Financial Reporting Symposium

Cost: $405 Member | $505 Non-Member | $203 Retired Member
Cost after Aug. 26: $435 Member | $535 Non-Member | $218 Retired Member
Use promo code EARLYBIRD_FRS for the discounted rate. Offer good through Aug. 26.

Corporate Access Program (CAP) Members:
This symposium is included with your CAP benefits! Use the code emailed to you when registering, or reach out to your firm admin for help.

Accounting and finance professionals are navigating rapid change. Hear directly from experts at FASB, AICPA & CIMA, leading accounting firms and industry as they share practical insights on AI, evolving accounting standards, economic trends, tariffs, and what's next for the profession.

Accounting and finance professionals involved in financial reporting, accounting operations, controllership, corporate finance, compliance and financial leadership, and related functions.

Ryan Brady, CPA, Grant Thornton LLP

Nadia Lagen, CPA, Ulta Beauty

Richard Tarapchak, CPA, Verano

Lynn Marie Burks

Dr. LynnMarie Burks is an accomplished 30-year executive. Burks currently serves as the Chief Associate for HYA, is an assessment/student success leader for HLC, a member of the Innovative Executives League, serves on the Exec Board member for AAUA, and co-hosts a Podcast, “The Next Frontier”. In higher ed, Burks' launched a Learning Institute and was awarded a 3M DOL grant to transform workforce systems, a tenured professor, chair, and Dean, and Dean of Faculty/The Center for Excellence led 3K faculty/staff Burks led multiple system-wide transformation efforts including an LMS migration, AI/predictive analytics, and hyperflex modality adoption. Burks spent 25 years in the classroom, founded experiential global programs, and received multiple awards recognizing her leadership/teaching excellence, including Professor of the Year by The Carnegie Foundation. In P-12, Burks served as the Board of Ed President. Over her 24-year tenure, she led a district of 10K students through innovation and growth. Under her leadership, the district doubled its footprint and exponentially grew educational outcomes. Burks fostered collaborative relationships between community partners to expand funding and programming. Her tenure saw the launch of a community-based early childhood center, full-day kindergarten, a Freshman Academy, 1:1/blended learning, and outcomes-based grading, and pioneered a dual language program. Before moving to education, Burks was a senior analyst and served as special assistant to the Sr VP of Research at NORC at the University of Chicago, engaging in work for NIH, NICHD, ETS, and US News & World Report. Burks has produced over 100 publications, keynotes, workshops, and presentations, is a certified career coach, and is certified in Design Thinking. Relentless in her support of learners of all ages and systems, Burks’ core strength lies in her proficiency across the entire spectrum of learning, and workforce solutions that support the future of work and learning.

Ray Beste

Ray Beste is the Principal AI Strategist at Sikich, a leading professional services firm providing transformative technology and business solutions across diverse industries. With over 36 years of experience in IT consulting, system architecture, and AI strategy, Ray has dedicated his career to managing and optimizing information.
Ray’s expertise in data modeling, solution architecture, and enterprise systems led him to Softbite, where he managed a team of developers and consultants to design database-driven solutions that empowered businesses to better utilize their data. As enterprise software evolved, his focus expanded to CRM, ERP integration, and data strategy, helping organizations unify their systems, improve efficiency, and make smarter business decisions.
Now, at the forefront of AI innovation, Ray leads Sikich’s AI initiatives, guiding businesses through the responsible and strategic adoption of Generative AI, intelligent automation, and advanced analytics. His work spans a variety of cloud, AI, and enterprise technologies, including Microsoft, OpenAI, AWS, and other emerging AI platforms.
As a sought-after speaker, Ray has presented at executive roundtables, industry conferences, and corporate events, sharing insights on AI in business, data strategy, and the evolving role of AI in enterprise applications. His career-long commitment to architecting and managing information systems has come full circle, as Generative AI represents the next evolution in how businesses can structure, interpret, and act on data.
Beyond his technical expertise, Ray is a dedicated educator, mentor, and strategist, helping organizations cut through AI hype, identify real opportunities, and implement AI responsibly. His ability to translate complex AI concepts into practical, business-driven solutions has positioned him as a trusted leader in digital transformation across industries and technologies.

Josh Heine

Josh Heine
Vice President, Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer

Mr. Heine was promoted and appointed to Vice President, Corporate Controller of the Company in April 2025, and serves as the Company’s Principal Accounting Officer. He joined Verano in February 2024 as Director of Finance - Technical Accounting, following an extensive tenure with the global accounting and consulting firm Deloitte, where he most recently served as Audit & Assurance Senior Manager for four years. Mr. Heine is a certified public accountant with a Master’s degree in accounting, and undergraduate degrees in accounting and management from the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business.

