Speakers

Markus Ahrens
Pathways to a Sustainable Future
Saturday, January 27, 2018, 11:45 am - 1:30 pm

Markus Ahrens joined the Accounting & Legal Studies Department at St. Louis Community College-Meramec in 2001 and currently serves as the department chair. Prior to his teaching career, he worked as an accountant for 15 years. He earned a Master in Business Administration from Saint Louis University and recently completed his PhD coursework at Saint Louis University. In addition, Markus is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Global Management Accountant.

Markus is active in service learning and served as a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Site Coordinator for eight years. Furthermore, Markus has received national awards for his teaching and his innovation in the classroom, including most recently, the 2013 AICPA Bea Sanders Innovation Award in Teaching Introductory Accounting Courses. His primary research interests are experiential learning in accounting education and student engagement utilizing technology. In addition, Markus co-founded TeachingandLearningToolbox.com, a free website dedicated to providing educators with up-to-date teaching and learning resources “where technology connects with pedagogy to raise the learning bar.”

Currently, Markus serves as a Trustee for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Foundation Board, is a past President of the Two-Year Section of the American Accounting Association, and is the past-chair for the Conference on Teaching and Learning in Accounting. Furthermore, Markus serves on the AICPA Pre-Certification Education Executive Committee. In 2010, Markus served as president for the Missouri Association of Accounting Educators. In addition, Markus is a member of the Teachers of Accounting at Two-Year Colleges, Institute of Management Accountants, Missouri Society of CPA’s and the Association of Experiential Education organizations.  Markus is the current Council Chair for the American Accounting Association.

Andrew Bauer
Research Workshop on Data Analytics and Topic Modeling
The Evolution of Accounting Skills: An Introduction to Data Analytics and Topic Modeling
Friday, January 26, 2018, 8:00 am – 11:30 am

Andrew (Andy) Bauer is an assistant professor and was recently named the Canada Research Chair in Taxation, Governance and Risk at the University of Waterloo. Prior to joining Waterloo, he was an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research primarily resides in the “tax space” but also includes internal controls and financial disclosure, with themes across all these areas that typically focus on governance, risk and shareholder incentives.

More recently, his research and general interests are being shaped by data analytics, which includes completion of online specializations in computer science and integration of specific data analytics and machine learning techniques in his research. This eclectic blend of taxes and data analytics can be traced back to his public accounting days with EY, when during firm-peer review he received the comment that “this is pretty good IT audit work considering you’re a tax guy”. He has given previous presentations or workshops on data analytics topics at the American Taxation Association Mid-Year Meeting and the Accounting IS Big Data Conference.

Marc A. Siegel
Interchange Between Academics and Practitioners: Perspectives from the FASB
Friday, January 26, 2018, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Marc A. Siegel was appointed to the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in 2008, reappointed to a second five-year term in 2013. In this role, he brings an investor perspective to the Board that establishes U.S. generally accepted accounting standards for private-sector entities, including businesses and not-for-profit organizations.

A recognized expert in forensic accounting, Mr. Siegel has over 20 years of experience in diverse and global industries that include technology, media, telecommunications, healthcare, retail, and insurance. Prior to his appointment to the FASB, he led the Accounting Research and Analysis team at the RiskMetrics Group in Rockville, Maryland.

Previously, Mr. Siegel was the Director of Research at the Center for Financial Research & Analysis (CFRA), prior to the firm’s acquisition by RiskMetrics Group. In this capacity, he was responsible for CFRA’s proprietary research methodology for identifying hidden risks of business deterioration through forensic financial statement analysis, leading a team of twenty five analysts in North America and Europe. He joined CFRA in 2001, after spending ten years at Arthur Andersen LLP as both an auditor and a financial consultant focusing on litigation support.

Mr. Siegel is a member of the New York State Society of CPAs (NYSSCPA), and was on the faculty of the Washington, DC Bar Association/George Washington University Law School. Mr. Siegel also served on the FASB Investors Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC) from 2007-2008, and was a frequent guest on CNBC and other financial TV programs, speaking on various accounting issues in the news. He is the author of numerous articles on topics of interest in accounting.

Mr. Siegel graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Wharton School of Business with a B.S. in economics in 1991. His second term with the FASB extends until June 30, 2018.

Mike Willis
Research Workshop on Data Analytics and Topic Modeling
Big Data—More Data More Insights: How is the SEC using big data to enhance its analytical capabilities and what public data sets might be of interest for academic analysis?
Friday, January 26, 2018, 8:00 am – 11:30 am

Mike Willis is a retired PwC partner with public company reporting and audit experience and knowledge of relevant reporting standards, regulations and process and control considerations. He is currently the Assistant Director of the Office of Structured Disclosure at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission where he is responsible for leading the design and implementation of technological processes and tools to support the many structured data needs of the Commission, including the creation, implementation, and maintenance of forms and processes designed to capture structured data from SEC registrants through their filings with the Commission.