Michael Meihaus is the Owner of Meihaus CPA, PC, a San Diego–based accounting firm that focuses exclusively on employee benefit plan audits. He founded the firm with a clear goal in mind—to reinvent the benefit plan audit experience by making it more efficient, transparent, and less stressful for clients.

Before starting Meihaus CPA, Michael led the California benefit plan audit practice at a Top 100 CPA firm, where he managed more than 55 plan audits each year, including 401(k), 403(b), ESOP, and defined benefit plans. With deep expertise in ERISA, DOL, and IRS regulations, he helps plan sponsors navigate complex compliance requirements with confidence and clarity.

At Meihaus CPA, Michael is focused on building a firm that values quality, clarity, and balance. He’s dedicated to creating smarter processes that make audits run smoothly while also fostering a healthy, sustainable environment for his team. Michael remains closely involved in every client engagement, ensuring each audit meets the highest professional standards while maintaining the firm’s commitment to personal service.

Outside of client work, Michael enjoys sharing ideas about firm culture, leadership, and the future of public accounting. He often speaks about how small, intentional changes in process and mindset can lead to lasting improvements in both client outcomes and team well-being.

A graduate of San Diego State University, Michael earned his accounting degree with honors. When he’s not working, he enjoys cooking, traveling with his wife and kids, and exploring the San Diego community he proudly calls home.

Liz Scott is a visionary leader in accounting technology, an award-winning trainer, and a prolific writer. As founder of Liz Scott Training & Consulting, she creates engaging courses, articles, and resources that help firms harness technology, automation, and AI. Recognized as a Top Trainer by Insightful Accountant, Liz is also co-host of the “The Appy Hour” webinar series and author of practical guides that make innovation simple and actionable. Through her speaking, writing, and training, Liz empowers accountants to embrace change with confidence and drive lasting growth.

Dominic Piscopo, CPA, the founder of Big 4 Transparency and host of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, is on a mission to bring salary transparency to the accounting profession. He created Big 4 Transparency just over 4 years ago, which has since amassed a crowd-sourced database of over 21,000 records and has become the place over 300,000 accounting professionals go for compensation data. Over the last few years, he’s been working directly with firms ranging from 10 person firms all the way to the Big 4, providing them with the most granular, timely and easy to use benchmarking solution on the accounting market.

The dataset that Big 4 Transparency has amassed can drive insights on what is happening in the accounting industry, and has been used in many analyses in the industry on a wide variety of topics from employee satisfaction trends to hours being worked by accounting professionals.

Megan Leesley is a seasoned CPA with a robust background in public accounting, currently serving as the Director of Tax at Dark Horse CPAs. With over a decade of experience in management and product management prior to beginning her career as a CPA over 10 years ago, Megan brings a unique blend of strategic insight and practical expertise to her role, offering a fresh perspective in the industry.

Megan is also an active member of various focus groups and councils, where she collaborates with other tax professionals and firm owners to shape the future of public accounting. She is a sought-after speaker at industry conferences, having presented on planning strategies for tax law changes, making the transition from compliance to advisory services, and various other topics designed to help practitioners see their value, embrace learning and growth, reduce burnout, and elevate their relationships with both clients and peers. She is committed to helping other professionals navigate the complexities of the industry and achieve their career goals.

Ronald J. Baker began his CPA career in 1984 with KPMG’s Private Business Advisory Services in San Francisco. Over time, he shifted his focus from accounting to rethinking how professional firms create and capture value. Today, he is the co-founder of THRESHOLD and co-host of The Soul of Enterprise: Business in the Transformation Economy, where he and Ed Kless explore the evolving landscape of business, economics, and professional knowledge firms.

Ron has written eight best-selling books, including The Firm of the Future, Pricing on Purpose, Measure What Matters to Customers, Mind Over Matter, Implementing Value Pricing, The Soul of Enterprise, and his latest, Time’s Up!: The Subscription Business Model for Professional Firms, co-authored with Paul Dunn. His work has challenged conventional wisdom and influenced how firms around the world think about value and pricing.

