Speakers

Audrey Gramling

Audrey Gramling recently served as the Council Chair (2015-16) at the American Accounting Association. In July 2014, she began serving as the Accounting Department Chair and Professor at Colorado State University. Previously, she held the Treece Endowed Chair and was Accounting Department Professor and Chair at Bellarmine University and has been on the accounting faculty at Kennesaw State University, Georgia State University, Wake Forest University, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Gramling’s research investigates both internal and external auditing issues, with a focus on decision behavior of auditors, external auditor independence, internal control reporting, and other factors affecting the market for audit and assurance services. Prior to earning her Ph.D. at the University of Arizona, Dr. Gramling worked as an external auditor at a predecessor firm of Deloitte and as an internal auditor at Georgia Institute of Technology. She has also served a one year appointment as an Academic Accounting Fellow in the Office of the Chief Accountant at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. She is the past-President of the Auditing Section of the American Accounting Association and has served in an advisory role to the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO).

Scott Marcello, KPMG

Scott Marcello is Vice Chair - Audit, for KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm, and the America’s Leader for Audit for KPMG International. In his U.S. role, Scott leads a team of more than 9,000 Audit partners and professionals in the development and execution of the U.S. Audit strategic vision, and he sits on the firm’s Management Committee. A former member of KPMG’s U.S. Board of Directors, Scott has more than 30 years of experience serving some of KPMG’s largest clients. He also served as KPMG’s National Leader for the U.S. Financial Services business, as regional coordinating partner for KPMG’s Americas Financial Services practices, and as a member of KPMG’s Global Financial Services Leadership Team.

Christopher Bourdon, PwC

Chris is an assurance partner serving in PwC’s Los Angeles entertainment & media practice. Currently, he serves as the lead engagement partner on Demand Media and Dreamworks Animation skg, both SEC registrants. Chris is also a partner on The Walt Disney Company engagement team. In this role, Chris is primarily responsible for the audit of Disney’s Television Studio, Television Broadcast and Theme Park and Resorts businesses. In addition, Chris is responsible for all Corporate functions as well as the delivery of PwC’s communications to Disney’s executive leadership team and audit committee. During his career, Chris has predominately served public companies in several industries, including technology, retail and consumer products. He has particular expertise in securities registration statement filings under the 1933 Act. In addition, Chris led a team engaged to assist a client in a large scale investigation under Section 10A of the 1934 Act. Chris has significant experience advising clients on accounting issues common to multi-national entertainment and media companies - such as consolidation and joint ventures, I.P. licensing, mergers & acquisitions, goodwill and intangible assets, income taxes, revenue recognition and stock compensation. He has advised clients in their efforts to implement significant financial I.T. systems as well as shared accounting service centers in international locations.

Kristin L. Benton, PwC

Kristin is an Assurance Manager in PwC’s Jacksonville Market. She has worked for seven years with companies in various industries including Insurance (Health, Home, Worker’s Compensation), Entertainment, and Consumer Products. During her career, Kristin has worked with Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, and privately held entities. Kristin possesses wide-ranging and vast experience in the health sector, which helps her comprehensively understand a client’s unique needs. She has worked with payers, providers, and integrated payer/provider models. Focused on streamlining the audit, she has designed and implemented testing strategies related to premium revenue and patient service revenue that maximize the technologies and capabilities of the Firm. Additionally, she is accustomed to developing an integrated approach with the Firm’s health actuaries and other specialists so that client needs are readily resolved.

Gary Hansen, The Walt Disney Company

Gary is a 16 year employee of The Walt Disney Company where he has held a variety of positions in the accounting and business operations areas. In his current role as Senior Vice President, Disney Worldwide Shared Services (DWSS), Gary leads teams that provide accounting, transaction processing, and business operations services to Disney’s business units. Prior to joining DWSS, Gary was Vice President, Management Audit for The Walt Disney Company with responsibility for worldwide management audit functions including the planning and execution of financial, operational and information systems audits for all of the Company’s business units as well as overseeing investigations into potential financial irregularities. Prior to his appointment in Management Audit, Gary spent several years as the Vice President & Controller for Walt Disney International. Gary’s many contributions to the Disney finance organization have enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of financial control and reporting processes during a period of significant global expansion. Before beginning his Disney career, Gary held various finance positions at US Oncology and PwC. Gary earned both his Bachelor of Accounting and Masters of Accounting degrees at Brigham Young University.

Tracy Willis, The Walt Disney Company

Tracy Willis is a senior finance executive and serves as the VP Segment Controller for The Walt Disney Company - Parks and Resorts. She has been with the Walt Disney Company since 1989 and has held various leadership positions in Finance and now enterprise controllership. Tracy’s areas of focus during her career have included strategic planning and analyses, financial decision support, implementing process improvements, and business decision support. She has also led large projects such as cost reduction efforts for the segment and then Enterprise Controllership. Tracy’s current responsibilities extend beyond traditional controllership and include business operations, payment services and financial systems. Prior to joining Disney, Tracy worked for Scott Paper Company in an audit and then accounting function. Tracy has a BS in Accounting from the University of Delaware, and is a CPA. She has lived in Orlando for the past 27 years.