World-Class Blind Adventurer

President and CEO

AICPA & CIMA

CEO, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants President & CEO, American Institute of CPAs Barry C. Melancon is the CEO of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, the most influential body of professional accountants in the world with more than 650,000 members and students, living in 179 countries and territories. Formed in 2017, the Association combines the strengths of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), which Melancon also leads as President & CEO. During his 41-year career, Melancon has served as an advocate for the accounting profession. He has built extensive relationships with governments around the world, extending the reach of the public and management accounting profession to new regions and opportunities. Melancon joined the AICPA in 1995. He is now the longest serving CEO in the organisation's 133-year history. Under his tenure, the AICPA has grown to become the largest membership body of CPAs in the world and has directed numerous initiatives to benefit not only the profession, but also investors, business owners, lenders and the general public. These include audit quality centers, private company reporting standards, the computerized CPA exam and two consumer financial literacy education programs. Under Melancon's leadership in 2011, the AICPA formed a joint venture with CIMA to elevate management accounting globally. Together, the organizations created the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation for those professionals who meet the highest benchmark of rigor and quality. Today, approximately 150,000 professionals hold the CGMA designation worldwide. Then, in 2016, Melancon led a process for members of the AICPA and CIMA to combine and form the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. The effort was supported by more than 85% of the members voting. The combined entity has 33 offices in 23 countries, all under Melancon's direction. Melancon has led the Association in the release of two integrated reports that share a holistic view of how the AICPA, CIMA and Association come together to create value in the short- and long-term. This complements his service as chair of the Board of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), a global coalition of stakeholders that promotes integrated reporting as the next step in the evolution of corporate reporting. Additionally, Melancon serves as chairman of the board of CPA.com, a for-profit subsidiary of the AICPA which was his brainchild in 1998. In a unique approach, he raised more than $70 million to fund an organisation controlled by the AICPA but with minority owners. CPA.com today provides leading-edge technology services to tens of thousands of small CPA firms in the United States. Further, under his direction, the AICPA has been awarded the .cpa domain, which will help CPAs promote themselves online through a clear connection with the CPA profession. The new domain will only be available to the CPA community. Melancon is also chairman of eXtensible Business Reporting Language-US (XBRL), a founding member and current board chairman of the Global Accounting Alliance (GAA), and a founding and current board member of the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ). He serves on the board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness and is a member of the delegation to the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). During 2007-2008, Melancon served on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession. He has also testified for the profession before Congress numerous times. His extensive experience also includes spearheading the development of a new cybersecurity assurance service in 2017, the professionalization of a cloud-based client accounting service in 2007, the next generation of leadership academies, the computerization of the US-CPA exam, the global CGMA exam, uniform licensure for CPAs throughout the country, and has helped elevate CPA and CGMA skills globally for technology and business service. He is also leading a renewed commitment to diversity in the profession and countless legislative and regulatory approaches to benefit businesses and the profession. On the international stage, he has spoken on business, technology and change management issues to professional accountants and business leaders throughout the world, and met with government leaders, regulators, and stock exchanges focusing on the future of business and business information. Prior to joining the AICPA, Melancon served for eight years as executive director of the Society of Louisiana CPAs. He began his accounting career in 1979 at a small CPA firm in Louisiana. In 1984, he was elected a firm partner. Melancon graduated in 1978 from Nicholls State University in Louisiana, majoring in accounting with a minor in government. He also earned an MBA in 1983 from Nicholls State University and subsequently served as an adjunct professor of accounting at his alma mater for four years. Melancon was awarded his alma mater's first and only Honorary Doctorate of Commerce in 2008. He has been honored with many awards, including the 2011 National Association Executive of the Year award. He presents to profession and business leaders more than 100 times per year. INT - 11/20

Managing Director F1 Academy, Former F1 test driver, Dare to Be Different founder and former CEO of ROKiT Venturi Racing

Born in Oban on the stunning west coast of Scotland in 1982, Susie demonstrated an early passion and talent for motorsport, starting out as many of her racing contemporaries did – on the karting scene.

In 1996, aged just 13, she was named British Kart Racing Driver of the Year. With an impressive title under her belt and a clear taste for success, Susie then went on to win her first 24Hr Middle East Kart Championship and the Scottish Junior International “A” title in 1997. She held the British Women Kart Racing driver title for consecutive years and, in 2000, was awarded the title of Top Female Kart Driver in the World.

