Episode #516: Interview with Alan Whitman, Former CEO of Baker Tilly US

Business Podcast Archive and Shows - The Soul of Enterprise

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SHOW SUMMARY: In this episode of The Soul of Enterprise, Ron and Ed sit down with Alan Whitman, a prominent leader in the accounting field with a deep commitment to fostering dynamic, people-focused growth strategies. As CEO at Baker Tilly, Alan has championed innovative solutions and strengthened client relationships, all while focusing on the firm’s core values and sustainable growth. Join us as we dive into Alan’s insights on leadership, the future of professional services, and how Baker Tilly navigates a rapidly evolving industry landscape.

SHOW NOTES

Segment one

• “The accounting profession has a serious image issue.” —Alan Whitman, more here: https://www.alandwhitman.com/newsletter/the-accounting-profession-has-a-serious-image-issue

• The years of training, education, and the CPA exam are certainly part of why the interest in accounting is down. But Alan thinks a bigger part is the the stigma of what it is like to work at a CPA firm

• Is the billable hour an important success metric? No. “We need to shift the mindset from production to outcomes.” —Alan Whitman

• “Is the future of the CPA profession in jeopardy?” —written by Alan Whitman; more here: https://www.alandwhitman.com/newsletter/is-the-future-of-the-cpa-profession-in-jeopardy

Segment two

• “Greatest Hits: 5 Keys to Building a Firm that Thrives” by Alan Whitman https://www.alandwhitman.com/newsletter/greatest-hits-5-keys-to-building-a-firm-that-thrives

• “Strategy is the anchor from which everything hangs off, all the plans, all the spend, all the actions. The strategy defines where the company is headed and what it wants to accomplish at the macro level. Then you build a plan.” —Alan Whitman

• “How do you get CPAs be more innovative in an hourly building model?” Ron asked Alan thisGREAT question today and the answer is in segment two of the show.

• “If you're efficient at doing the wrong things, there's no bigger waste.” —Ron Baker

Segment three

• We spent some time on the show today talking about the negative aspects of the CPA industry but Alan Whitman had a great quote that needs to be called out, “The CPA profession is storied, and it's been around a long time. It is fundamentally based on trust.”

• “The AICPA is going through a huge transition and it’s a really exciting time for the for the Association.” —Alan Whitman

• In the accounting industry specifically, “AI is going to accelerate the need to adopt technology.” —Alan Whitman

Segment four

• So what has Alan been up to? “I’ve actually been sitting back and saying…okay, if I was going to build this new firm from scratch, how would I do it?” #BreaktheMold https://www.alandwhitman.com/

• What is a business transformation to Alan? “It's about making what you have today different tomorrow, so you can succeed better tomorrow.”

• A big THANK YOU to Alan Whitman for joining us today. He’s out there everyday looking to #BreaktheMold and you can read more about him at this link https://www.alandwhitman.com/

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