Vendor Presentations, moderated by Jim Tarala and Steve Gannon

CPE: 2.5 credit hours - Specialized Knowledge (Group-Live)

Thomson and CCH representatives will each make a presentation and cover:

1.
 Brief company overview, stats, industries served, etc.
2.
 Brief current product line overview (including what size firm the various products are targeted).
3.
 What does the company see as the top 5 technology-related drivers for our industry over the next 1, 3, 5 years?
4.
 What is the company's product roadmap to address Item #3?
5.
 Q & A or other follow-up discussion.  

Samantha Mansfield
Sr. Technical Sales Representative
Thomson Reuters

Samantha Mansfield is a Senior Technical Sales Representative with Thomson Reuters. During the course of her ten years with Thomson Reuters, she has worked with thousands of firms nationwide, and gained valuable insight into the processes and procedures of today's accounting firms.

  

Brian Steinert
Director of Software Product Management
CCH Tax and Accounting

Brian Steinert is the Director Product Management - Workflow Solutions for CCH Tax and Accounting, a Wolters Kluwer business. He started his career with CCH in January 2006 as the Product Manager of A&A products including Engagement.

Prior to joining CCH, Brian performed tax and audit work at a large regional CPA firm for 9 years and was a core member of the firm's technology group.
Armed with this experience and knowledge, Samantha expertly presents tax and accounting professionals with targeted WebEx demonstrations, seminars, and on-site firm visits to help them evaluate the CS Professional Suite software and services that will best suit their needs and enhance their processes. Samantha has a BA in Business Administration from Hillsdale College.
  

Brian received Bachelor of Arts degrees in Business Education and Accounting from Bethany College in Lindsborg, KS. Brian has been named by The CPA Technology Advisor as one of the nations "Top 40 under 40" recognizing "tomorrow's leaders in the tax and accounting space" three of the last four years.


James S. Tarala, CCA, MCP
Chief Information/Technology Officer
Schenck SC
Appleton WI

Jim has over 16 years of technology-related business experience in industries ranging from retail, wholesale/distribution, accounting, and systems integration to entrepreneurship.

Jim combines his technical expertise with an operational approach to achieve business improvement. Whether working with IT personnel or executive management, Jim shows a special talent in acting as a liaison, translating user needs and management requirements into system solutions. He works with a variety of clients, including manufacturing, distribution, governmental, and insurance. Recent projects for Jim and his Citrix Gold-Certified technical consulting staff include a number of thin-client deployments for multi-site/multi-state manufacturing clients.

Prior to joining Schenck Technology Solutions, Jim was a co-founder of Business Data Systems, an information technology firm that offered its clients a sophisticated array of services in information systems, accounting, distribution and manufacturing. BDS merged with Schenck Technology Solutions in 2000. Internally, Jim serves as Schenck’s Chief Information/Technology Officer. He is chairman of Schenck’s Information Technology Committee, which is charged with technology planning and adoption firm-wide. Additionally, Jim is an instructor for the Executive Education department at the University of Wisconsin - Madison School of Business.

Areas of Specialization
• Systems Integration
• Citrix - Gold Certified Partner
• Microsoft - Certified Solution Provider
• Thin-Client, Remote Access/Connectivity

 

Steven A. Gannon, IT Manager
Faw, Casson & Co., LLP
Dover, DE

Steve Gannon has 34 years of experience in computer related technologies working with multiple hardware platforms and a wide range of software products.

He joined the firm in 1982 and is responsible for the acquisition, installation and support of computer hardware and software for the firm.

Past employment experience includes medical, distribution, manufacturing and wholesale, in addition to accounting applications.