Jody Padar is one of the profession’s foremost visionaries and pioneers. As a practitioner, she is VP of Strategy at Botkeeper and CEO and Principal of The Radical CPA, a public accounting firm based in the Chicago area. And as an author, lecturer, coach, consultant, and mentor, she advocates for progress and innovation in the profession, heralding a new way of thinking about accountancy and giving it a new purpose. Having transformed her firm into a technologically advanced, paperless work environment, she is now dedicated to educating her colleagues on making the same transition. She is a regular contributor to a number of industry publications, including Accounting Today and CPA Trendlines, where she offers practical tips and advice on running a next-generation firm. Padar has been named by Accounting Today as “the Top 100 Most Influential to the Profession” for the last four years and manages her firm and discovers new “best practices.” She has just published her first book, The Radical CPA: New Rules for the Future-Ready Firm. Padar is married, has two teenage children, and swims competitively. Padar earned her BBA from Saint Mary’s College and MST from Northern Illinois University. Padar is also an adjunct professor at Oakton Community College and a contributing member of the Intuit Trainer Writer Network. Follow her on Twitter, @JodyPadarCPA, and Facebook, facebook.com/jodypadar.