Accounting Today - 100 Most Influential People of 2010

New year, new challenges, new vectors of influence

ObamaCare. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Preparer registration. The expiring Bush tax cuts.
Those sweeping events represent just some of the quan-
tum change that the CPA profession will be bracing for over
the next year.

After struggling to help their clients traverse one of the worst economic landscapes in nearly 80 years, the profession is bracing for another round of potentially game-chang-ing events, this time in the form of health care and financial reform legislation that could impact not only their client base, but the traditional guidelines of how they conduct business — to say nothing of a host of new technologies, new firm structures, new media and much more.

But as with the accounting scandals of nearly a decade ago
and the recent financial crisis, the profession has again dem-
onstrated that it’s up for any and all challenges — whether
they emanate from Washington or internally.
And this year’s roster of our Top 100 Most Influential
People will no doubt be at the forefront of those efforts.
Each year with this issue, our staff faces its own challenge
— that of whittling down several hundred deserving nomi-
nees into the 100 people we feel are the changemakers and
thought leaders of the profession.
Given what has transpired on Capitol Hill over the past
year, selecting our 2010 century roster was especially chal-
lenging, and not surprisingly, elicited a number of “spirited”
debates among our editorial ranks.
While there are many “regulars” re-appearing on this
year’s feature, the 2010 Most Influential also includes a num-
ber of newcomers whose profiles have risen significantly in
the recent past.
There have also been some notable deletions of former
T100 members, but that does not rule out their return, by
any means.
We feel we also have some exciting and thought-provok-
ing additions to our “Ones to Watch” category — folks who
definitely merit a close look for their accomplishments.
So, the staff at Accounting Today presents the 2010 class of
the Top 100 Most Influential People as they prepare to meet
a host of new challenges.
Enjoy!

Mark Albrecht
CEO, XCM Solutions/
Xpitax

Workflow has become one of the most important tools a CPA firm can have, and Albrecht has positioned XCM at the forefront of the workflow revolution, not least through recently joining the CPA2Biz Trusted Business Advisor Solutions program.

Career Highlights: CEO, XCM Solutions/Xpitax, 2001-present … Founder and shareholder, KAF Financial Group, 1991-2009 … Partner, Kennedy & Lehan, 1983-1991 … Partner, Ryan & Albrecht, 1981-1983 … Staff accountant, Gerald T. Reilly CPAs, 1978-1981 … Staff accountant, Arthur Andersen, 1976-1978. Other Affiliations: AICPA … Massachusetts Society of CPAs … Trustee, Eastern Bank.

Education: Bentley College, 1981, Master of Taxation … Boston College, 1976, BA Acctg.

Personal: Born 1953, Boston … Married to Mary … Three children.

Rick Anderson
Chairman and CEO,
Moss Adams

Besides heading up the
West Coast’s biggest firm,
Anderson is also chair of a
high-profile panel working
on the eternally vexed question of standards
for private companies. Will he and his panel
be the ones to finally cut the Gordian Knot?
Career Highlights: Chairman and CEO, Moss Ad-
ams, 2004-present; president and COO, 1999-2004;
director of operations, 1993-1999; director of ac-
counting and auditing, 1984-1993; partner, 1980.
Other Affiliations: Chair, Blue Ribbon Panel on Pri-
vate Entity Accounting Standards … Vice chair, Prax-
ity Management Board and Governing Council …
Past member, AICPA Council; past chair, Major Firms
Group … Trustee, Financial Accounting Foundation.

Education: Western Washington University, 1973,
Acctg.
Personal: Born 1951, Chehalis, Wash. … Married to
Lori … Two children.

C.E. Andrews
President,
RSM McGladrey
Having successfully nego-
tiated last year’s ugly trial
separation from audit and
attest firm McGladrey &
Pullen, Andrews was able to focus on other
things — like this summer’s acquisition of
Top 100 Firm Caturano & Co.