In 2001, Susie embarked on her professional racing career in the Formula Renault UK Championship, where she notched three podiums and was twice nominated for the British Young Driver of the Year Award. Following a brief spell in Formula 3, she made her name with Mercedes-Benz in the DTM – the German Touring Car Championship – between 2006 and 2012.

In 2012, Susie ascended to the pinnacle of motorsport in Formula One, joining multiple championship winners Williams Racing. Susie held the position of Development Driver for three seasons before being promoted to the role of Test Driver for 2015. During her tenure at Williams, Susie made history at the 2014 British Grand Prix by becoming the first woman to take part in a Formula One race weekend in 22 years.

In October 2013, Susie was awarded an Honorary Fellowship at the University of Edinburgh in recognition of her role as an ambassador for women in sport.

Retiring from action behind the wheel at the end of 2015, Susie made a personal commitment to increase the intake of women in motorsport across all areas. This led to the launch of Susie’s highly successful ‘Dare To Be Different’ initiative in collaboration with the UK Motorsport Governing Body and the Motor Sports Association.

In 2017 Susie’s hard work was formally acknowledged when she was awarded an MBE for her services and contribution to women in sport.

In 2019, Dare To Be Different united with the FIA Girls on Track program to reach a wider audience, continuing to raise awareness of the opportunities for women and girls in motorsport.

In 2016, Susie became an ambassador for ‘She’s Mercedes’. Inspired by the German marque’s ‘Best or Nothing’ mantra, She’s Mercedes is a networking platform dedicated to inspiring, connecting and empowering women to be their best.

On June 26, 2018, Susie was appointed Team Principal and shareholder of ROKiT Venturi Racing in her first formal move into team management and ownership.

In November 2021, she was promoted to the role of Chief Executive Officer of Monaco’s only racing team. In August 2022, following the team’s most successful season to date and a Vice-World Championship title, Susie announced her departure from the team and Formula E.

On March 1, 2023 Susie Wolff has been appointed as the Managing Director of the F1 Academy, the all-female driver category that aims to develop and prepare young female drivers to progress to higher levels of competition.

Political Scientist, President and Founder, Eurasia Group and GZERO Media

Ian Bremmer is a political scientist who helps business leaders, policymakers, and the general public make sense of the world around them. He is president and founder of Eurasia Group, the world’s leading political risk research and consulting firm, and GZERO Media, a company dedicated to providing intelligent and engaging coverage of international affairs. Ian is an independent voice on critical issues around the globe, offering clearheaded insights through speeches, written commentary, and even satirical puppets (really!).

Ian is credited with bringing the craft of political risk to financial markets, creating Wall Street’s first global political risk index (GPRI), and for establishing political risk as an academic discipline. His definition of emerging markets— “those countries where politics matters at least as much as economics for market outcomes”—has become an industry standard. “G-Zero,” his term for a global power vacuum in which no country is willing and able to set the international agenda, is widely used by policymakers and thought leaders.

A prolific writer, Ian is the author of eleven books, including two New York Times bestsellers, Us vs Them: The Failure of Globalism which examines the rise of populism across the world, and his latest book The Power of Crisis: How Three Threats—and Our Response—Will Change the World which details a trio of looming global crises (health emergencies, climate change, and technological revolution) and outlines how these crises create global prosperity and opportunity.

He is the host of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, which airs weekly on US national public television. Ian is also a frequent guest on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, the BBC, Bloomberg, and many other television stations around the world.

He also serves as the foreign affairs columnist and editor at large for Time magazine. Ian earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in political science from Stanford University, where he went on to become the youngest-ever national fellow at the Hoover Institution. He received his bachelor’s degree in international relations from Tulane University. He currently teaches at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and previously was a professor at New York University.

Ian established Eurasia Group with just $25,000 in 1998. Today, the company has offices in New York, Washington, San Francisco, London, Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Singapore, and Tokyo, as well as a network of experts and resources in 90 countries.

CEO - Public Accounting

AICPA & CIMA

Sue leads the Association’s strategy to advance public accounting domestically and globally as well as strengthen the pipeline and competencies of U.S. licensed CPAs.

