Award recognizes innovation in public accounting firms

Caitlin Lacher and Rachael Higginbotham, marketing team members with the Louisiana-based accounting and business advisory firm Postlethwaite & Netterville, received CPA.com’s Innovative Practitioners 2016 Award recognizing innovations in process, services, or technology implementation in public accounting firms.

Lacher and Higginbotham were the guiding forces behind Pounce, a business development tool for professional services firms that launched this past summer. The platform allows CPA firms to manage and match staff résumés, as well as industry experience, service expertise, and other firm-related materials, so marketing and sales teams can quickly and effectively respond to new business opportunities.

Besides the two winners, three other nominees were recognized for their innovative work.

Runner-up Charles Postal, managing partner at Santos, Postal & Co. in Rockville, Md., introduced services, including Officevibe, Slack, and Yammer, at his firm to help provide transparency and communication among staff.

Tied for honorable mention, Kathy Ryan of RoseRyan in Newark, Calif., helped develop the RoseRyan Dream Team System, her firm’s in-house application to automate processes such as time tracking, recruiting, and revenue forecasting.

Also receiving honorable mention, Dixie McCurley of Trusted CFO Solutions in Atlanta developed customized accounting models for clients that deliver data analytics to facilitate business decision-making.