Ayala Clinkman

Ayala Clinkman, CPA, PMP

Ayala Clinkman is a Sr. Director of Business Solutions at BT Partners, a Chicago based Technology Consulting firm. Ayala works closely with clients to determine their unique needs while managing projects to help the teams succeed. With over a decade of experience at BT Partners, she also helps manage the ERP practices to make sure business processes are continually improving.

Ayala received her Master of Science in Accounting from University of Illinois Chicago, which ignited her interest in business management solutions. Years later, she still enjoys working with information systems to help small to medium size businesses leverage technology. She works with a variety of businesses in diverse industries and has played a major role in hundreds of technology projects.

Ayala also has her CPA and PMP credentials, is an active member of the Information Technology Alliance and the Illinois CPA Society.

She happily resides in Morton Grove with her family.

Adriana Yepes

Adriana Yepes joined the staff of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in 2014. Since then, Adriana has played a key role in several projects, including the definition of business, the equity method, the derecognition of nonfinancial assets, and scope of derivatives accounting. Adriana brings deep and wide-ranging experience in financial reporting and complex transactions. Before joining the FASB staff, Adriana was a director in PwC’s Transaction Services practice, which advises clients on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, alliances, and other corporate finance transactions. She focused on helping clients navigate complex financial reporting issues, with a focus on areas such as consolidations, business combinations, joint ventures, and lease accounting. Earlier in her career, Adriana spent three years as a vice president in the Accounting Policy Group of an investment bank. Previously she served in the audit practice of another “Big 4” CPA firm, serving medium to large public clients across the technology, energy, and health care industries. Adriana holds a bachelor’s degree from Florida International University and master’s degree from the University of Miami. She is a Certified Public Accountant in Florida.

Tom Hood

Tom Hood, CPA, CITP, CGMA - EVP, Business Growth & Development, AICPA & CIMA One of the most influential voices in accounting and finance, Tom Hood has been named to the Accounting Hall of Fame and held a record-breaking 12-year streak as #2 Most Influential Person in Accounting by Accounting Today. A digital pioneer, he ranks among LinkedIn’s Top 100 Influencers, engaging 700,000+ professionals globally. Tom serves as Executive Vice President of Business Growth & Engagement at AICPA-CIMA, the world’s largest association of professional accountants. A member of the Forbes Finance Council, he brings powerful insights at the intersection of technology, talent, and transformation. Tom’s career spans from CFO of a $100M construction company to CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs, where he led two profession-wide future vision projects: CPA Vision Project and CPA Horizons 2025. Today, he leads RISE 2040: Shaping the Future of Finance and Accounting, Together—a global foresight initiative to transform the profession for the next generation.

John Benedetti

John is a Partner in our Deals practice at PwC. John advises large corporate U.S. domestic companies and international companies on the accounting for complex transactions and the implications of financial and accounting reporting. His deep knowledge of U.S. GAAP and IFRS financial reporting rules allows him to support clients through these challenging endeavors.

John’s expertise and skills cover a broad spectrum of complex accounting issues for both U.S. GAAP and IFRS. John has 25 years of public accounting experience as both a Certified Public Accountant (Illinois) and a Canadian Chartered Accountant.

John has assisted his clients with the resolution of complex technical issues related to:
* business combinations,
* Initial public offerings,
* consolidations,
* leasing,
* revenue recognition,
* application of fresh start reporting, and
* securitizations.

Kelly Schindler

As Grant Thornton’s Manufacturing Industry Leader, Kelly works alongside her colleagues to understand everything we can about our manufacturing clients, their challenges, and the opportunities available to them. Our one-firm mindset means we empower the right people to deliver the right solutions at the right time, and in support of that effort, Kelly has an active role in mentoring and championing our people across the firm to better understand the challenges being faced in the manufacturing industry and how we can support our clients. Kelly is also an active member of our firm’s Tariff Taskforce. In addition, Kelly serves on the board of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and brings industry insights to her clients as well as advocates for them to NAM on issues they are facing. The primary subsectors under Kelly’s leadership include aerospace & defense, automotive, chemical, consumer products, industrials, and food & beverage. Kelly is a CPA (Iowa, Missouri). She is an Advisory Board member for the Missouri State University School of Accountancy and active committee member in Coaches Versus Cancer. She has her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Missouri State University.