Sue sets strategy for the Association’s assurance, advisory, tax and practice management initiatives in the U.S. and abroad. Her most recent focus is on securing a robust and highly skilled U.S. CPA pipeline; promoting the value and relevancy of U.S. CPAs and CPA firms, including evolving the profession’s core services, leveraging emerging technology and advancing practice quality; and creating opportunities for practice growth around the use of new technologies and in emerging service areas, including environmental/social/governance.

Sue’s responsibilities span a number of diverse communities and stakeholders, both domestic and international, giving her a unique, global perspective. Building on a wide range of experience, she brings a broad view to strategic planning, risk management and problem-solving, which guide the Association as it executes on its public interest activities, develops opportunities for CPA firms, and works with firms and other key stakeholders.

Sue is a licensed CPA in the States of New York and New Jersey, as well as a CGMA. She is a member of the Public Interest Oversight Board’s Stakeholder Advisory Council and she has been honored by being recognized as one of the Most Powerful Women in Accounting by the CPA Practice Advisor and by inclusion on Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting.

Prior to joining the Association, Sue was with PricewaterhouseCoopers' accounting and auditing practice. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Fairfield University.

Chair

AICPA & CIMA

Chair, AICPA and the Association -- 2023-2024 Vice President, Sarbanes/Oxley (SOX), Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals (Kaiser Permanente) Okorie L. Ramsey, CPA, CGMA, PMP, NACD.DC is the Chair of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and Chair of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (Association). Throughout his career, Ramsey has served in several AICPA volunteer roles: the AICPA Board of Directors, the Association Board of Directors, the AICPA and Association Audit and Finance Committee Chair, the AICPA Investments Committee and AICPA Council. In his current role at Kaiser Permanente, he oversees SOX and Model Audit Rule compliance, which includes strategy, testing and evaluating internal controls and assessing business risk to help ensure effective internal controls over financial reporting for the integrated health care enterprise. Prior to this role, Ramsey served in various roles throughout his 14 years with Kaiser Permanente. Most recently, as Vice President, Finance Compliance Officer, he was responsible for establishing a finance compliance program to support compliance with regulatory and enforcement agencies as well as leading compliance investigations and co-developing remediation activities to address issues identified. He has also served as Interim Vice President of Tax and Interim Vice President of Operational Risk Management while also executing core Finance Compliance responsibilities. Ramsey has also served as the Director and Managing Director of Sarbanes/Oxley and Financial Governance for the Northern California (NCAL) Region of Kaiser Permanente, where he was responsible for strengthening the internal control environment for the region and implemented a people development and management training program for the NCAL Region Controller’s Group. Prior to joining Kaiser Permanente, Ramsey was an Advisory Senior Manager at Ernst & Young LLP. He also held management roles with Robert Half International, Andersen LLP and Coopers & Lybrand LLP. He is a Lifetime member of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and won NABA’s Inaugural Core Values award in 2022. He also previously held roles as Past President of the California Society of CPAs Education Foundation Board of Trustees and Past Chairman of the Accounting Career Awareness Program, San Francisco Bay Area and is also a former adjunct professor for San Francisco State University’s Master of Business Administration program. Ramsey has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from San Francisco State University, and a Kaiser Permanente Executive Leadership Program Certificate from Harvard Business School. Ramsey is married and has two children. His interests include family time, music, investing, and mentoring young people and professionals to support them in reaching their full potential.

Partner

Aprio, LLP

Lexy has over 35 years of experience in the public accounting industry with extensive experience serving government contractors. She is a trusted advisor to business leaders and changemakers in the Mid-Atlantic region, helping clients balance the challenges and opportunities inherent to operating successfully and mentoring young professionals to create a positive impact in the profession. With her experience in assurance, tax and consulting, she is able to constantly seek out new ways to reinvent and improve upon the way her team serves clients

Lexy is passionate about helping clients adapt to the quickly-changing market, transforming challenges into opportunities. She achieves this by taking a proactive role in addressing their needs and helping them rethink their approach to doing business. Lexy frequently spends time meeting with clients to discuss strategy for their long-term business needs, as well as collaborating with regional leaders in the business community to discuss new ideas for strengthening the Mid-Atlantic business ecosystem.

During her tenure as partner-in-charge of the Government Contracting practice at Aprio, Lexy helped lead her team through several key value-driving projects for the firm. She expanded their service offerings and helped numerous business owners navigate successful exits from their companies.

Lexy is an inclusive industry thought leader, an advocate for the firm of the future and a champion for innovation across the firm. Guided by her vision for empowering the next generation of changemakers, Lexy regularly spends time mentoring and building a pipeline of future leaders.

