I had the privilege of attending the NJCPA Convention & Expo for the second time at the Atlantic City Borgata Hotel in June. I felt honored to represent the next generation of accountants as an NJCPA student ambassador along with nine other Stockton University students.

Takeaways

After attending two informative sessions, "The Future of Auditing in the Post-COVID Era" and "Using Data Analytics to Manage Audit Risk," and two keynote presentations by Gene Marks, CPA, columnist, author and owner of the Marks Group PC, and Dave Delaney, CEO and founder of Futureforth.com, I learned the following lessons and valuable leadership tips:

• In-person client connection is crucial. Though many accounting firms have implemented work-from-home job duties due to COVID-19, and although remote meetings are sometimes effective, in-person connection to clients is important. Discussing post-COVID-era communication strategies is essential for effective communication with clients.
• Analyzing complex data is key. This can prevent inefficient business practices.
• Leading with acceptance goes a long way. It’s important to improve listening skills to be a good leader.
• Never be afraid of failure. It is an important way to learn.

A big thanks to Daniel Barbera, CPA, MBA, CGMA, CFO of Lydia Security Monitoring, Inc., for sponsoring our group and Professor Barry Palatnik, Ed.D, MBA, CPA, associate professor of accounting at Stockton University, for making our attendance possible. I'm also grateful to have met Heather Sperduto, vice president of sales operations – accountant channel at ADP, who shared a photo of us on their company Instagram page.