AI for Accounting and Finance Blog

This episode of the AI in Accounting Podcast features Steve Ronan, who started his career in management consulting and finance transformation for large Fortune 500 enterprises before switching to middle-market consulting. Now, he is a Principal and Leader of Business Process Outsourcing Practice at Citrin Cooperman, an accounting advisory firm based out of New York City known for its holistic, tech-forward approach to finance transformation.

Listen to the episode in full to learn why Steve thinks client service is so important to get right in the beginning. In his words:

Vic.ai, the AI (artificial intelligence) platform for accounting productivity, today announced the launch of its new feature Autopilot, a first of its kind, completely automated accounting solution that reduces human oversight. By first learning from millions of historical transactions as well as from customers’ accounting teams for a period of time, Vic.ai’s Autopilot is capable of autonomously making accounting decisions and recommending whether a human needs to review them or not.

In this episode of the AI in Accounting Podcast, you will meet Connie Hammell, the Managing Principal of KWC in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside the Washington, D.C. metro area. KWC is a CPA firm that specializes in creating and scaling new accounting systems for growing companies that are anticipating a liquidating event in the future.

Listen to the episode in full to hear what Connie thinks about the risk involved in relying on a brick-and-mortar accounting department in the modern world:

In this episode of the AI in Accounting Podcast, you will meet Elinor Litwack, a Partner of Outsourced Accounting & Advisory Services at GRF CPAs & Advisors, based in the greater New York City area. GRF CPAs & Advisors is a full-service CPA firm, including auditing and tax returns for both for-profit and non-profit organizations.

Elinor gives some great advice about choosing the right tech stack and how to best utilize younger staff members who are new to your team:

Michael Doody is committed to providing services that meet clients’ expectations and hopes to be a trusted advisor who can help guide owners to business decisions and growth opportunities.

Michael received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Le Moyne College and has been with the same accounting firm for almost 25 years. Michael Doody is a Partner in EFPR Group’s Tax and Business Services Department. Michael also is a Managing Principal of EFPR Solutions, a division that provides outsource accounting services and automation services for accounting. 

Craig Steinhoff always knew he wanted to be an accountant, and, after he received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Capital University, he went straight into the workforce to begin making career decisions. Craig started at a small firm, doing both audit and tax, and it eventually was merged into a larger firm, where he decided to choose auditing as his discipline. But he saw that many businesses were having issues with their own internal back offices.

Craig Steinhoff is the Partner and Lead of Client Accounting and Advisory Services (CAAS Group) at HBK CPAs. When he started at HBK CPAs, Craig brought years of auditing expertise and a background in tax. He provides services such as accounting, audit, and financial reporting services to a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing, wholesale distribution, not-for-profit, retail, and entertainment.

Scott Dawson has more than 20 years of accounting experience that has led him to a director-level position in CFO services. Scott brings diverse experience in both public and private accounting, uniquely positioning him to anticipate client needs and provide clients with tested solutions. 

Scott received a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Marquette University and went on to receive a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland, and a Master of Accountancy from Michigan State University. After receiving his degrees, he had the opportunity to move to the east coast during the technology boom, which led him to become a CFO and gain a number of years of experience in the software industry. 

Scott recently joined the Kruggel Lawton CPAs firm last year as the Director of Client Accounting Services, bringing with him experience in both public and private accounting, specifically including CFO experience in manufacturing, automation, start-ups, packaging, and the software/technology space. At the director level, some of Scott’s service areas include operational and strategic planning, business plan development, evaluation and improvement, cash flow strategy and management, and cost reduction and optimization. 

Tony Boschetto helps companies grow using their value and his expertise to lead their businesses to successful transactions. With over 20 years of leadership experience  growing businesses in various industries, Tony has even led a leveraged buyout of a $30M business, resulting in the strategic growth and eventual sale of the company. 

After receiving his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Boston University, Tony received his Master of Science in Taxation from Bentley University. Tony is also a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Value Growth Advisor, and a Certified Merger and Acquisition Advisor. He has experience in accounting and CFO advisory, as well as financial, operational, and administrative management. 

Gregg Genovese uses his 25 years of experience in accounting to work together with businesses to reach their goals of growth, improved profitability, and risk reduction. Being from a family of CPAs, Gregg believes that accounting is in his DNA.

With over 20 years of accounting experience, Kevin Stewart has worked within the professional services, public, and private sectors. Kevin is a CPA and an accountant who believes his experiences speak to why he’s different from the rest. Kevin Stewart started his career with a position as an Experienced Senior at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he stayed for six years before briefly working at Grant Thorton and ultimately transitioning to Walmart.

Kevin Stewart spent almost seven years with Walmart and in that time had four different roles in four different departments. Kevin started in Internal Auditing, then moved to Real Estate Finance, and finally moved again to Financial Shared Services. After five years, Kevin became a Senior Manager at Sam’s Club, directing a special project with a goal of rolling out a new area of business from the accounting side.



After his time with Walmart, Kevin worked as an Assistant Controller for Charming Charlie, the large women’s accessory retailer company. Kevin had a three-year stint back at Grant Thorton doing auditing but realized that his career goals were not aligned with the position he currently held.

Kevin Stewart has an understanding and deep interest in risk, and he facilitates accounting and finance teams to remediate failures and stabilize their present to support their future growth. Kevin is now an Advisory Principal for Client Accounting Services at Briggs & Veselka Co, where he is responsible for all non-tax accounting support operations, including payroll, accounts payable, general accounting, fixed assets, and financial reporting.

Listen in to learn how Kevin Stewart sees the benefit of providing services in numbers, as opposed to allocating a single individual for understanding and analyzing data. Kevin also shares some valuable advice on where to allocate resources, and the ways he thinks new meaning will arise in our changed world!