Dear CITP Credential Holder:
“Retrospective” is such a big word!
I thought this – my final letter as chair of the CITP Credential Committee – would be “a retrospective,” but quickly determined that this view was skewed. Because what we do focuses so much on technology, it would be better to take a decidedly “future” view, so this letter presents some interesting challenges. There’s so much to say and so little space!
I vividly remember the organizational meeting of the CITP Credential Committee, a wintery day in January 2004. At the meeting, past chair Mike Dickson explained the mission, metrics and timeline. At that point, it became clear to me that the CITP Credential Committee had the opportunity to provide members with a tremendous value proposition in the years ahead.
Along with our grass roots efforts, we’ve grown just shy of 1,500 members. Perhaps even more important, we’ve forged solid relationships throughout the AICPA, the state CPA societies, the profession at large, and other communities that serve our profession.
That’s “retrospection” – now it’s time for thanks-giving.
· The first thank you goes to each of you as Credential holders. You joined us early and it’s only through your support and input that we’ve been able to accomplish so much.
· The second thank you goes to a fine group of volunteer committee members who work hard behind the scenes to make the CITP credential what it is today.
· The third thank you goes to the National Accreditation Commission (NAC) and its Chair, Bob Harris. This group provides oversight and invaluable guidance to all of the AICPA Credential Committees.
· Next on the thank you list is to David Cieslak, chair of the Information Technology Executive Committee (ITEC), for his visionary leadership in guiding that group into such close alignment with the CITP effort. The sense of common purpose between the Credential and the Section brought many marvelous successes in the TECH+ Conference, Top Technology Initiatives, our joint Web seminar series, and, most recently, the IT Considerations in Risk-Based Financial Statement Audits school.
· And finally, thank you to Jim Metzler and Steve Winters, AICPA’s vice president and director, respectively, and their staff in Durham, NC: Nancy Cohen, Matthew Murtaugh and Janis Wong, who have been instrumental in providing members with the guidance and benefits they need.
And now – it’s “back to the future.” Technology is exciting and its effect on our profession is significant. It has enabled us to communicate and reach out to business partners in ways we never imagined through social networking sites (Facebook, LinkedIn) and virtual worlds (Second Life). Technology has provided us with the ability to help provide timely, accurate and insightful business reporting through the use of business intelligence. And it has challenged us with new concerns such as eDiscovery and the impact of IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) on IT and related systems.
If the chair position taught me anything, I’ve learned that the only constant is change … and the rate of that change is accelerating daily. Rest assured that incoming Credential Committee Chair Jim Bourke and his committee, along with David Cieslak’s successor, Dan Schroeder and the ITEC, the NAC, and the AICPA team in Durham will continue to move the credential forward. I have not doubt the CITP’s value will continue to grow in the coming years.