On Monday, September 24, the Fox School of Business, with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Institute of Management Accountants, hosted a panel discussion on how technology is impacting accounting and auditing. Guest speakers Brian Cassidy, CPA of Deloitte, Andrew Gambier of ACCA, and Giuseppe Venezia, CMA, of Essity spoke about how the industry is changing and how accountants can adapt to these changes.
“What I would tell you is the tools are going to allow you to do better things, more thoughtful things,” said Brian Cassidy, Audit Senior Manager at Deloitte and former Professional Practice Fellow at the Center for Audit Quality. “Those technology tools will help you do better risk assessment, better analysis. It’s also going to give you opportunities that you don’t even recognize you have in front of you.”
Leaders of the department’s student professional organizations moderated the discussion which touched on automation, cyber security, data analytics, industry standards, and more. Members of the audience also had the opportunity to network before the event and to ask questions during a Q&A section.
All three presenters spoke about the way technology might disrupt the profession and provided career advice to the students. Giuseppe Venezia, Americas Business Controller at Essity and EMBA candidate at Temple University, discussed how technology is affecting not only the business, but also the hiring process. He encouraged students to continue learning about emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain.
Andrew Gambier, Head of Auditing and Assurance at ACCA, emphasized that while the industry is changing rapidly, there will always be a need for the decision-making and problem-solving that can only be done by accountants.
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- Speakers (L to R): Andrew Gambier, Giuseppe Venezia and Brian Cassidy with event organizer Professor AJ Kreimer.
- Brian Cassidy, of Deloitte, answering a question.
- Andrew Gambier of ACCA, introducing himself.
- Giuseppe Venezia, of Essity, after being introduced.
- Panelists discussing how technology has changed the auditing process.
- Student asks a question during the Q&A segment.
- Speakers with Department of Accounting Chair Eric Press.
- John Edwards, Director of Student Services for ACCA speaks with students.
- Marc Gerrone, Senior Director of Communications for IMA, stands with two student members of IMA’s Temple Chapter.