Lexy earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Maryland. She serves on numerous boards, including Aprio’s Board of Directors, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and Marymount University. She has won several awards, including AICPA’s Most Powerful Women in Accounting, Maryland’s Top 100 Women and MACPA’s Women to Watch.

Managing Partner

AAFCPAs

Carla McCall, CPA, CGMA is Managing Partner of AAFCPAs, a preeminent, 300-person CPA and consulting firm based in New England. Carla was named one of the Most Powerful Women in the Accounting Profession [https://www.aafcpa.com/2020/11/11/aicpa-names-aafcpas-carla-mccall-one-of-the-most-powerful-women-in-accounting/] in 2021 and 2022 by the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA) and CPA Practice Advisor Magazine. Her dynamic executive leadership, bold practicality, and enthusiasm to embrace change is setting the standard for mission driven, growth organizations. Carla has been an instrumental force in the evolution of AAFCPAs, responsible for driving the expansion of services for our sophisticated clients beyond the core audit and tax, such as managed accounting [https://www.aafcpa.com/solutions/advisory/managed-accounting-solutions/], wealth management [https://www.aafwealthmanagement.com/], robotic process automation [https://www.aafcpa.com/solutions/advisory/robotic-process-automation-rpa/], IT & cyber security [https://www.aafcpa.com/solutions/advisory/technology-risk-assessment/], system selection & implementation [https://www.aafcpa.com/solutions/advisory/it-system-selection/], and data analytics [https://www.aafcpa.com/solutions/advisory/data-analytics-dashboard-building/]. She thinks about the client in everything she does and puts AAFCPAs' customers in the center, at the core of our business, to provide a positive experience and meet their evolving needs. Carla recognizes the importance of setting an influential tone at the top to inspire AAFCPAs' people-first, cultural environment and core values [https://www.aafcpa.com/about-aaf/mission-core-values/]. In 2011, she launched AAFCPAs' Women's Opportunity Network [https://www.aafcpa.com/about-aaf/women-leadership/] (WON), which serves as a platform to ensure women have a clear path to leadership. In 2017, recognizing the need to expand on diversity, equity, and inclusiveness, Carla launched the firm's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative [https://www.aafcpa.com/about-aaf/diversity-inclusion/]. In 2018, she established the firm's Innovation Lab and Changemaker Challenge, where team members are encouraged to question everyday processes and think like intrapreneurs. And in 2021, Carla launched the firm's Automation Initiative, supported by the firm's in-house Data Analytics/Robotic Process Automation team, to help our teams realize measurable results through more efficient and effective working infrastructures. "We can only grow by nurturing and embracing innovation that helps us work 'smarter not harder,'" said Carla. In 2022, She launched the firm's Zip2CPA [https://www.aafcpa.com/careers/zip2cpa-program/] credentialing accelerator program, as well as the firm's E3 Intern Accelerator Program, designed to provide opportunities for new accounting professionals who are traditionally underrepresented in the industry. Carla commits a great deal of her personal time to mentoring young professionals and serving nonprofits so that both may benefit from her knowledge and experience in order to thrive. She leads with authenticity and her commitment to service, volunteerism, and purposeful work is contagious. She inspires new pathways to growth, sustainability, and excellence.

Editor-In-Chief

Accounting Today

Daniel Hood is editor-in-chief of Accounting Today and Tax Pro Today; he joined Accounting Today as managing editor in 1998, and became editor-in-chief in 2012. A graduate of Georgetown University, he has also served as a business editor for the New York Daily News, and as a production editor for The Wall Street Journal Europe. He is the author of five novels and a guidebook to New York City.

Co-founder and Partner

ConvergenceCoaching, LLC

Jennifer is co-founder and partner of ConvergenceCoaching ®, LLC, a national consulting firm that helps leaders achieve success. Named in the top ten of Accounting Today's 100 Most Influential People in Accounting, INSIDE Public Accounting's Top 10 Most Recommended Consultants, CPA Practice Advisors' Top 25 Thought Leaders and AICPA's Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Accounting, Jennifer is an experienced change agent who has worked in technology, public accounting and industry. She is a frequent speaker, writer and thought leader on topics related to leadership, talent, the rise of the next generation, and managing change within the CPA profession. She is also an avid runner, hiker, yogi, gardener, wife and mother of 3.