Career Highlights: President, RSM McGladrey, 2009-present … President and CEO, SLM Corp., 2008; executive VP of accounting and risk management, 2003 … Head, worldwide audit and business advisory practice, Arthur Andersen, 2001-2002; partner, 1984; joined, 1974.

Other Affiliations: Advisory Board, Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech … Immediate past chair, Junior Achievement of Washington, D. C. Education: Virginia Tech, 1974, Bachelor’s Acctg. Personal: Born 1952, Covington, Va. … Married … Three children.

August Aquila
President and CEO,
Aquila Global
Advisors

While perhaps best known for helping firms develop new compensation plans — he literally wrote the book on the subject — Aquila is also a force in many other areas of consulting, not least firm M&A.

Career Highlights: President, Aquila Global Advisors, 1995-present … CEO, Chantrey Capital Advisors, 2007-present … Director of practice management consulting, The Growth Partnership, 2003-2005 … To VP of M&A, American Express Tax & Business Services, 1994-2003 … Senior VP, PDI, 1987-1994 …

Partner, Friedman, Eisenstein, Raemer & Schwartz CPAs, 1983-1994 … Adjunct professor of marketing, DePaul University Graduate School of Business, 1980-1994 … Group director of marketing, Coopers & Lybrand, 1979-1983. Other Affiliations: Founding board member, Association for Accounting Marketing … Author, CPA Firm Merger Strategies That Work; CPAs That Sell; Breaking the Paradigm: New Approaches to Pricing Accounting Services; Client at the Core; Compensation as a Strategic Asset … Contributing author, The Marketing Advantage; How to Hire a Marketing Director and Make it Work; Bull’s Eye! The Ultimate How-To Marketing & Sales Guide for CPAs. Education: Indiana University, Ph.D … DePaul University, MBA, BA. Personal: Born 1946, Chicago … Married to Emily Haliziw … One daughter.

Andy
Armanino

CEO and managing
partner, Armanino
McKenna

Armanino may want to start bottling his growth elixir: Already nationally known for his forward-thinking management style, he has almost tripled his firm’s revenue and workforce during his tenure.

Career Highlights: CEO and MP, Armanino McKenna, 2004-present; partner-in-charge of audit, 1994- 2004; senior staff professional, audit, 1989-1994 … Senior staff professional, Arthur Young, 1987-1989. Other Affiliations: Chairman, Moore Stephens North America … Director, Moore Stephens International … AICPA … California Society of CPAs. Education: Santa Clara University, Bachelor’s, 1987. Personal: Born 1965, Oakland, Calif. … Married to Denise … Three children.

Erik Asgeirsson
CEO, CPA2Biz
With CPA2Biz firmly established as a resource
for accountants, Asgeirsson has been busy
building a stable of Trusted
Business Advisor Solutions
that bring the best of cloud-
based software to accoun-
tants through alliances
with leading vendors.
Career Highlights: CEO, CPA-
2Biz, 2002-present; VP of pro-
fessional services, 2000-2002 … To sales director,
Business Services Division, AT&T, 1990-2000.
Other Affiliations: National Peace Corps Associa-
tion ... Former Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania.
Education: Stern School of Business, New York Uni-
versity, MBA ... George Washington University, BS
Electrical Engineering.

Robert
Attmore
Chairman, GASB
Now in his second five-year
term as chairman, Attmore
continues to pursue a busy
agenda, with projects on
controversial issues such as public pension
reporting, public-private partnerships, per-
formance reporting, and fiscal sustainability
considerations.

Career Highlights: Chairman, Governmental Accounting Standards Board, 2004-present ... President, Attmore & Associates, 2003-2004 ... Deputy state comptroller, New York, 1986-2003; director of internal audit, Office of Mental Health, 1979-1984 ... Audit manager, Deloitte Haskins & Sells, 1971-1979. Other Affiliations: Trustee, Academy for Government Accountability ... Board of Advisors, Masters in Government Accounting Program, Rutgers Business School … Past president, National State Auditors Association ... Advisory Council, U.S. Government Auditing Standards ... AICPA.