Early this month, the AICPA launched its Profession Ready Initiative. In this episode of the JofA podcast, Carl Mayes, CPA, the AICPA's vice president–CPA Candidate Quality and Competency, explained more about the initiative and why a rapidly changing workplace demands new skills from emerging and early-career CPAs.

He discussed how automation, AI, and offshoring are reshaping entry-level work — and how Rise2040 research is informing the initiative.

Listeners will learn how to get involved, what's planned for ENGAGE, and how the effort benefits both early-career professionals and experienced CPAs.

What you'll learn from this episode:

• Why the AICPA launched the Profession Ready Initiative.
• How Rise2040 research informed the approach to improving entry-level CPA skills.
• The ways automation, AI, and offshoring are reshaping the first years of CPA careers — and what new competencies employers say they need as a result.
• The initiative's multifaceted approach, including research, new learning solutions, academic collaboration, and state-level engagement.
• Ways that CPAs, educators, and firms can participate.
• How the effort will benefit both early-career professionals and experienced CPAs.

Tammy Thomas, CPA/CFF, CGMA, is a co-author of the most recent FVS Eye on Fraud report, focused on the importance of internal controls preventing employee embezzlement.

In this episode, Thomas breaks down how failures in segregation of duties allowed two major embezzlement schemes to persist for years. She explains how small control gaps and role consolidation can quietly erode an organization's defenses.

Thomas also outlines how deadline pressure and resource constraints can unintentionally weaken internal control environments.

Also, hear the previous Eye on Fraud podcast discussion, about the role of company culture, from July 2025.

What you'll learn from this episode:

• A definition of internal controls and why they function best as a dynamic, ongoing process.
• How weak internal controls and poor segregation of duties can create openings for employee embezzlement.
• Why deadline pressure around the month‑end or year‑end close can weaken internal control effectiveness.
• Practical steps organizations can take to strengthen internal controls, improve oversight, and reduce fraud risk.
• Why Thomas said it was important to remember that "internal control is not a checklist."

In this episode, Wesley Hartman, co‑author of the Journal of Accountancy's Technology Q&A column, discusses how AI is reshaping work for accounting firms.

He explains the difference between generative and agentic AI and why both matter for firm workflows. Hartman also outlines the most pressing AI risks for CPAs, including hallucinations and emerging deepfake‑driven scams, which he wrote about in the February Tech Q&A. He closes the conversation with practical guidance for adopting AI tools methodically while avoiding common pitfalls.

Also, here are a few Technology Q&A columns related to the discussion:

• "How CPAs Can Combat the Rising Threat of Deepfake Fraud," May 1, 2025
• "AI-Powered Hacking in Accounting: 'No One Is Safe'," Oct. 1, 2025
• "Creating an AI Agent in ChatGPT," Nov. 1, 2025

What you'll learn from this episode:

• The ways Hartman uses AI in his own work.
• The difference between agentic and generative AI.
• Why "confidently wrong" AI responses can present risks for firms.
• How inaction or "wait‑and‑see" thinking can create its own form of AI risk.