Host Chris D’Ambola and Justin Breitfelder, VP of Enterprise Sales at FullStory, discuss: The role of trust in building customer relationships and ensuring successful technology implementation. The need for sales representatives to understand customer needs deeply and how they can help tax leaders navigate the tax technology procurement process. Differences in selling tax technology versus other technologies are minimal; the core principles of problem-solving and relationship-building are consistent. AI's growing impact on sales, offering potential for improved personalization and product usa ..read more

Host Chris D’Ambola and Bianca Kuijper, Chief Operating Officer of Orbitax, discuss: Bianca’s background, and how she balances her passion for film with her tax technology career. Intricacies of Pillar Two compliance: implementation is becoming a reality, with businesses needing to adapt quickly. Why technology is essential for managing complexities in data management, regulatory changes, and calculation accuracy. How Orbitax is developing AI to automate tasks like data mapping and provide instant research insights. Resources: Chris on LinkedIn Bianca on LinkedIn Orbitax Tax Solutions Global ..read more

Host Chris D’Ambola and Mark Onisk, Chief Content Officer at Skillsoft, discuss: Recurring themes in training and e-learning, and the influence of technology. Linking human leadership skills, technical know-how, and regulatory compliance in e-learning. Micro-credentials, the growth mindset, and sharpening your learning with physical activity. Thriving and becoming your best version. Why people want personal growth from a job. Generative AI: separating fact from myth and how the accounting profession will be impacted. AI isn’t in conflict with humanity because humans get to decide how to use t ..read more

Host Chris D’Ambola and Mary Ellen Robb, Senior Manager at Corptax, discuss: Mary Ellen’s OECD-focused role, cross-functionality, and how she developed her career path. There’s always something new. Technology survival of the fittest. Playing IT roles with fit data. Preparedness for compliance with OECD Pillar Two. From manual analysis to automation. Why tax accountants have to be agile and adaptable to multiple technology platforms. The high velocity of data and how to incorporate data stewardship into a tax role. How corporations’ processes and change management affect talent recruitment an ..read more

Host Chris D’Ambola and Chris Gaetano, Technology Editor at Accounting Today, discuss: Digging into unstructured data. A journalist is a professional learner who shares facts. What technology journalism covers, seeing through the hype, and new tech applications in tax. Chris’s work with ChatGPT after learning how criminals are using it. What is AI washing? How business model changes involve improved tech; the need for tax technology teams. Leadership’s resistance to change to processes they do not understand. The cost of upgrades. The upcoming proliferation of generative AI and automation in ..read more

Host Chris D’Ambola and Matt Becker, National Managing Principal of Tax at BDO USA discuss: Overview of BDO’s 2023 Tax Strategist Survey and how organizations can use the results. Tax strategists, tacticians, outcomes, and determining the after-tax impact of future business decisions. How the return on technology investments includes accuracy and efficiency which then leads to more time to focus on strategic business issues. Generative AI, large language models, copilots, and how these technologies will affect tax. How tax strategists plan for the accelerating speed of technology using outsid ..read more

Host Chris D’Ambola and Kevin McDermott, Technology Strategist for BDO with Microsoft, discuss: How leaders can communicate and build effective relationships and why this is more important than becoming a technical authority. Why artificial intelligence (AI) does not solve all problems but is a layer on current technology. Use good data sources. Microsoft Fabric and Copilot and how we are in the very early days of AI. Growing technology budgets and working with your changing IT team to get the best value. How tax becomes more business-driven with responsible AI practices; also about gamificat ..read more

Host Chris D’Ambola and Ken Crutchfield, VP and GM of Legal Markets at Wolters Kluwer, discuss: Ken’s lifelong history in information, software, and tech. Similarities and contrasts between lawyers and tax practitioners in their practice and tech use. Innovations such as cryptocurrency, the metaverse, and generative AI take multiple iterations to catch on. How generative AI uses probabilities and requires good data to train the model for compliance. How to explain complexities of generative AI to people with varying degrees of technological literacy. Why we will continue to use printed volume ..read more

Host Chris D’Ambola and Spencer Orlin, a manager with BDO USA’s Tax Automation & Innovation Team, discuss: How Spencer used his creative thinking and problem solving skills to carve out a technology role for himself within accounting How embracing automation makes employees more valuable, rather than automating themselves out of a job Laying a foundation for better reporting and Spencer’s vision for the future of tax technology New technology trends and their relevance to tax reporting and human decision-making The critical roles of people and culture in the success of technology deployme ..read more

Host Chris D’Ambola and Haley Dobre, BDO Tax Automation & Innovation practice leader, discuss: Haley’s tax career and why she wanted to help companies transform their tax departments. The mission for the podcast and the context in which these conversations have taken place. The opportunity to shift the CPA mindset, brainstorm creatively, and dive into innovative thinking from a broader perspective. How Season 2 will continue to bring unique perspectives on disruptive technology with relevant guests from tax and technology vendors, leaders, and technicians. Resources: Chris on LinkedIn Ha ..read more