Last month I was called to Denver for an AICPA National Accreditation Commission meeting. A few days before the trip I had a telephone conversation with WAYNE HARDING and he was kind enough to invite me to dinner. I quickly accepted as Wayne is very well-known for having a quick wit and marvelous insights regarding the direction of practicing accountants relative to the technology they adopt. This would be both entertaining AND educational! Only when I arrived did I realize that we were to be joined by my old friend MIKE DICKSON (my mentor and predecessor CITP Credential Committee Chair) and RICH OPPENHEIM, whom I had not previously met.
Needless to say the dinner was a blur or reminiscing and predicting --- we covered everything from the Burroughs B92 to Radio Shack's "trash 80" to GPS and retinal scanning devices. These guys are the absolute definition of "accounting geeks". I was in heaven!
The first piece of good news is that all four of us are CITPs (you may be eligible --- go here for more information) and we're all proud to be so designated.
The second is the RICH has agreed to occasionally write for www.TheTechGap.com. You'll see his first piece here. Let me tell you a bit about Rich --- he started a dual career as a CPA and working with technology in the 1960s. Over the past 4 decades, he has continuously provided insights on the world of business and implementation of technology to support the enterprise. He has developed systems on every platform from mainframe to today's web environment. The wide range of clients over his career includes accounting firms, service companies, and computer based education.
Since the early 1980s, Mr. Oppenheim has done freelance writing – reviewing a variety of computer technology products. Currently, he is a member of the AICPA's InfoTech Update Editorial Board, along with writing for several professional publications. Academics include an accounting degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and postgraduate work at New York University.
Soon after relocating to Denver in 1994, he joined a unique personal service organization, as Chief Operating Officer. Responsibilities included management level training and development of industry specific software. Richard is a founder of IdentiRISK, a provider of computer-based continuing education courses. He was instrumental in the original CITP credential launch and holds one of the very first certificates.
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