Speakers
David Matthews, Resources Global Professionals
Plenary Speaker, Friday, April 12, 8:10 am – 9:05 am
Robotic Process Automation - Accounting for Impact
David has more than 25 years of global process management experience across multiple industries in both Australia and the United States, both as a practitioner and currently as the Regional VP, Advisory Services at Resources Global Professionals (RGP).
He has held numerous global senior management positions, including a Centre of Expertise Group Manager where he was responsible for building organizational capability, driving operational efficiencies, and supporting the execution of multiple process optimization initiatives that delivered significant sustainable bottom line results.
David played a key leadership role in launching RGP’s RPA practice at the start of 2017. Today, he works with our clients across the US, and is a regular speaker on RPA at industry networking events and roundtables.
Lester Sussman, CPA, Resources Global ProfessionalsPlenary Speaker, Friday, April 12, 8:10 am – 9:05 am
Robotic Process Automation - Accounting for Impact
Les has 40+ years of professional services and private industry experience in accounting, auditing and corporate governance. He is a Vice President of Advisory Services in the Governance Risk & Compliance (GRC) practice area for Resources Global Professionals (RGP), providing corporate governance, risk management and compliance services to clients globally. Prior to joining RGP in 2005, Les was an audit partner at Deloitte and a Chief Accounting Officer at Gemstar TV Guide.
Les is also a member of the Board of Directors of East West Bancorp, where he serves as chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Risk Oversight Committee. He is a licensed certified public accountant in the State of California and maintains current memberships with the American Institute of CPA’s, the California Society of CPA’s and the Institute of Internal Auditors.
Ann C. Dzuranin, Northern Illinois University
Plenary Speaker, Friday, April 12, 9:15 am – 10:15 am
Data and Analytics: Curriculum Innovation to Meet Employer Needs
Dr. Ann C. Dzuranin is the Dean’s Distinguished Professor of Analytics in Accounting at Northern Illinois University. She earned her B.S. from Fairleigh Dickinson University, her MBA from New York University, and her Ph.D. from the University of South Florida. Ann is a CPA (NJ) and has 15 years of experience in both public and corporate accounting.
Dr. Dzuranin is interested in behavioral research in managerial decision-making, incentive compensation, and accounting information systems. Specifically, she is interested management accounting decision making and the ways in which accounting information systems interact with those decisions. Her research has been published in Issues in Accounting Education, Journal of Information Systems, Journal of Business Ethics, Management Accounting Quarterly, and Journal of Corporate Accounting and Finance.
Dr. Dzuranin’s work in data analytics curriculum development has resulted in invitations to present on the topic of Data Analytics and Accounting at both academic and professional conferences. Her presentations have reached over 1,500 people in the last 15 months with more than 40 universities requesting additional information regarding NIU’s approach to incorporating data analytics into the curriculum.
Andrea Schulz, KPMG
Lunch Speaker, Friday, April 12, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Navigating the Audit of Digital Assets
Andrea Schulz is an Audit Senior Manager in KPMG’s Silicon Valley Office with over 13 years of experience. Her clients have ranged from emerging growth to publicly traded technology companies with a focus on the Software as a Service and FinTech industries. Since 2014, she has led the deployment of KPMG’s data and analytics capabilities throughout audits in the Bay Area.
Anne L. Christensen, AAA Past-President, Montana State University-Bozeman
Plenary Speaker, Saturday, April 13, 8:20 am – 8:50 am
Bold Transformations Toward a Prosperous Society
Anne L. Christensen is a Professor of Accounting in the Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship at Montana State University, where she has served as Director of the Master of Professional Accountancy Program and Director of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Anne earned her Ph.D. from the University of Utah. Her research has been published in journals such as Issues in Accounting Education, The Journal of the American Taxation Association, ATA Journal of Legal Tax Research, Advances in Accounting Education, Journal of Business Ethics, and Financial Accountability and Management. She has served on Editorial Boards for Issues in Accounting Education, Accounting Horizons, Journal of the American Taxation Association, and Journal of Accounting Education.
Anne is currently serving as the Past-President of the American Accounting Association (AAA). She also served as the AAA Director-Focusing on Segments and on AAA’s Sharpening Our Vision Taskforce I and II. During her career she served on AAA Council and as President and Program Chair of the Western Region, as President, Vice President, and Trustee of the ATA. She has served on the AAA Strategic Region Leader Committee as Co-Chair, and as a member of the Council Committee on Awards Committee, Deloitte Wildman Award Committee, AAA Journals Task Force, and AAA Nominations Committee.