Off the Books

Catherine and Steve sat down with Jonathan Gregory, North America Controller for The Hershey Co., to discuss how he ended up with what has to be one of the sweetest accounting and finance jobs in Pennsylvania. Sink your teeth into this episode.

Nick Mazing of AlphaSense is back to cover a whirlwind of info related to Q4 2022 earnings. The crew covers what companies are saying about crypto, interest, inflation, and more hot topics in their annual reports. Plus, we asked ChatGPT to come up with our closing question of the day. What could go wrong? Listen in!

Read some of the latest news from Robert Half on hiring trends in accounting and finance and more: Employment trends and demand for skilled talent Salary guide for finance and accounting Survey: Nearly half of U.S. workers plan to look for a new position in the new year

This 2022 episode is too relevant not to re-air this year. Black accountants are underrepresented in the profession, which matters as companies look at candidates to promote to CFO. Levongia Carrera shares what can help Black executives feel more supported in the workplace.

Learn more about the ESG Professionals Group , and join for free.

Review which movies the crew originally considered when Mike Gravagno asked them to find the best accounting movie. Tell us what they got right and wrong about the movies they’ve debated so far: The Shawshank Redemption Ghostbusters Moonstruck

Show notes : Read the study mentioned in this episode. The study was written by Alexander Dyck, Adair Morse, and  Luigi Zingales and was mentioned in the January 14, 2023, edition of DealBook .

For more of what Curt Steinhorst said about how leaders build trust and spark organizational confidence, watch his webinar on demand . Let us know what trends you’re seeing in your workplace. Take the 2023 workplace trends survey before February 28, 2023, for a chance to win a fitness mirror.

Kelly Davis of Outdoor Industry Association returns! The podcast crew interrupts Kelly’s time with her dogs to ask how market researchers can be a financial planning and analysis (FP&A) team’s best friend.

Would you stick around an extra year for $50,000? Shashank Aurora, Chief Financial Officer of Des Moines Public Schools, takes us behind the scenes of the school district’s offer to get retiring teachers to stay one more year.

We’re celebrating 100 episodes of Off the Books! Hear how it all started, and relive some of the best clips of the accounting podcast you know and love.

Catch a glimpse of the memes along with Mike and Catherine over on YouTube !

How is raising capital for a startup like having a pool party? Rich Maloy of SpringTime Ventures (and host of the VC Minute podcast) swings by Off the Books to make a splash! Watch now.

Part 2 of the conversation with Nicola White of Bloomberg and Alan Wilson of the law firm WilmerHale! Last week there were so many insights on the SEC, FASB, and crypto accounting that we had to keep the convo going. Catch the rest of the chat now.

Is it hot in here, or is it just the FASB? Nicola White of Bloomberg and Alan Wilson, CPA and securities attorney from WilmerHale, swing by to discuss the backstory and ramifications on a move to protect the Financial Standards Accounting Board from political interference—and get it to act a wee bit faster. Learn more.

YouTubers, drop a comment on what the crew got right and wrong: Want more movie episodes? Check them out here:  The Super-Duper Best Accounting Movies of All Time: https://youtu.be/c_6GZnu3-gs   Off the Books vs. The Shawshank Redemption: https://youtu.be/5WMPeAP-SSI   Off the Books vs. Ghostbusters: https://youtu.be/GVNc9EREnnw

Here’s the attorney generals letter to BlackRock: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/executive-management/BlackRock%20Letter.pdf Here’s a response from BlackRock: https://thetexan.news/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/BlackRock-Response-to-AGs-09062022_Final.pdf And this is what the New York City Comptroller sent BlackRock: https://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/comptroller-la...

On this between-seasons bonus episode, ESG Talk’s Mandi McReynolds joins Steve and Catherine to recap Workiva Amplify, the annual conference for ESG, finance, and risk folks. Hear how Amplify 2022 went all in on the bold future of transparency, plus listen to a clip from two keynote speakers: professional rock climbers Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell!

A proposal to tax companies based on book income instead of their tax income was tucked into the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, and that sure got Steve Soter and Josh Gertsch talking. Catherine soaks in why it’s such a big deal for accounting teams.

After a couple of years off, are you ready to mix and mingle at in-person industry events? Robert Coplan, developmental psychologist and Professor of Psychology at Carleton University, offers tips on how to ease back into real life gatherings so you can get the most out of conferences like Workiva Amplify this fall.

Recent headlines motivated Steve and Catherine to think about considerations organizations have when revealing not-so-great news. Brandon Ziegler returns to field their serious (and not-so-serious) questions about SEC investigations, disclosures, and more!

Mike Coke of Wilson Sonsini returns! This time Mike’s here to break down the state of capital markets and the SEC’s proposed rule around SPACs (special purpose acquisition companies)—plus new rules for everyday life.

It's not often that an audit firm walks away from a client, but there's always a story when it happens. Mike Disabato, host of the MSCI podcast ESG Now, breaks down auditor resignations with the Off the Books crew. Tune in:

If there’s something strange on your movie screen, who you gonna call? Off the Books! It’s time for another edition of the accounting movie bracket. Mike pits Catherine and Steve against the OG Ghostbusters! Does the film show the EPA as unfairly evil? How does it handle relationships? Is it even an accounting movie!?

Off the Books takes on the news! The Securities and Exchange Commission has received thousands of comments on its climate risk disclosure proposal. Catherine and Steve break down what stands out from the feedback on the proposed SEC climate disclosure rule. Tune in: