New AICPA chair: ‘We need to promote the cool work we do’

Raised in a family that valued entrepreneurship, business acumen, and hard work, new AICPA Chair Carla McCall, CPA, CGMA, credits two trailblazing women for inspiring her the most.

Her paternal grandmother held a job in banking until she founded her own insurance agency in 1948 and turned it into the family business. Both of McCall’s parents worked there. Her mother, the youngest of 12 siblings, immigrated to the United States from Italy at age 15. She learned a new language, signed up for community college classes, and, after leaving the family insurance business, worked for the IRS for 17 years.

Through the example of these women, McCall said, she absorbed the values of believing in oneself and pursuing one’s dreams, and the power of using one’s voice.

“I’m sitting in a managing partner seat because I wasn’t afraid to voice an opinion respectfully when nobody else was speaking in the room or disagreeing with someone in a leadership position,” said McCall, who moved up through the ranks at AAFCPAs (formerly Alexander Aronson Finning CPAs), a 325-person CPA and consulting firm based near Boston.

Family influence, personal drive, and a commitment to excellence are the threads that wove her professional accomplishments and accolades. She brings more than 30 years of experience in the accounting profession and a deep understanding of its evolving landscape to chairing the AICPA board of directors for the 2024–2025 term. Reimagining the profession as a catalyst for entrepreneurship and innovation is central to her vision.

“We are entrepreneurs building businesses inside a business,” she said. “We identify a need and develop resources to meet the need, bring in clients, build a volume of work, and develop people to succeed us, and that’s entrepreneurship.”

She envisions accountants as change agents, driving organizational growth and progress.

ACCOUNTING IS MORE THAN MATH

McCall’s professional journey reflects the transformative potential of the profession beyond financial rewards. “When I first started, it was all about money,” she said. But over the years, she added, she embraced a broader definition of success, one that encompasses personal growth, professional fulfillment, and community service.

As a high school student, McCall was initially drawn to the accounting profession through the influence of her friends and her aptitude for the subject. “I think having the course in high school was helpful. I did well, and I ended up applying to business schools. My family liked that because they were all in business, so it seemed to be a good match for me.”

McCall earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Bentley University in Waltham, Mass., and in 2017 received the inaugural Harry C. Bentley Alumni Achievement Award. The AICPA and CPA Practice Advisor named her one of the Most Powerful Women in the Accounting Profession (2020–2021, 2022, and 2023), and Accounting Today included her on its National Managing Partner Elite list (2020).

She started her career in public accounting at a small firm in Connecticut and after six years joined AAFCPAs, where her career trajectory evolved over nearly three decades as she was driven by a desire to make a meaningful impact and build trust with clients.

“Anytime somebody says accounting is math, my skin crawls; it is not,” McCall said. “Yes, you must be technically competent, but it’s not just math. The most important skill is relationship building because we’re in the business of trust. We protect the public trust, they rely on us, and we’re integral to sustainable economies.”

In a managing partner seat at AAFCPAs since 2011, McCall leads with a solid vision of creating a human-first culture under the motto, “great minds, great hearts.”

SUPPORTING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PROFESSION

During her tenure as chair, McCall plans to champion three primary goals to advance the profession: promote the value and sustainability of the profession; drive innovation and transformation; and foster inclusion and opportunity.

In pursuit of these goals, she aims to:

Emphasize the future of the profession

Attracting the next generation of accountants starts with a paradigm shift within the profession, McCall said. “We need to promote the cool work we do. We need to stop talking about hours, stop using the term ‘busy season,’ and stop talking about how stressed we are.”

Instead, accountants should point to positive examples, such as guiding clients through complex financial transactions like IPOs and mergers and providing essential support during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, to emphasize the dynamic and varied nature of the profession, she said.

“There’s a lot of opportunity to lead and grow, and, obviously, way more earnings potential than I ever thought possible,” McCall said.

Technology plays a pivotal role in reshaping accounting practices, she said.

Adapting to the technological landscape means the skill sets expected of CPAs must also evolve. To promote this progression, the AICPA and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) have teamed up in a joint effort called the CPA Evolution initiative, which aims to transform the CPA licensure model to align with the skill sets and expertise required by accounting and finance professionals. That project achieved a major milestone with the January 2024 launch of a new CPA Exam that reflects the increasing role of technology and data and the shifting roles and duties of recently licensed CPAs.

