Nobody elected chair of the American Institute of CPAs
gets to pick their agenda.
Robert Harris, who was sworn in as chairman just weeks
ago at the AICPA Fall Council meeting in Las Vegas, was, however, well aware of
the challenges ahead.
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"You're dependent upon what shows up in the paper
the next morning," he said. "You have ideas on what you'd like to
focus on, but what you get to focus on and what you don't get to focus on is
driven so often by what's happening within the profession brought on by
crisis."
Harris, who will serve in the position for the 2009-2010
year, is well known for his work with the organization's National Accreditation
Commission, where he was instrumental in getting the Certified in Financial
Forensics credential approved. When he's not traveling, talking with state
societies and universities about the shape of the profession, Harris works as
the managing director of Harris, Cotherman, Jones, Price & Associates CPAs,
in Vero Beach, Fla., where he consults and testifies across the country on
professional standards and malpractice issues.
The AICPA is going back to a chair with firm roots after
a year with Ernie Almonte, who was the first-ever chair from the government
sector. How does your leadership style differ from Ernie's and how is it
similar?
Harris: He and I have, over the years, become very close
friends and work very well together. I don't know if our styles will be all
that different. We both support each other very much and have become very close
in this whole process.
It's really probably our backgrounds. Ernie is running a
government CPA firm. His office, other than the fact that it is 100-percent
audit, is not different than many of the traditional CPA firms. In the last 14
years, I've spent about 60 to 70 percent of my time in litigation revolving
around defending CPA firms who have had actions brought against them. I spend a
lot of time with a lot of firms. I've seen them in some of their weakest
moments. I've spent times with CPAs who are going through a lot of hardship in
their career because they've been sued. Whether they've been rightfully or
wrongfully sued, it's still very difficult. I've been fortunate because so many
of my clients are CPA firms and I enjoy working with CPAs.
How do you think that will help your new position as
chair?
Harris: It just gives me a feel for what goes on in
firms, how the people work, what are the issues they are dealing with. And of
course, with this economy, we are dealing with all new issues. It's a big
toss-up. We have massive re-regulation going on. I look at this economic time
and say the profession is in really great shape. You're not seeing the hits
being taken by firms. You're not hearing people say, 'This is all the fault of
the CPAs.' I certainly got my share of calls on fair value like we all did, but
in the end fair value won out and no one has shown us a better alternative.
