
Show Notes
A severe talent shortage is threatening the foundation of the finance function: accounting.
The accounting profession is facing a critical talent shortage, threatening the foundation of financial operations across accounting firms and businesses of all sizes. Mark Maurer, reporter for The Wall Street Journal’s CFO Journal team, joins host Melissa Howatson to explore this pressing issue. Drawing from his extensive coverage of the shrinking talent pipeline, Maurer discusses the factors driving the increased demand for accountants and the dwindling supply of qualified professionals.
As competition for accounting talent intensifies, this episode offers valuable insights for CFOs, finance leaders, and business executives. Join us for a timely discussion on the urgent talent gap and its far-reaching impact on the future of finance teams and beyond.
Discussed in This Episode:
The consequences of the current talent shortage, both on daily business operations, and long-term opportunities. What’s behind the sharp decline in CPA candidates and a dwindling interest in the accounting profession, and what plans are in place to regrow the pipeline. How finance leaders can retain talent by making accounting team members feel more engaged and valued. Ways to prevent burnout on short-staffed accounting teams, especially given the seasonality of the business function. The role AI will play in the future of accounting and solving the talent shortage.
For CFO insights, episode show notes, and exclusive blog content, visit thecfoshowpodcast.com.
More from The CFO Show
Growth often looks impressive from the outside. New markets, new capabilities and new headlines. But as organizations scale, leaders quickly discover that growth is the visible part. Integration is the real work.
The path to becoming a CFO is rarely linear. In today’s environment of constant change, finance leaders are expected to move between strategy, operations, and capital markets while developing the judgment needed to navigate uncertainty and drive growth.
Business agility has become a defining capability for organizations operating in today’s environment of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). But while many companies focus on operational flexibility or technology investments, fewer understand the critical role finance plays in enabling true agility across the business.
One of the most consequential decisions a CFO will make is selecting and implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform. Yet beyond vendor comparisons and licensing costs lie hidden risks—customization overruns, stalled implementations, legacy system constraints, and organizational change fatigue.
Healthcare finance leaders are operating under unprecedented pressure. Rising costs, staffing shortages, payer complexity, and constant uncertainty.