Leveraging technology for data analysis, process improvements, and forecasting is crucial to business growth, and embracing the changing expectations and capabilities that technology brings is front and center for McCall.

“CFOs historically have reported on historical results. Now, they’re seen as a value partner,” she said.

Establishing internal controls and knowing potential risks are critical to leading transformation. As trusted advisers, accountants are perfectly positioned to harness new technology and share ideas for robotic process automation and other technological advancements with their companies and clients. 

“We can go to clients and say, ‘Hey, how are you using automation in your business?’ ” she said. “We’re in a position to understand what’s possible and talk to our clients about it.”

Looking ahead, McCall emphasizes the transformative impact of emerging technologies, such as generative AI and automation tools, to help firms maximize efficiency so that they work smarter, not harder.

“Our profession and how we do our work is already changing, and we need to make sure that we don’t keep chasing the shiny nickel and that we have a real strategy about how we’re going to transform,” she said.

Engage educational institutions

Promoting the value of the profession extends beyond professional circles. McCall underscores the importance of engaging with educational institutions and the broader community to encourage people to come into and stay in the profession.

“We all have to do the work as [AICPA] members,” McCall said. “Get into the high schools, the colleges, and start promoting all the cool stuff we do on socials.”

Accounting skills can be a path to owning a business, sitting on a board, or branching out into other areas of expertise, such as technology. “Accounting is the language of business,” McCall said. “There’s a lot of power in the ‘and.’ Accounting and anything else is powerful.”

Case in point: In McCall’s firm one employee moved departments from audit to technology. “Their passion was really in tech,” she said. “But having an accounting and auditing background is really valuable to the technology practice.”

Foster inclusion and opportunity

Promoting diversity within the profession is vital to attracting and retaining top talent. It starts with a commitment to creating a more inclusive environment within firms.

AAFCPAs’ inclusion and equitable opportunity journey began in 2011 when McCall founded the firm’s Women’s Opportunity Network (WON), which focused on intentional actions and culture change to keep women in the profession and provide advancement opportunities. She is a mentor to many young women in accounting and takes a proactive stance toward addressing gender disparities and promoting gender equity within the profession.

“I’ve had a significant focus on women, in particular, over the last 12 to 15 years, and because of the effort, we’ve done very well in retaining women in our firm and getting women into leadership positions,” McCall said. Since the inception of WON, the representation of women leaders has significantly increased. Starting from a modest 25% in 2011, the percentage of AAFCPAs’ leadership positions held by women has grown to 48%. WON is now a component of the firm’s broader Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging programming, which also includes the publishing of an annual Impact Report that outlines the firm’s goals and actions as they relate to corporate social responsibility.

McCall walks the walk, said Maura Hughes, CPA, MBA, CEO of Boston MedFlight and a friend since McCall joined AAFCPAs in 1995. “Her determination and mission have not lessened as the years have gone on, and she has done so much for her own firm and accountancy as a whole,” Hughes said.

Expanding opportunities for aspiring accountants means championing innovative programs to provide people from diverse backgrounds access to the profession and opportunities to advance.

One of those innovative programs is the Experience, Learn and Earn (ELE) program. Launched by the AICPA and NASBA in fall 2023, the ELE program allows accounting graduates to work as first-year hires at public accounting firms immediately after earning their bachelor’s degree. Students gain access to affordable online courses, which helps them reach the 150-credit-hour requirement.

In addition to promoting the ELE program, McCall’s firm established the Zip2CPA licensing accelerator program, which provides coaching and support to navigate the CPA Exam process.

Other initiatives include the firm’s E3 Intern Accelerator Program, a partnership with three local community colleges that is designed to provide opportunities for accounting undergrads who are traditionally underrepresented in the accounting industry.

VALUING DIFFERENCES AND CREATING SAFE SPACES

Good leadership extends beyond delegating assignments. It means prioritizing the well-being and professional fulfillment of others and understanding that everyone is unique.

“My goal as a leader was to create a human-first culture … that we appreciate differences, that we value differences, that we create safe spaces so that we can ask questions and understand things that we might not,” McCall said.

Courtney McFarland, CPA, audit and consulting partner in AAFCPAs’ health care practice, has worked with McCall for 20 years.

