Future-Proof – Details, episodes & analysis

Risk is evolving quickly, and CPAs need to stay ahead. In this episode of Future Proof, we talk with Nicole Graham, risk consultant at Aon, about how firms can turn risk management into a strategic advantage.

From cyber threats and regulatory changes to the everyday use of generative AI, Nicole shares real-world trends and practical tips to help firms stay protected. Learn how to spot red flags early, strengthen engagement practices, and embed a proactive risk culture across your team.

Smart risk management isn’t optional, it’s essential to building a future-ready firm.

Resources:

• Ashley Graham, Risk Consultant, LinkedIn
• Aon Insurance Services, an MACPA Preferred Provider

This week on Future Proof, Paul Dunn, award-winning entrepreneur, global business leader, and founder of B1G1 (Business for Good), joins the conversation to explore the true purpose of the accounting profession.

Paul challenges CPAs to shift from focusing on what they do to why they do it. He shares how small, purpose-driven actions can create lasting impact and how accountants can become storytellers who communicate the real value of their work. His message is clear: CPAs are heroes (they just don’t always realize it).

This uplifting episode is a powerful reminder of how purpose and impact can redefine the profession and inspire change far beyond the bottom line.

Resources:

• B1G1 (Business for Good)
• Paul Dunn’s TEDx Talks
• The Soul of the Enterprise Podcast
• Verasage Institute
• MACPA Purpose Resources

AI is the new social media—exciting, risky, and in need of guardrails. In this episode, we explore what makes a good AI policy and how to navigate the powerful tools reshaping our world. From confidentiality to data reliability, we cover key considerations for using AI responsibly.

Joining the conversation is digital strategist Maddie Grant from Propel. She shares insights on crafting effective AI policies, testing their strength, and understanding where we stand in this fast-moving AI era. Tune in for essential guidance on shaping AI policies that protect and empower your organization.

Resources

• Maddie Grant, Culture Designer & Digital Strategist at Propel
• Journey of Accountancy article, "Generative AI and risks to CPA firms" by Sarah Beckett Ference, CPA

There are some big changes taking place at the Business Learning Institute. Tom Hood, now the former president and CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs and the Business Learning Institute, is the new executive vice president of business growth and engagement for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants — the global arm of the American Institute of CPAs. Before Tom closes out his time with the MACPA, we capture some of his wisdom so that we can learn from it going forward. He talks about where the profession was 24 years ago, how far it’s come in the past quarter-century, and most importantly, where it’s going from here.

To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.

Resources:

• linkedin.com/in/tomhood
• Maryland takes global stage as Tom Hood, BLI join AICPA team

Future-Proof is a production of Crate Media

George Willie is a managing partner with Bert Smith & Company, a CPA and management consulting firm with offices in D.C., Baltimore, and the Virgin Islands. He has served as chair of the AICPA’s Private Companies Practice Section and the Montgomery County Employee Retirement System Board of Investment Trustees, and is also an immigrant originally from Jamaica. He has some great stories to tell, and some great insights into the CPA profession’s efforts around diversity and inclusion, the importance of mentorship, the work that groups like the Maryland Association of CPAs are doing to drive the profession forward in this area.

To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.

Resources:

• bertsmithco.com
• Companies with more women in management have outperformed their more male-led peers, according to Goldman Sachs
• 4 ways diversity & inclusion is good for business

Future-Proof is a production of Crate Media

We’re approaching the third wave of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) relief, and while we’ve seen these before, there’s good reason to be prepared for what’s new this time around.

Erik Asgeirsson is the president and CEO of CPA.com. Joining him is Lisa Simpson, who leads the American Institute of CPAs’ Private Companies Practice Section in the development of practice management tools that address topics that are most important to firm owners.

They talk about where we stand with this latest round of funding, what they’re hearing from firms and their clients, what CPAs should know at this point in the process, whether they’re expecting things to go a little more smoothly than they did in earlier PPP rounds, and how things are going with the new CPA Business Funding Portal, which is designed to help CPAs better manage their clients’ loan applications and forgiveness requests.

To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.

Resources:

• CPA.com
• linkedin.com/in/erikasgeirsson
• linkedin.com/in/lisasimpsoncpa
• "$5 Billion in P.P.P. Loans Were Approved Last Week"
• "Paycheck Protection program reopens Tuesday for second round of small-business loans"
• "CPA firms: It’s time to reset your approach to PPP"

Future-Proof is a production of Crate Media

There are so many changes being made in the world of finance. Many of them could be seen coming, but due to the pandemic, those changes are being made much faster than anyone could have guessed.

Wayne Slater is the director of product marketing for Prophix, which helps mid-market companies achieve their goals with innovative, cloud-based Corporate Performance Management software. He talks about the accelerations that are disrupting corporate finance, how businesses have had to shift in order to meet those challenges, and the types of new tools finance leaders need to put their businesses and their people in a position to succeed.

To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.

Resources:

• prophix.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/wayne-slater-532348
• 10 Trends for Finance to Navigate Now

Future-Proof is a production of Crate Media

Allen DeLeon is a founding partner of DeLeon & Stang in Gaithersberg, MD, and is one of the most active volunteers in the Maryland Association of CPAs. He’s a member of the boards of directors for numerous community organizations and he has a solid pulse on what’s going on in the profession. Allen retired at the beginning of 2021, and as he steps away from his day-to-day duties, he talks about how things have changed during his career, and how he sees the future playing out for the profession. Sometimes, in order to become future-ready, we have to take a good, hard look at our past while we prepare for what’s to come.

To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.

Resources:

• deleonandstang.com
• linkedin.com/in/allendeleon
• “The Year Ahead: 2021 in Numbers.”

Future-Proof is a production of Crate Media

John O’Leary is a thought leader, a world-renowned speaker, and best-selling author of “On Fire” and “In Awe.” When he was a kid, he burned himself really badly—he suffered burns on 100 percent of his body. Doctors gave him a 1 percent chance of survival. 

And yet he survived. Not without some issues. He spent months in the hospital, he had numerous surgeries, his fingers were amputated—all of this around his 10th birthday. But he survived, and he persevered.

This has been a wildly difficult year for almost anybody, but we can all move forward with a sense of gratitude and awe—but don’t forget the lessons that this time has taught us.

To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.

Resources:

• Learn more: johnolearyInspires.com
• Read: "In Awe"

Future-Proof is a production of Crate Media

What’s happening at the state level that might have an impact on the accounting and finance world? There’s a lot that’s going on in state capitals across the country that bears watching. Here to talk about all of this is Tom Hood, the president and CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs and the Business Learning Institute. The issues we’re talking about today are things that Tom is watching in Maryland, but these could be issues in any state in the nation. Nearly all states are either dealing with issues like these right now or are watching these issues very closely in the event that they might have to deal with them down the road.

To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.

Resources:

• macpa.org/cpaday
• macpa.org/advocacy
• blionline.org
• Read: “Threats to licensing remain a concern for CPAs amid pandemic,”
• 42. Get Involved: Legislative Advocacy at the Local Level | with State Senator Brian Feldman

Future-Proof is a production of Crate Media