Accounting Today

Jeremy Vokt, the former managing partner of Bland & Associates, will become CEO of firm association BKR International in July; Eide Bailly named a slate of managing directors; Baker Tilly principal Andy Mattson has been named head of the AICPA Tax Executive Committee; PrimeGlobal reported double-digit growth in member revenue; and other firm and personnel news from across the profession.

Sage announces new automation for receivables, AP, purchasing, analytics; Auditoria.AI announces Governed Autonomy operating framework; HubSync rolls out HubSync Halo; and other accounting tech updates.

Despite the frequent M&A deals, rhetoric and research focused on tax planning, the wealth management industry is still lagging behind clients' expectations, according to experts. "We work so hard on investment alpha and security selection," said Scott Smith, the senior director of advice relationships at consulting firm Cerulli Associates. "All of the time we spend on security selection would probably be better spent on tax optimization in many cases."

Avalara named Hugo Sarrazin as its new CEO, replacing Scott McFarlane, Avalara's co-founder and original CEO, who will become an advisor to the company. Sarrazin's three immediate priorities as CEO are to immerse himself in Avalara's culture, people and operating principles; spend meaningful time with customers to deepen insight and strengthen relationships; and build on Avalara's strong foundation of AI innovation to accelerate growth and differentiation, according to a spokesperson for the company.

The Treasury Department introduced a mobile app Thursday enabling families to access Trump accounts, the new tax-deferred accounts for newborns. Trump accounts were included as part of last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act and enable children born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028, to receive a $1,000 contribution from the government. Over 4 million children have already been signed up and millions more are eligible. The mobile app will be the main interface for the program and is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Top 25 Firm Ascend has acquired Maumee, Ohio-based William Vaughan Company. A full-service accounting firm and a regular member of Accounting Today's Great Lakes Regional Leaders list, William Vaughan operates primarily in Northeast Ohio. It has 15 partners and more than 115 staff.

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board is forming a new advisory body called the Inspections Modernization Council. The IMC's goal is to provide the PCAOB chairman, board and staff with outside expertise on the board's oversight activities. As such, the board is looking for experts with capital markets expertise and knowledge of the PCAOB's inspection program to participate.

More and more, accountants crave an impact that goes beyond the financial.