AI for Accounting and Finance Blog

Colman Edwards took an unexpected turn in his education, as he initially started as an engineering student in college. During his time at Sacramento State College of Business Administration, Colman decided to switch his focus to the business. After completing his first accounting courses, everything came together. Throughout his professional experience, Colman has found a passion for technology, which he credits for influencing his career thus far.

In 2014, Colman began working as an accounting manager for Accretive Solutions, which became Countsy in 2017. After a year, Colman transitioned to an implementation role within Countsy and currently works as the Director of Technology. At the beginning of his position on the implementation team, he helped team members use the latest features in both NetSuite and Expensify. As the Director of Technology, Colman primarily focuses on technology integrations and standardizations within Countsy.

Daphne Peterson took an interest in accounting at an early age because her father was a CPA. This initial spark led her to over 20 years in accounting, finance, and operations. Most of her focus throughout this time has been working with Fortune 500 companies that need to turn  around their underperforming operations. Within the past nine years, Daphne found consulting to be a natural progression for her career.

As a Supervisor at RSM US, Daphne focuses on SaaS-based accounting and operating solutions for her clients. Initially, she discovered NetSuite while working with a client during an acquisition phase. Afterward, Daphne found employment with Explore Consulting, who focused exclusively on implementing NetSuite. When Explore Consulting was acquired by RSM US, currently the largest NetSuite provider, Daphne continued consulting on software that she enjoys. One of her favorite things about NetSuite is the exceptional support they provide.

Michelle Schimberg originally wanted to be a medical student but decided to pursue a degree in accounting after discovering that it was a natural fit. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, Michelle worked for Deloitte, before spending 25 years leading finance teams in non-profit organizations. During this span of time she came to enjoy updating and optimizing accounting systems for her employers.

Nearly six years ago, Michelle began working with Sage Intacct and fell in love with the software. A few years later, she decided to work with accounting and business consulting firm Armanino. As the Director of Business Outsourcing Service at Armanino, Michelle manages a team of professionals that help clients use and audit with Sage Intacct. Additionally, Michelle’s job includes assisting clients in implementing Sage Intacct in their organizations.

The AI Platform for Accounting Demonstrates Its Commitment to Cloud Security and Data Privacy

New York  –  Vic.ai, the AI (artificial intelligence) platform for accounting productivity, announced today  its completion of the Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 Type 1 attestation. With its mission to empower accounting firms and enterprise finance departments, Vic.ai’s accreditation reinforces its commitment to exceptional customer service. 

In this podcast episode, you will hear from Jim Norton, Senior Technology Consultant at Dean Dorton, a CPA firm based in Lexington, Kentucky. Jim took an unconventional journey to become an accountant, as he was initially a theater major. However, during his time at Southern Connecticut State University, Jim decided that working as an accountant would provide more job security than acting typically does. That’s when he transitioned to the accounting program and graduated with his B.S. in Business Administration and Accounting.

Right out of college, Jim worked in public accounting and eventually earned his CPA. During this time, he worked with nonprofits on audits, tax returns, and consulting. After several years, Jim transitioned to the private sector, taking on various job roles for nonprofit organizations. His focus was to work with organizations that offer social services. Finally, after moving into a role in providing outsourced accounting services, Jim started using Sage Intacct as a customer. This first experience with Intacct developed into a passion for Intacct, leading Jim into his current role at Dean Dorton. Now he works almost exclusively in Intacct and helps companies implement the software in their organizations.

Today you will hear from Baran Sonmez, the Senior Manager of Professional Services at AcctTwo Shared Services. Baran studied Finance and Economics at Trinity University in San Antonio. He has always had an interest in technology and has just accepted an accounting position out of college. After working for PwC, Baran decided to move away from accounting audits and transition to the technical side of providing accounting software solutions. That is when he began working for AcctTwo, where Baran received his first hands-on experience with Sage Intacct.  

This podcast episode features Jayce Kadire, the Director of Financial Accounting Advisory Services at MGO CPA. After receiving his undergraduate degree in accounting, Jayce received his graduate degree in corporate finance. His professional career as an accountant began with a regional firm in New York. Next, Jayce worked in the medical device and life sciences industry, before transitioning back to the world of public accounting at MGO’s office in San Jose, California.

MGO was founded in 1987 and currently works with several types of business entities, some of which have specific government regulatory requirements. Over 400 of MGO’s clients are in the cannabis and hemp industry. Therefore, it was important for MGO to work with a SaaS platform that supports their client’s unique industry needs. Jayce’s first experience working with Sage Intacct began during his time with MGO, because Intacct is a cannabis-friendly ERP system.

In this podcast episode, you will hear from Drew Kangieser, the Director of Professional Services at AcctTwo Shared Services. Unlike many other people we interview on this podcast, Drew has an educational background in information systems, which he learned during his time at the University of Texas.

Drew started his professional career after college working with an oil and gas company on large scale technology projects. It was then that Drew knew he wanted to work in software, which was the starting place for his current role at AcctTwo.

Echoing a common theme seen among guests of the AI in Accounting Podcast, Caleb Jenkins started to learn accounting at a very young age. Growing up a few steps away from his father’s accounting practice, Caleb began using QuickBooks Desktop at age 9 to track his lawn-mowing and cherry-sales ventures.

And here’s a fun fact: Caleb has been a QuickBooks ProAdvisor since age 16, becoming the youngest QuickBooks ProAdvisor in the global ProAdvisor program.

Like many of the guests on this podcast, Wade Huseth of Baker Tilly knew he wanted to be an accountant from a very young age. Right out of college from the University of Wisconsin -Whitewater, Wade began his career at a small accounting firm in Madison, Wisconsin. This was at a time when accountants performed both audit and tax works for the same clients.