Getting Real About Racial Diversity in Our Firms

Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Time: 11:00 AM ET / 10:00 AM CT / 09:00 AM MT / 08:00 AM PT [Prevailing Time]
Presenter(s): Eric Pierre, CPA, CTC, Pierre Accounting; Kimberley J. Davis, MHRIR, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, GRF CPAs & Advisors; Tifphani White-King, Mazars USA; and Jennifer Lee Wilson, ConvergenceCoaching, LLC
Objective(s):
Participants will:
• Hear what attracted these leaders to the profession and what they suggest firms and individuals can do to make the profession and their firms more attractive to Black talent and other people of color
• Learn how racial injustice, bias or exclusion can impede retention and steps to take to materially shift your culture
• Identify programmatic changes you can make – in recruiting efforts, learning programs, evaluation and promotion programs or other aspects of firm life – to drive change
• Explore how allyship can make a difference in your firm and in the profession
Field of Study: Business Management & Organization
Program Level: Basic
CPE Credit: 1.5 Credit Hour
Delivery Method: Group Internet-based

No advanced preparation or prerequisites are required for this course.

Course Description

It’s no secret that our profession is woefully lacking in racial diversity. In fact, the 2019 AICPA Trends Report found that only 2% of CPAs and 1% of firm partners are Black or African American. Yet, according to the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, over 50% of new businesses launched in the last 10 years were minority-owned. How can mostly-white firms appeal to an increasingly diverse client community? And, why aren’t we attracting and retaining Black talent to our firms?

The recent racial unrest points to long-standing bias and injustice as part of the problem. As business leaders, we know we need to make change. And yet, we may not be clear what specifically needs to shift or how we should approach making necessary changes.

In this 90-minute session, facilitated by Jennifer Wilson, three Black leaders representing various aspects of firm leadership – a service line leader in a national firm, an HR Director in a mid-size firm, and a founder of a small, growing firm will come together to share their stories. Through their generous education, attendees will:

• Hear what attracted these leaders to the profession and what they suggest firms and individuals can do to make the profession and their firms more attractive to Black talent and other people of color
• Learn how racial injustice, bias or exclusion can impede retention and steps to take to materially shift your culture
• Identify programmatic changes you can make – in recruiting efforts, learning programs, evaluation and promotion programs or other aspects of firm life – to drive change
• Explore how allyship can make a difference in your firm and in the profession

We encourage you to attend this session with additional key leaders from your firm. Leave the discussion with actions each of you can personally take to shift racial bias at work and at home as well as concrete strategies your team can take for creating a fairer, more inclusive and ultimately more racially diverse organization.

Presenter and Moderator Bios
Panelists:

Eric Pierre, CPA, CTC, Owner, Principal, Pierre Accounting is the man behind Pierre Accounting and its upward growth, as the CPA firm is consistently evolving and adapting to suit the needs of its client base. Eric entered the financial industry and began to develop what would prove to be a passionate and prolific career. But the corporate world limited Eric’s capacity to deliver the personalized professional service he sought to provide his clients. He wanted to do business on a micro level – a personal level – and focus on more relationship-based mutually-beneficial partnerships. In 2006, he got his CPA license and Pierre Accounting was founded soon thereafter. Since then, Eric has spent more than a decade delivering and perfecting the service that places his CPA firm in a world all its own.

Kimberley J. Davis, MHRIR, SPHR, SHRM-SCP has been the human resources director of GRF CPAs & Advisors since August 2006. She is responsible for all human resources functions including organizational development, compensation & benefits administration, training, employee relations, recruitment, and administration of COBRA, 401(k) and FMLA programs. Ms. Davis has more than 20 years of exempt-level experience in human resource management. Ms. Davis is a founding member of GRF’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative. She also serves as a founding committee member of Women on the Move, GRF’s women’s leadership initiative formalized in 2019.

Tifphani White-King is the US National Tax Practice Leader for Mazars USA. She is also a member of the Mazars Global Tax Leadership Team. Her responsibilities in these roles include creating a shared vision, setting strategic direction, and driving marketplace growth for Tax. Prior to assuming these positions, Tifphani was the US International Tax Practice Leader for Mazars USA. She has nearly 20 years of international tax experience, providing operational, strategic, and marketplace direction for emerging, midmarket, and large, multinational companies. Her expertise includes international tax structuring, transaction planning, mergers and acquisitions, tax provision, compliance reporting, and other related services.

Moderator:

Jennifer Wilson is co-founder and partner of ConvergenceCoaching, LLC, a national consulting firm that helps leaders achieve success. Named as one of Accounting Today’s 100 Most Influential People in Accounting, INSIDE Public Accounting’s Top 10 Most Recommended Consultants, and Practicing CPA’s Top 25 Thought Leaders and Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Accounting, Jennifer is an experienced change agent who has worked in both public accounting and industry. She is a frequent speaker, writer and thought leader on topics related to leadership, the rise of the next generation and managing change within the CPA profession.

Cost
$25.00 for CPAFMA Members / $40.00 for Non-Members / Free for PAFMs

Delivery System

• All programs are delivered using the Zoom platform.
• Confirmations will include log-in instructions.
• Participants are able to participate using any device with an Internet connect (if the device does not have speakers, the participant can also dial-in) or they can participate with audio only by dialing in.
• All registrants will receive a link to the MAPCast’s recording by email within 48 business hours of event’s conclusion.
• There will be assistance available to help with technical and connectivity issues up to 10 minutes prior to the start of the presentation.

Registration

All registration is done on-line with the names and email addresses of each individual guest. Log-in details will be emailed to all registrants approximately 1-2 days prior to each session.

Refund Policy

CPAFMA will not issue refunds for MAPCasts. If a registrant is unable to participate in the MAPCast and sends written notice to info@cpafma.org 48 hours prior to the session, a credit will be provided for a future MAPCast. Alert the CPAFMA staff member monitoring the MAPCast if technical difficulties are encountered and technical support will be provided to eliminate problems with future MAPCasts.

Additional Information

Live participation is required for CPE credit and polling questions must be answered to show active participation. All registrants will receive an email following the session with links to the slides and/or handouts, and a link to the MAPCast recording (unless otherwise stated). If you are unable to participate in the live session, you can still watch the recorded session, but you will not be eligible for CPE credits.

For more information regarding CPAFMA MAPCasts or administrative policies such as complaint and refund, contact the CPAFMA Headquarters at 937-222-0030, or info@cpafma.org.