Why CLA’s CEO Believes the Future of Accounting Is More Human | Jen Leary
Episode Summary
“We’re talking so much about AI... but the human impact that you can have utilizing these tools is what I see for the next decade.”
Jen Leary, CEO of CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), joins Kacee Johnson to explain how one of the country’s largest professional services firms is rethinking its technology, its advisory model, and the judgment it has built over 100 years and 77 firm mergers.
CLA serves more than 200,000 clients and has built the largest client advisory services practice in the profession. Now, through a collaboration with Digits, the firm is training a proprietary AI model on its own data to eliminate repetitive data entry and move clients closer to real-time financial results. Jen shares candidly about the road here, including the mistakes CLA made building CAS, and why she believes relationships, expertise, and judgment only grow more valuable as the technology advances.
Hosted by Kacee Johnson, fintech innovation leader and Principal at Radical, AI-Native Accounting is the podcast at the crossroads of AI and the future of finance. Engage in monthly discussions with firm owners, tech pioneers, and visionary accountants. Explore real-world applications of AI, uncovering how it's streamlining processes and enhancing decision-making. Discover what's working, what's emerging, and what's on the horizon in the world of accounting technology.
Featured Guest
Jen Leary
CEO, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen)
Jen Leary is the CEO of CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), one of the largest accounting and professional services firms in the United States, serving more than 200,000 clients. A CPA with over 25 years of experience in accounting, consulting, mergers and acquisitions, and business strategy, Jen became CEO in 2021 after serving as CLA’s Chief Strategy Officer and Managing Principal of the Carolinas and Georgia. Under her leadership, CLA has expanded its national and global presence while investing in digital transformation, AI, and the next generation of accounting professionals. A prominent advocate for innovation and talent development in the profession, Jen was named one of Accounting Today’s 100 Most Influential People in Accounting and recognized among Forbes’ inaugural Best-in-State CPAs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and management information systems from the University of Delaware.
Your Host
Kacee Johnson
Digits Advisor & Innovation Partner
Kacee Johnson is a leading figure in the accounting profession, recognized among Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People, CPA Practice Advisor's Top 25 Thought Leaders, and as one of the Most Powerful Women in Accounting. She advises AICPA and CPA.com as an innovation partner and leads the Startup Accelerator program, mentoring startups that shape the profession's future. In 2025, she completed Harvard Business School's Executive Program on Private Equity and Venture Capital and joined the be radical team as a Principal in FinTech Innovation.