A sought-after speaker, he has presented to over 450,000 professionals worldwide, advocating for a shift away from cost-plus pricing to more effective, value-based models. His contributions to the profession have earned him a spot on Accounting Today’s Top 100 and Top 10 Most Influential People list multiple times, and induction into the CPA Practice Advisor Hall of Fame in 2018. He also serves as a faculty member of the Professional Pricing Society, helping organizations rethink their pricing strategies.

Ron resides in Petaluma, California, where, when he’s not writing, speaking, or podcasting, he enjoys a fine Sonoma County wine while contemplating the next economic era—The Transformation Economy—which he believes will redefine how businesses create and deliver value, a vision that inspired the founding of THRESHOLD.

Jim is a Partner, Member of the Board of Directors and Operations Committee at WithumSmith+Brown, in his current role he is Managing Director of Advisory Services. Jim has been a frequent speaker around the globe to many Accounting Societies and International Accounting and Trade Associations, the AICPA, CIMA, State Societies of CPAs, Industry Technology Organizations, Incubators, Accelerators and others on topics specifically related to various accounting, technology, practice management and advisory services topics.

Jim is also Global Advisory and Technology Leader for HLB International with his corporate office in London, UK. In this role Jim is responsible for helping and guiding over 300 HLB member firms around the globe in the areas of technology and expansion of advisory services.

In Jim’s role as Managing Director of Advisory Services, Jim heads-up the Firm’s Systems and Process Assurance Services – SOC, Cloud and ERP Solutions, Business Advisory, Outsourced Accounting, ESG, Cyber Risk and Incident Response, Data Analytics, SEC Readiness and Reporting, Information-Security, Transaction Advisory and Investment Banking Services.

He is Past President for the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants and past Board and Council Member for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA).

Jim has recently been names by Forbes Magazine as one of the Top 200 CPAs in America, has been continually named by Accounting Today as one of the Top 100 Most Influential people in the Accounting profession and has been named by The CPA Technology Advisor as a Top Thought Leader in Public Accounting Technology year after year.

Elizabeth obtained her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from the University of Kentucky. She worked in KPMG’s audit group for six years and joined Dean Dorton in 2000. She has over 30 years of experience in public accounting and currently serves as the chair of the Dean Dorton Board of Directors. Elizabeth is a leader on the firm’s Forensic and Valuation Services team, specializing in bankruptcy accounting matters, litigation support, and forensic accounting services. In addition to her Certification in Financial Forensics (CFF), Elizabeth is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). She has served in several fiduciary roles, including Chief Restructuring Officer, Receiver, and Fee Examiner. She has acted as a Compliance Ethics Monitor/Independent Monitor of a rural electric cooperative, reporting to two branches of the Federal government. Elizabeth has testified in state and federal courts and currently serves as a Subchapter V Bankruptcy Trustee.

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.

As Managing Director of Wealth Management at Choreo’s Charlotte, NC office, David is a trusted advisor to ultra-high-net-worth individuals, business owners, and multi-generational families, specializing in wealth strategies that preserve and grow wealth. He is especially passionate about working with entrepreneurs and has helped countless successful companies from start-up to a life changing exit event by developing tailored plans for business succession, estate and gift planning, and sophisticated asset management. His expertise ensures that clients have a clear, strategic roadmap for accumulating, managing, and transitioning wealth with confidence. David’s approach beings with understanding each client’s vision and personal goals, allowing him to craft strategic financial plans that align with their long-term objectives. His deep knowledge of wealth management includes investment management, philanthropic planning, asset allocations, retirement planning, and private investments. He also specializes in business transition and transaction planning, strategic partner alignment, and maximizing tax-efficient strategies.

Jeremy is the Managing Partner of Bland & Associates, P.C. (Bland), based in Omaha, Nebraska. The firm currently has nearly 120 employees and became Nebraska’s first and only 100% employee-owned ESOP in January 2020. In addition to his role as Managing Partner, Jeremy serves in both the Visionary and Integrator roles as part of Bland’s Traction/EOS framework. He also serves on the Americas and Worldwide Boards of Directors for BKR International. On a personal note, Jeremy has been married to his wife, Renee, for nearly 23 years. They have one son who is about to begin his senior year at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, and twin boys who will soon be seniors in high school.