Change: As Necessary as it’s Inevitable

At a state society member event in El Paso, Texas, an older gentleman told me about his daddy that had passed away 53 years ago, and if he were to come back today, he wouldn’t understand very much about the modern world. He wouldn’t understand the phone he had in his pocket, the computer he used every day, or the car he drove. But, he went on to explain, he would understand that times change and we have to let them.

The profound respect this gentleman had for his father continues to resonate with me as does the lesson his father imparted: Change can be scary and intimidating, but it is necessary — and it’s inevitable.

Consider for a moment what happens if we don’t embrace change. Consider Kodak. It didn’t fail because it did not create a product for the digital age. In fact, Kodak invented the first digital camera in 1975. It failed because it didn’t embrace new technology and adapt to a marketplace with new consumer attitudes.

There are many other examples, of course. The point is flexibility and adaptability are integral to remaining relevant. You need to focus on your market, your surroundings, and what your customers need in order to succeed.

That’s what the AICPA and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) have done with a proposal to create a new accounting association to represent and advocate for the entire accounting profession, while preserving the member bodies of both organizations. The AICPA Board of Directors, governing Council, Business and Industry Executive Committee and Government Performance and Accountability Committee have all endorsed the proposal and 52 state societies have passed resolutions of support. It also has broad support from finance and firm leaders across the profession. Now they’re asking for you to vote ‘yes.’

Council has authorized an online member ballot and voting started this week. By now you should have received your personal and confidential ballot from the third-party administrator under the name, “AICPA Independent Tabulator.” If you can’t locate it in your inbox, you can retrieve your unique voting information at www.directvote.net/aicpa.

What’s being proposed will provide us with the adaptability and flexibility to keep our profession relevant for future generations. It builds on the foundation the AICPA and CIMA have put in place in recent years—the CGMA Competency Framework, Global Management Accounting Principles and the AICPA|CIMA Competency and Learning website—to provide more of the educational opportunities, practical tools and information that you need to stay ahead. We’ll get more market insights directly to you, particularly on the international and technology trends that are disrupting business models and evolving the role of finance. And we’ll strengthen advocacy against burdensome regulations—increasingly originating overseas that do not protect the public interest—and have a broader platform to promote your designations and the interconnectivity between public and management accounting. Above all, the AICPA will remain dedicated to protecting, promoting and growing the CPA.

I see the proposal as also planting an important seed for the next generation, just like those who came before did for us. It’s rare that we get the chance to make such a direct impact in the future of a profession.

I’ll conclude with a line from Apple, which went through its own journey to relevancy in the 1990s. It is from the 1997 ‘Think Different’ ad campaign: “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

I encourage you to support this important initiative today. For more information on the proposal visit aicpa.org/horizons.

Arleen Thomas, CPA, CGMA, Senior Vice President – Management Accounting, American Institute of CPAs.

Change: As Necessary as it’s Inevitable

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