Accounting
Art of Accounting: Becoming a thought leader
Katie Thomas, CPA, is not only a thought leader for accountants and other professionals, but she is also a coach for anyone wanting to develop the skills to become a thought leader. I had the pleasure of meeting Katie, virtually, and want to share some of what she does and says. Katie knows what she is doing and also understands the accounting profession having worked at two Big Four accounting firms (in tax and assurance) and has a bachelor’s and master’s in accounting. She is also the owner and founder of
A thought Leader is someone recognized as being a consistent generator of leading insights. The more innovative insights you provide, the sooner you will become recognized as a thought leader and have your ideas sought out. Here are some techniques Katie recommends adopting to get your insights circulated.
- Owning your narrative and focusing on expertise: A thought leader has a clear and consistent message that stands out. This isn’t just about sharing knowledge but about honing in on a unique expertise and a niche aligned with your strengths and passions. Also, it is necessary to bring your personality into this and become known for seriousness, humor, directness or even a unique style.
- Creating consistently valuable content: Your content should be hyper-relevant and address either important under-discussed issues or tackle big topics where you have a unique point of view. You don’t just want to add to the echo chamber that already exists online. For example, while many might talk about tax deadlines or the need for accurate books, choose something less spoken about but perhaps more significant such as cash flow. You could share a unique take on cash flow not being the main issue but rather an outcome of a deeper issue around receivables, inventory, pricing or customer responsiveness.
- Engaging deeply with your audience: Posting content isn’t enough. Be active in the comments, respond to direct messages, offer your comments to others’ related posts and connect to your audience’s needs through real conversations, not just data. Establishing consistency without appearing to be anxious or annoying is also important.
- Showing your face: While some can become thought leaders without video, connecting with your audience is often easier when they see you on screen or your photo included as part of your messages and signature.
- Balancing data with intuition: Data is powerful, but don’t overlook intuition. For example, Katie was advised against starting her “Dear Katie” segments of her blog because people thought it couldn’t be monetized or would take too much time. But not only did she attract readers, but she also obtained sponsors and brought in subscribers who became clients. When you use your intuition to place good into the world, success usually follows.
- Prioritizing value over self-promotion: Focus on educating and elevating others rather than directly selling yourself or your services. Thought leadership is built on trust and goodwill, so serve your audience first. Success often follows people presenting new ideas and insights.
- Using the right platforms: Choose platforms that your audience is actively engaged with and support it with the kind of content you like to create. For B2B (and many accountants), LinkedIn is king. Not only can you easily find most decision-makers on there, it supports all types of content from video to written to photo content. However, don’t forget to consider other platforms, such as podcasting for in-depth discussions, or TikTok if you can bring value in quick, digestible bites.
- Focus on high-value metrics: Prioritize inbound leads, engagement from your ideal customers, and qualitative feedback like direct messages from your audience. Vanity metrics and even platform metrics often don’t reveal true impact. Unless you’re asking people directly how they found you, you won’t see the full picture. For example, someone might listen to your podcast and then search for your site on Google, which Google Analytics would credit this lead to, but in reality it was your podcast that created the demand—your website simply captured it.
Katie says that anyone can become a thought leader. But it requires them to have leading thoughts, a desire to become well known and to work at making it happen. Start by defining your unique point of view, your targeted audience and how you’d start spreading them.
Do not hesitate to contact me at
McKinstry is a longtime veteran of Wolters Kluwer, having served numerous leadership positions with the firm even prior to becoming CEO, first coming into the company in the 90s. She has been CEO of the company’s operations in North America; President and CEO of Legal Information Services (currently part of Wolters Kluwer’s Governance, Risk & Compliance division); and product management positions with CCH Inc., now part of Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting. She has also been a member of the Executive Board since June 1, 2001.
She became CEO in 2003 and has maintained the position since then.
The Supervisory Board plans to nominate Caywood, the intended successor, as a member of the Executive Board during its May 15, 2025 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. After appointment by Wolters Kluwer’s shareholders at the Annual General Meeting on May 15, 2025, the Executive Board of Wolters Kluwer N.V. will consist of McKinstry (CEO, until February 2026), Kevin Entricken (CFO) and Caywood. The plan is that Caywood will then be appointed CEO of Wolters Kluwer once McKinstry officially retires in February. 2026.
McKinsky said she was grateful for the chance to lead Wolters Kluwer through decades worth of changes, and expressed confidence in her intended successor.
“It has been an honor and privilege to lead Wolters Kluwer through decades of transformation as the market has evolved, and I am committed to ensuring the company’s continued strength and relevance,” said McKinstry. “I am deeply grateful to the Board and my past and present colleagues for their support throughout my tenure. We have a strong foundation in place and, with Stacey, an extraordinarily talented and experienced successor. Stacey’s track record as a leader, her customer-focused approach, and her deep knowledge of our company gives me full confidence that Wolters Kluwer will be in excellent hands under her leadership. I am dedicated to ensuring a seamless transition over the next year.”
The intended new CEO, Caywood, specializes in business transformation, digital revenue growth, and innovation across legal, compliance, and healthcare markets. Her expertise spans strategy execution, portfolio management and M&A, product innovation, and commercial excellence. She has led Wolters Kluwer Health since 2020, where she led the further evolution and development of Wolters Kluwer’s healthcare solutions. Prior to that, as CEO of Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory, she led a strategic transformation across Europe and the U.S., returning the business to organic growth.
“We are delighted to nominate Stacey Caywood as Wolters Kluwer CEO, effective February 2026,” said Ann Ziegler, Chair of the Wolters Kluwer Supervisory Board. “Stacey’s successful track record leading two of our largest divisions, her deep understanding of our business, and her active role in developing the group’s 2025-2027 strategic plan make her the ideal candidate to lead the company into the future. For over thirty years, Stacey has held various leadership roles within the company, and we have full confidence in her ability to continue Wolters Kluwer’s legacy of sustainable value creation through excellence and innovation. We look forward to working closely with Stacey and supporting her in this new role.”
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board posted a new “
AS 2310, The Auditor’s Use of Confirmation, and Other Amendments to PCAOB, replaces an interim standard, AS 2310, The Confirmation Process, and is effective for audits of financial statements for fiscal years ending on or after June 15, 2025. The results of the knowledge checks are anonymous, and the PCAOB staff will not publicize results or use them in its oversight activities.
This knowledge check is the latest in a series of resources, including staff presentations, to help auditors prepare for implementation. Earlier this month, the PCAOB posted another
More implementation resources on AS 2310 and other PCAOB standards and rules can be found at the
The International Accounting Standards Board issued an update Thursday to the International Financial Reporting Standard for Small and Medium-sized Entities Accounting Standard which aims to balance the needs of leaders and users of SMEs’ financial statements with resources available to SMEs.
The standard, currently required or permitted in 85 jurisdictions, defines SMEs as entities without public accountability that prepare general purpose financial statements.
A result of a periodic and comprehensive review of the standard, the update includes:
- a revised model for revenue recognition;
- bringing together the requirements for fair value measurement in a single location; and,
- updating the requirements for business combinations, consolidations and financial instruments.
“The update to the IFRS for SMEs Accounting Standard will improve the information provided to users of SMEs’ financial statements while maintaining the simplicity of the standard,” said IASB chair Andreas Barckow in a statement.
This update is effective for annual periods beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2027, with early application permitted.
Wolters Kluwer CEO Nancy McKinstry to retire in 2026
Student loan applications down from Education Dept. website
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