Xero is a global small business platform with 4.2 million subscribers, which provides accounting, payroll, payments and other solutions for small businesses, accountants and bookkeepers.

Joe Woodard is the founder and CEO of Woodard®, a company that empowers CPAs, Enrolled Agents, professional bookkeepers, and other business advisors with education, coaching, resources, networking communities, and consulting services.

As a seasoned author, consultant, business coach, and national speaker, Joe has trained over 150,000 accounting and business professionals in practice development, technology trends, strategic consulting, and optimizing the use of accounting software. Joe is also the host of Scaling New Heights®, one of the world’s largest and most respected conferences for accountants and bookkeepers.

Each year, for the last 10 years, Accounting Today has recognized Joe as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting.

Joe is a published author with Accounting Today, The Journal of Accountancy, Insightful Accountant, CPA Practice Advisor, and McGraw-Hill. Additionally, The Woodard Report™ reaches over 100,000 readers annually within the accounting and bookkeeping space.

About Woodard

Woodard works with firms of all sizes, from solo practitioners to some of the largest CPA firms worldwide. We empower these practices to enhance efficiency, modernize operations, and equip their teams to deliver high-value advisory services. As a leader in Client Advisory Services (CAS), Woodard helps practices standardize, automate, and modernize accounting operations, enabling them to better serve clients and boost profitability.
Our education, coaching, and consulting services are centered around the Woodard Ideal Practice Model™, which focuses on seven key areas of operational excellence: Ideal Brand, Ideal Services, Ideal Clients, Ideal Technology, Ideal Engagements, Ideal Teams, and Ideal Processes.

Woodard equips business advisors to increase efficiency, streamline operations, and provide exceptional advisory services by integrating CAS solutions that enhance client relationships and profitability.

Additionally, Woodard supports accounting and fintech software developers with marketing programs and product development guidance, helping them expand their reach and effectiveness within the professional accounting segment.

Nathen McEown has served for more than 20 years at Whitley Penn, a Southwest-based firm ranked 34^th in the nation by Accounting Today. Having built a distinguished career marked by progressive leadership and strategic growth, Nathen began his career at the firm as an intern, advanced to Audit Partner in 2015 and later played a key role in expanding the firm’s Houston market presence through the development of Oil & Gas–focused Client Accounting & Advisory Services. He was subsequently appointed Partner‑in‑Charge of Consulting and later Chief Growth Officer, where he helped shape the firm’s long‑term growth strategy. In January 2025, Nathen assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer, leading Whitley Penn into its next chapter of growth and innovation.

Earlier in his career, Nathen served as the firm’s Energy Practice Leader, working extensively with private equity‑backed energy companies and leading the development of Whitley Penn’s Client Accounting and Advisory Services, including Energy Outsourced Accounting, Land Administration, and Mineral Management service lines. After relocating from Dallas to Houston in 2016, he served as Partner‑in‑Charge of the Houston office from 2016 through 2022, overseeing significant regional growth. In 2022, Nathen transitioned from audit into firm leadership, joining the management committee as Partner‑in‑Charge of Consulting.

In 2024, Nathen expanded his executive responsibilities as Chief Growth Officer, where he led the integration of two strategic acquisitions that further strengthened the firm’s consulting capabilities. As CEO, he continues to champion leadership development across the firm, including leading Whitley Penn’s Growth Champions initiative designed to prepare future partners for firm leadership.

Nathen is a recognized thought leader in the energy industry, having co‑authored PPC Practice Aids for Audits of Oil and Gas Entities, published by Thomson Reuters. His professional honors include being named to the Dallas Business Journal’s “Who’s Who in Energy” and receiving its “Forty Under Forty” award. He is a graduate of Leadership Dallas and currently serves on Texas Tech University’s Accounting Advisory Council.

Beyond the firm, Nathen remains deeply committed to community and professional leadership. He co‑founded the Bayou City Houston Chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization and currently serves as its Learning Officer. He also serves as Audit Committee Chair for the American Council on Exercise Fitness nonprofit and, alongside his wife, supports the Houston March of Dimes.

Windsor Path combines the resources of a national platform with a commitment to local autonomy – empowering member firms to accelerate growth, invest in their people, and expand their capabilities while preserving the identity and independence their clients and teams value most.

Daniel Hood has been editor-in-chief of Accounting Today since 2011; he joined Accounting Today as managing editor in 1998. A graduate of Georgetown University, he has also served as a business editor for the New York Daily News, and as a production editor for The Wall Street Journal Europe. He is the author of five novels and a guidebook to New York City.

Seth Fineberg is an accounting industry consultant & Content Strategist. He has been an editor and journalist for over 30 years, the vast majority of which has been spent overseeing the accounting profession’s evolution. To this end, he has served as Technology Editor at Accounting Today and the head of AccountingWEB’s US team. Through his current business, Accountants Forward, he aims to see the accounting profession progress through the creation of quality practical and useful content from vendors, industry organizations and accounting firms themselves. He plays a variety of roles in such content’s creation and execution, be it articles, podcasts, webinars, white papers or even live events. He is also a regular contributor to CPA Trendlines, Karbon Magazine, Insight Magazine, a known speaker at industry events, and an advocate for the advancement of the accounting profession.