“From day one, Carla made it clear that she wanted us to bring our full, authentic selves to work,” McFarland said, adding that the message of being authentic was a powerful one for her. “I often felt I didn’t fit in with the CPA crowd. I was too quiet, too sensitive, too much … but Carla always gently reminded me that I deserved to take up space. My ideas and emotions were valid and deserved to be heard.”

When McFarland became a parent, the pressures of an auditing career led to her departure from the firm. She didn’t stay away long. “Carla has always been incredibly brave, paving a path where no one else had gone and bringing each of us along with her. I came back to AAFCPAs after nine months away, and Carla greeted me with, ‘I knew you’d be back.’ ”

Upon her return, McFarland took a different position as scheduling coordinator and accounting and auditing lead.

“Carla helped me design it in a way that allowed me to be a mom and a passionate CPA,”

McFarland said. “She has done that for so many, creating positions, roles, and flexible schedules that allow each and every one of her employees, or her family as she would say, to achieve a work/life balance that brings them personal and professional balance.”

By encouraging self-awareness and promoting a culture of appreciation for individual differences, an organization can create an environment where every team member feels valued and empowered to contribute authentically, McCall said.

“Personally, I have been and continue to be inspired by what appears to be her effortless leadership,” said Byron Patrick, CPA/CITP, CGMA, owner of Byron.cpa LLC. Patrick first met McCall at the AICPA’s North Carolina office while they were serving on the AICPA Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS) Executive Committee.

“From the very beginning of her tenure on the committee, Carla was an impactful member. Despite representing one of the largest firms in the room, she always brought perspectives that were relevant to the committee,” Patrick said.

“She can concisely communicate while I am still trying to wrap my head around the same topic. Carla is one of the few people who are truly real in this world — no games or masks; she is as real as they come,” he said. “Combine that with being an amazing human being, and I am extremely grateful to consider her a friend.”

CREATING A MESSAGE OF HOPE

Volunteering reflects the profession’s core values and offers an opportunity to make a difference in others’ lives. McCall has a deep commitment to community engagement and giving back.

She sought out volunteering opportunities when a partner at her firm who was also her mentor asked her about her involvement in community service in 2001. She didn’t stop after a volunteer event or two but rather went on to become a founding board member of Strong Women, Strong Girls in Boston, a not-for-profit dedicated to empowering women and girls in inner-city communities.

“Community engagement and giving back is the heartbeat of the accounting profession. Through our commitment to serving and uplifting our communities, we embody integrity, responsibility, and stewardship, so there’s lots of alignment between community engagement and the accounting profession,” McCall said.

By promoting community service with her team, McCall aims to foster a sense of connection and purpose inside and outside the firm’s walls.

The resulting personal connections can have a profound and lasting impact.

McCall is the former founding board member and treasurer of the Jordan Porco Foundation, an organization committed to promoting mental health, preventing suicide, and creating a message of hope for young adults.

Lindsey Curley, CPA, CGMA, senior manager–Firm Services at the AICPA, served with McCall on the AICPA PCPS Executive Committee, during which time Curley experienced a tremendous personal loss. “I lost my sister-in-law to suicide. She was 28 at the time and struggled with depression and anxiety, and we had no idea,” Curley said. “After hesitantly sharing my story and my family’s involvement with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Carla immediately reached out and shared her own story of losing her cousin to suicide.”

McCall has continued to support her family, Curley said, and that means a lot.

Carla McCall, CPA, CGMA

Term as AICPA chair began: May 22, 2024.

Title: Chair, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and co-chair, the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants; managing partner, AAFCPAs.

Family: Husband, Chris; daughter, Alexandra; and son, Evan.

Fun fact: A diehard New England Patriots fan who cheered loudly and in person at three winning Super Bowls.

Best advice you’ve ever received: “Don’t be afraid to ask for what you
deserve.”

About the author

Mari Sagedal is a senior content writer at AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Jeff Drew at Jeff.Drew@aicpa-cima.com.

LEARNING RESOURCES

Data Analytics Foundations Certificate

Discover how data analytics can transform your organization and learn how to close data analytics skills gaps for future success. 

CPE SELF-STUDY

AICPA & CIMA Women’s Global Leadership Summit

Come and join hundreds of accounting and finance professionals who are committed to creating an inclusive and equal profession.

Nov. 11–13, 2024

Bellevue, Wash.

CONFERENCE

For more information or to make a purchase, go to aicpa-cima.com/cpe-learning or call 888-777-7077.