Mark Koziel named CEO of AICPA: Celebrate Good Times, Come On!
A leader worthy of celebrating: What it all means to the future of the accounting profession.
Great leaders should be celebrated. And I’d be hard-pressed to name a modern leader more worthy than Mark Koziel—who was recently named CEO of the AICPA. As I sit with this news, I find myself filled with hope and excitement about the future of our profession. But to truly appreciate why this news is uber-celebration worthy, I need to share some personal history.
Mark Koziel has had a significant impact on my career trajectory. As professionals, we all start at square-1 and work hard to expand our expertise and elevate our careers. And sometimes along the way, if we’re lucky, key people recognize our good work and push us to places beyond what we could ever imagine. That’s what Mark did for me.
It all started around 2010 when I participated in a session called "You Got Your Dad's Firm—Now What?" (You can still access part of it here!) The session highlighted the rise and importance of community, how it got it’s start online, and the unique opportunities it presented for next-gen firms that embraced social media. Mark attended that session. The rest is history.
That session was part of an Accounting Today conference in Las Vegas. Myself and several of my CPA firm peers—including Michael Hsu, Shayna Chapman, Jason Blumer, Dustin Wheeler, Chris Farmand and Jeff Breeden—gathered for a customer experienced-focused “tweet-up” at Zappos. We had all been connecting on Twitter…long before “Tax Twitter” was a thing. You could say we were the OG’s of the profession’s social media movement.
After that session, Mark coined our group a “movement,” predicting that we represented the future of CPA firms. His words weren’t just encouraging; they came with swift action. Mark helped promote the movement (and elevate me) by inviting me into the AICPA’s Tech+ Planning Committee, which eventually became AICPA Engage. His vision was to combine various conferences into a single, major event. And did that ever happen! Today, Engage hosts thousands of attendees.
And there I was, right in the middle of it all. Mark gave me the opportunity to help shape Engage. To help attract new voices and ideas into the profession… and also throw some crazy fun parties along the way. #CPAWET, anyone? (When Greg Kyte MCed the night and jumped in the pool suit and all!)
What was revolutionary at the time—and why Mark's leadership is so essential today—is that he didn’t take a traditional top-down approach. Rather, he put people in positions to help ignite change from the ground up. He saw potential in individuals who were passionate about the profession and gave them a platform to grow into influential leaders in their own right. He leveraged his social capital and took the risk because he knew it was the right thing to do.
Fast forward to today and we find ourselves at a critical crossroads in the accounting profession. With private equity, venture capital, AI, and incumbent vendors like Intuit disrupting the industry, we need a strong leader who can help navigate these changes. Mark is that leader. He understands the complex needs of AICPA firm members—big, small, tax, audit, local or global—and has the ability to bring everyone together.
The future of the profession requires both a clear vision and a willingness to listen to ALL voices. And I don’t mean just the loudest or those with the most money or influence. I mean those who bring innovation, creativity and a fair bit of grit to the table. Mark’s approach has always been collaborative—helping to elevate future leaders and empower them to create meaningful change.
Mark’s passion for the accounting profession is unmatched, and I couldn’t be more excited to see him lead us into a new era. His impact on my career has been profound, and I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. For all the reasons listed in this post, join me in celebrating a leader who has been and will continue to be integral to the bright future of our profession.
Check out Mark’s Linkedin Post for more deets on his new position. And take a moment to read the long list of comments to get a sense of just how much he is celebrated and loved.
Cheers to Mark on his new role as CEO of the AICPA! I look forward to what’s
to come.