Thank You for an Amazing Journey

Five years ago I embarked on an extraordinary journey by joining the editorial team of this magazine, known then as CPA Technology Advisor.  Today, I share with you my final column as its executive editor.

As many of you know, in addition to managing my own practice and providing editorial leadership here, I am also the CEO of RootWorks, which provides the tools and resources that accounting firms need to implement many of the concepts and solutions shared in CPA Practice Advisor. With RootWorks membership at almost 500 firms and continuing to grow, the company requires much of my time and attention, which has led me to the difficult decision to resign my tenure at this publication.   

When I reflect on the evolution of CPA Practice Advisor over the five years since I began this journey, it is with gratitude and appreciation for how this publication serves our profession. It has been an honor to help shape the magazine which serves as a leading technology and practice management resource for accounting leaders and entrepreneurs.

As regular readers know, the past five years has brought some significant changes to CPA Practice Advisor with the objective of better serving our readers and to reflect the rapid pace of change in our industry. Physically, we reduced the size of the print publication and expanded digital content as the online environment grew exponentially. In 2011, CPA Technology Advisor was rebranded to CPA Practice Advisor to communicate the magazine’s renewed focus on helping accountants adapt to the dynamic changes occurring in the market and the impact of technology on our profession.

For the past several years, the editorial content of the magazine has expanded from providing merely tactical information such as software reviews and technical tips, to illustrating how the solutions that are available can be leveraged to achieve advanced levels of efficiency and productivity to transform firms and change the way that accounting professionals do business. This has been a key shift in mindset and focus that continues to benefit our profession as we move from looking at technology implementation as the end goal, to seeing it as the means to not only optimizing our practices, but also to achieving a more balanced working life.

It is my hope that the time I have spent at CPA Practice Advisor has created value for you as a reader. My goal has been to help our profession better understand the role that technology can play as not only a driver of productivity and efficiency, but of professional freedom—the freedom to work when and where you want to, while also delivering enhanced service to your clients.

In closing, I extend my sincere thanks to Cygnus Business Media for the opportunity to be part of CPA Practice Advisor and to the entire editorial team which includes many dedicated individuals who go above and beyond to ensure that readers have access to the most comprehensive resources and the latest news both in print and online. As an accounting professional, I am looking forward to CPA Practice Advisor’s next five years as the magazine and its online platform continue to evolve, providing education and leadership to our profession.

Thank you for an amazing journey,

– Darren