AICPA Leadership Reflects Demographics of Profession

By Simon Eskow

Members of the American Institute of CPAs Board of Directors are drawn from academia, private industry and public practice—from sole practitioners to large firms—reflecting the profession’s multifarious presence in the American economy.

“By design, they look for a cross section of the membership,” AICPA spokesman Geoff Pickard said. “The governing council tends to be closer in terms of their demographics to how the profession looks. By that I mean there’s a reasonably good cross section from business industry members, sole practitioners, (and) government.”

The AICPA is led by a 260-member council, with representatives from every state and U.S. territory, which in turn ultimately approves nominees to the 23-member board of directors. The board includes 16 directors; three representatives of the public (who are not CPAs); a chair, vice chair, and immediate past chair; and the president, who is a member of the AICPA staff, according to the Institute’s bylaws. Currently, two members are from the Big Four accounting firms, and another comes from academia, with the remaining CPAs drawn from industry, regional firms and sole proprietorships.

The AICPA estimates that of its 330,000 members, 138,000 (about 41 percent) are in industry while another 129,000 (about 39 percent) are in public accounting. About 22,000 are listed as members in other areas, 13,000 in government, roughly 7,000 in education, about 7,000 in consulting and 2,000 who practice law.

Pickard said the council is comprised of people who typically participate in their local state societies and have “climbed the ladder.” The council meets twice a year to approve “any substantive decisions, including budgets, changes in governance,” rules and regulations, and proposals, Pickard said. The council approves nominees to the board of directors through a nominating committee. The board, according to Pickard, is “pretty broadly dispersed” geographically and professionally.