Ryan Wolff, Supervisor, Strategic Innovation & Data Analytics at AAFCPAs, earns top honor.
DENVER (Dec. 10, 2024) – Ryan Wolff has been named the recipient of CPA.com’s Digital CPA Innovative Practitioner Award, which recognizes forward-thinking practitioners whose leadership, strategic decision-making and use of technology are shaping the future of the profession. Wolff is leveraging advanced audit technologies and artificial intelligence to optimize methodologies, improve quality and achieve significant time savings across audit engagements.
“Receiving the award is a testament to our team’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in audit transformation,” said Wolff. “By harnessing the power of AI, data analytics and robotic process automation, we've significantly enhanced audit quality and efficiency. These advanced technologies have not only streamlined our processes but also fostered a culture of continuous improvement and strategic thinking at AAFCPAs.”
Wolff is a leader of Strategic Innovation & Data Analytics at AAFCPAs, a Top 100 firm focused on audit, tax, accounting and advisory solutions for nonprofits, commercial companies and high-net-worth individuals. As a leader of the firm’s Automation Center of Excellence, Wolff has created an AI prompt library using tools like Copilot and ChatGPT to upskill audit teams, reduce manual work and enhance audit quality. He also leads data analytics initiatives to evaluate new audit platforms to harness large data sets, resulting in greater precision and effectiveness, and has implemented robotic process automation (RPA) into audit workflows.
“This award acknowledges individuals who are determined to identify innovative approaches for improving outcomes—either for their firm or their clients,” said Michael Cerami, EVP, CPA.com. “In Ryan’s case, his ability to embrace AI and data analytics to bring along the rest of his firm has helped drive encouraging results in their audit practice, as recognized by his peers.”
Wolff was recognized at Digital CPA, CPA.com’s annual conference for progressive practitioners focused on innovative technologies and business strategies impacting the accounting landscape.
Brenda Cannon, CPA, owner, Cannon & Associates, and Matt Gardner, CPA, CEO and co-founder, Hiline, were named runners-up for the award.
Cannon made a change in her firm to schedule every tax return, resulting in well controlled work and a more manageable schedule. She has developed a method for the scheduling process and has hosted workshops to help other firm owners implement it. Cannon is currently working on a web application to streamline the scheduling.
Gardner’s firm doesn’t just utilize technology, it’s a core part of Hiline’s offering. He identified a gap where he felt small and medium-sized businesses were being underserved and now integrates cloud-based technology and AI to deliver high-quality, tech-enabled accounting services to his clients.
To learn more about this year’s recipients, as well as the other distinguished nominees shaping the future of the profession, visit the CPA.com Digital CPA Innovative Practitioner Award page.
About CPA.com
CPA.com brings innovative solutions to the accounting profession, either in partnership with leading providers or directly through its own development. The company has established itself as a thought leader on emerging technologies and as the trusted business advisor to practitioners in the United States, with a growing global focus.
Our company’s core mission is to drive the transformation of practice areas, advance the technology ecosystem for the profession, and lead technology research and innovation efforts for practitioners.
A subsidiary of the American Institute of CPAs, the company is also part of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, the world’s most influential organization representing the profession. For more information, visit CPA.com.
