Throughout the last decade, Depa has worked closely with C-suite leaders and boards to bring innovative products and services to market, improve client and employee experiences, and help enhance operational efficiencies through technology. Most recently, he served as the inaugural Chief Data and AI Officer at a leading university and health care organization. At the university, he helped to promote AI literacy, launch a responsible AI governance program and enable a secure data foundation. Prior to that, he acted as Senior Managing Director and Global Lead for Data and AI at a global multinational professional services company, where he led a team of AI strategists and data engineers in developing and implementing new products and services

Alright so they’re going to make us Google it. That leading university appears to be Emory and he was appointed to the chief data and AI guy position just last year. Emory did name names in their announcement so now we know the “global multinational professional services company” mentioned in EY’s announcement is Accenture:

Depa comes to Emory from Accenture, a Fortune 50 technology provider, where he served as the senior managing director and global lead for data and AI for the company’s strategy and consulting business. There he managed their award-winning team of global professionals specializing in data science and AI strategy, and served on the global leadership committee. He focused on helping clients in health, life sciences and across industries to leverage data to develop new clinical data products, improve the patient and employee experience and reduce operating expenses.

At EY, Depa will “lead on the discovery and deployment of emerging technologies to help address business challenges and shape the future with confidence.” Translation: “Figure out how the firm can make buckets of money from AI.”

“I’m truly excited to join an organization that is ‘All in’ on its commitment to the transformative potential of emerging technologies,” said whoever wrote this quote attributed to Joe Depa in the press release, referencing EY’s post-Vision 2020 “All In” strategy that hasn’t caught on at all yet. “I look forward to working with the EY teams and clients to help empower them to apply innovation in bold, new ways that help create value for clients through data, AI and emerging technologies to make the world a better place.”

Missed opportunity to fit “build a better working world” in there, Joe. Maybe we’re not using that anymore.

EY’s last Chief Innovation Officer was Jeff Wong who held the position from 2015 until this past summer.

Joe Depa named as EY Global Chief Innovation Officer to lead its global innovation strategy [PR Newswire]

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The Association and CPA.com Startup Accelerator will seek to support as many as five early-stage companies during the next year. The focus will be on startups in two key areas:

• Technology and financial information, which could include advances in artificial intelligence, automation of routine tasks, and the application of blockchain/digital ledgers; and
• Professional competency innovation, which could encompass machine learning to personalize professional education, collaboration tools for mentors and experts, and improvements in measuring professional competency, among other categories.

“The Association and CPA.com have a deep base of knowledge and resources to offer entrepreneurs looking to find a foothold in the accounting ecosystem,” Lawson Carmichael, the Association’s executive vice president for strategy, people, and innovation, said in a news release. “And for us, the startup accelerator offers a chance to ‘see around corners’ and take a more long-range view of opportunities in business transformation and innovation. There’s a compelling business case for collaboration.”

Whoa, an AICPA Startup Accelerator? How did you totally miss the opportunity to call this XYZ Combinator? Come on, you guys!

Anyhoo, you’ll notice that first bullet point is especially dangerous, as so many careers within the profession are based solely on routine tasks. But hey, if someone can figure out to automate that process, awesome. Software doesn’t need a vacation, it doesn’t get pregnant, it doesn’t sue for sexual harassment, and it definitely doesn’t go on Going Concern trashing its employer. In other words, exactly what the firms want so they don’t have to put up with your crap.

Funnier still is that CPA.com’s president, CEO and weekend larper Erik Asgeirsson refers to this initiative as “Shark Tank” for startups. If you recall, Mr. Shark Tank himself Mark Cuban told SXSW in March that he believes automation will totally change the way we work, in a way that leaves those without critical thinking skills in the dust. “I would not want to be a CPA right now,” he said. “I would not want to be an accountant right now.” That statement did not sit well with the AICPA, who wrote a strongly-worded blog post in their own defense addressed to Cuban. (Because they do not mind getting defensive and then setting others straight.)

And yet, here they are just a handful of months later going all in on automation that could potentially demolish a large chunk of the profession. Think Fallout 5: Spreadsheet Jockey; melty-face ghoul accountants wandering the wasteland desperate for just one last tickmark.

We get it, accountants have to be relevant and innovation-y. But let’s remember who makes up the majority of your member base: human robots built on largely routine tasks. You might be wise not to elbow them out of the way so enthusiastically.

Image: iStock/leremy

The post The AICPA Is Trying to Innovate You Right Out of a Job appeared first on Going Concern.

It's incredibly refreshing to see the Deloitte status quo ready to battle against the status quo for the sake of clients, Deloitte's people, and yes, even society itself.

In their Global Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board letter, terminal status quoians Barry Salzberg and Steve Almond shamelessly humblebrag about their long tradition of surviving disruption on all sides over nearly two centuries:

Facing unprecedented disruption—whether caused by exponential technology advances, digital transformation, intense regulatory scrutiny, continuing globalization, geopolitical uncertainty or economic volatility—is the new normal for our clients—and for us. But we continue to stand ready to lead, guide, or advise those that depend on us through the challenges these market forces bring.

In fact, over our 169 years in the business, we have learned how to successfully turn challenges into business opportunities. It’s made us who we are today – the broadest, most deeply skilled, integrated professional services organization in the market. And it’s why so many of the largest, most sophisticated clients choose Deloitte to help solve their toughest challenges.

Translation: we're innovating our way into the future by doing the same thing we've done for 169 years, which is look out for ourselves, bill by the hour, rest on our laurels, idly stand by while our services turn into commodities and pay lip service to important issues. Here's to 2015!

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