skills. She also discussed the leadership lessons behind her book, Own Your Narrative, and the importance of authenticity in building successful teams. What you'll learn from this episode: Why the "meeting before the meeting" can minimize surprises in the boardroom. How to tailor financial insights and data presentations for different audiences. Ways to maintain composure and credibility when your work is challenged. How finance leaders can bridge gaps between organizational goals and financial realities. Her emphasis on authenticity. Why Willis said she's "still developing" as a leader.

Employers continue to face headwinds when it comes to landing and retaining accounting and finance talent — with AI, demographic shifts, and evolving skills needs reshaping the hiring landscape. This episode, a conversation with Robert Half executive Steve Saah, explores what leaders can do to attract and keep professionals, prepare future managers, and build teams equipped for the future of finance. Saah — speaking at the Future of Finance Summit in National Harbor, Md. — also explains one of the ways that artificial intelligence is slowing down the hiring process, comments on insights from the Rise2040 initiative, and notes the role that workplace flexibility plays in the pursuit of talent. What you'll learn from this episode: Why accounting and finance talent remains in short supply. The estimated number of Baby Boomers retiring each day. How AI-generated résumés are changing the hiring process. Some of the ways leaders can balance staffing needs and employee burnout. The skills that professionals need to stay marketable in an AI-driven future. Best practices for succession planning and leadership development.

Melissa Furman, a leadership coach and consultant, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address Oct. 19 at the AICPA Governmental and Not-for-Profit Conference in Dallas. She joined the Journal of Accountancy podcast to preview her session, touching on the challenges organizations face in dealing with multiple generations in the workforce. She explained how differences in communication and technology preferences and workplace expectations can lead to conflict but also can create learning opportunities for employers. Furman singled out her own generation as both "the problem and the solution" and made a college football-related comparison to the generation's communication style. She also advised professionals to learn more about colleagues and direct reports instead of relying on generational stereotypes. What you'll learn from this episode: Why five (or more) generations in the workforce create both challenges and opportunities. How communication preferences differ across generations and affect workplace relationships. Why Melissa Furman calls Generation X the "Heisman generation." What millennial and Gen Z workers want from employers when it comes to flexibility, leadership access, and technology. A parting thought to leaders: "Get out there" and "learn your people."

Boards need more than reports to provide effective fraud risk oversight; they need structures that help them determine whether risk management programs work. Jonathan Marks, CPA/CFF/CITP, CGMA, CFE, the author of the most recent FVS Eye on Fraud report, explains more about how boards should be involved — and how they shouldn't — when it comes to oversight of fraud risk. Key points of the discussion include how information that reaches the board is often "scrubbed" and why the right questions can help directors stay in the loop on fraud risk. Editor's note: The summer FVS Eye on Fraud report is available for download at the link above. It becomes exclusive to FVS Section members after Oct. 9. What you'll learn from this episode: Why effective fraud risk oversight is a structural discipline rather than a reporting exercise. How boards can determine whether a fraud risk management program works in practice without stepping into management's role. Why feedback loops are essential to ensuring that directors receive and understand the right information. An explanation of the Candor Chain and the ways critical information can be softened, altered, or lost before reaching the board. How the COSO Fraud Risk Management Guide can help boards evaluate risks, controls, and the human factors behind fraud.

Overall, those who are pessimistic about the U.S. economy outnumber those who are optimistic this quarter. But, optimism rose slightly compared with the previous quarter, according to a quarterly survey of CPA decision-makers. In this episode of the JofA podcast, Ken Witt, CPA, CGMA, associate director–Management Accounting Research & Development for the AICPA and CIMA, breaks down sentiment about the domestic economy, the global economy, and respondents' companies. Witt also touches on top challenges and the CPA leaders' views on hiring, projected revenue growth, and spending plans for the coming 12 months. What you'll learn from this episode: The increase in optimism related to the domestic and global economies. The decrease in own-company optimism from the previous quarter. The familiar obstacle for CPA decision-makers that returned to No. 1 on the list of challenges. Projected revenue and profit growth in the coming 12 months. Projected spending on IT, training, and other capital expenditures. A farewell to the survey's longtime guru.