This session will share best practices with Human Resources professionals and firm leaders who oversee Human Resources. We will have group discussions on topics that are most pressing in this area.

Featuring Sandra Wiley, Boomer Consulting

Demographic shifts, technology and global events are driving unprecedented change. Today’s market presents seemingly unlimited opportunity for serving clients, yet firms are challenged in finding, retaining, and preparing our team members to serve them. Leaders who recognize this shift and make the necessary business model changes to address them stand the best chance of remaining relevant, competitive and sustainable. In this session, we’ll explore strategies to prepare for and drive changes to ensure your competitive advantage. Leave this session with a clearer picture of the business model shifts you’ll need to make to have talent and clients proud to work at, or with, your firm.

Today, every aspect of an organization is potentially influenced by DEI. That means that the best leaders are incorporating DEI into their thinking, and that every aspect of the employee life cycle has to be reconsidered. From finding talent, to onboarding and setting that talent up for success, requires new leadership skills. This session will look at how the best leaders think about, embrace and tackle DEI to elevate the performance of their organizations.

With all that’s happened in the last few years, the profession is facing unprecedented change. Firms are challenged to now integrate the dreams, goals and desires of their talent into their core firm strategy. Leaders who drive cultural change stand the best chance of being a destination firm for high-potential talent. Attend this highly interactive, discussion-based session to explore strategies to engage, empower and develop your talent. Leave this session with ideas to build a culture that inspires, empowers and retains your talent - providing a bright future for your firm.

The profession’s future leaders are expecting firms to reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. Growth and the talent supporting the growth are increasingly depending on today’s firm leadership to adopt strategies that effect a more diverse, equitable and inclusive culture and environment. Hear from a panel of current and future leaders on best practices for building DEI into your DNA.

The workplace has experienced unprecedented changes since the pandemic. What was once considered “normal” with respect to career opportunities, pathways and work-from-home flexibility is being openly questioned, and emerging leaders have access to a wider range of job opportunities. As these leaders reflect on what they want from their employers, organizations must also reflect on how they recruit and retain top talent and provide young leaders with the support they need to reach their potential. Hear from a panel of emerging leaders on how firms can ensure they remain invested and resilient in your organization.

Our business is changing. This movement from a hierarchical to a more diamond shaped business model is creating a need for leadership much sooner than ever before. Succession planning is a process for identifying and developing those new leaders who can replace current leaders in your firm. Join this session to start preparing for this shift where you’ll learn about the new business model, identify the 10 steps for developing a truly amazing succession plan while discussing the challenges that create barriers for succession planning implementation. Finally, identify where you and your firm are today and what your best next steps should be with all of this in mind.

There are few guarantees in business today. Unfortunately, one of them is the inevitability of a crisis having a potentially major impact on your business. During a crisis, you will be under pressure from all sides, and you may find yourself unprepared to protect the people, products and profits that are critical to the health of your organization. The ability to manage both the reality and perception of a crisis is an essential skill that leaders can learn. In this session, we will define what constitutes a crisis for a business and explore the different types of crises businesses commonly face and how to navigate them successfully.

Employment law issues can and do derail transactions. Whether the issue is changing status of partners, existing employment liabilities, unclear existing employment documents, application and enforceability of non-solicits, transfer of benefits plans, handling the transition of incentive pay programs and paid time off, synchronizing employment terms, or the mechanics of the transition itself, the key is understanding the issues and getting in front of them early in the process. In this session, we will discuss the common employment law issues that can come into play during mergers and acquisitions and offer tips on how to reach resolution and get the deal done.

This highly interactive session will review the foundational EQ competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. Participants will discuss strategies for honing their skills in each of these competencies and come away with a clear understanding of the impact they have on how others perceive them as a leader, as well as their own self-confidence to lead authentically.

With the abrupt move in early 2020 to a remote work environment, we now have proof of concept that virtual work can be done successfully. However, many firms are returning to the office and want their teams to do the same. What is the future of work culture when many people have become accustomed to remote work or simply are able to balance all of the needs and demands their lives require without the daily commute? This session will explore what the post-pandemic work culture looks like, and the many ways this shift reveals new opportunities for accounting firms to be the innovation leaders in this space.

Today's CPA industry is in constant flux. Outsourcing and automation are changing our business structure, how we serve our clients, and the solutions we offer. These new capacity solutions are also impacting training programs and career paths within our firms. This panel discussion will examine the resulting career paths, both traditional and non-traditional, and discuss how to manage and develop these different career paths.

Outsourcing is quickly becoming the norm for accounting practices of all sizes and is a practical approach when considering the current labor shortages and trends toward globalization. However, the decision to outsource can negatively affect workplace culture. And, since workplace culture has a direct impact on your firm’s reputation, productivity and profitability, it is essential to address the challenges that outsourcing brings. This session will discuss those challenges and how to tackle them head-on.

The question isn’t if mindfulness in the workplace matters; the question is how it can matter in your firm. Mindfulness increases mental agility, resilience and innovation, while reducing emotional exhaustion, anxiety and (ultimately) turnover. Join us for this session to hear from two subject matter experts in mindfulness and wellbeing share their experiences of bringing mindfulness into the workplace, gaining leadership acceptance and unity on the transformation, measuring its impact, and how you can use those positive outcomes to increase the retention and engagement of your team.