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Professional Development Intensive: Tools That Elevate Work
Professional Development Intensive: Tools That Elevate Work is a four‑day live online program built for accounting and finance professionals who want to sharpen their skills, modernize their toolset, and deliver higher‑value work. This conference blends practical technology training with...
Presented in partnership with Michigan Association of CPAs, Oklahoma Society of CPAs, New Mexico CPA Foundation, Montana Society of CPAs, Georgia Society of CPAs, Washington Society of CPAs, Kentucky Society of CPAs, Virginia Society of CPAs, Alabama Society of CPAs, Connecticut Society of CPAs, Illinois CPA Society, Indiana CPA Society, Massachusetts Society of CPAs, Nebraska Society of CPAs, Oregon Society of CPAs, Society of Louisiana CPAs, K2 Enterprises.
On the agenda
7 sessions across 4 days, taught by Brian Tankersley and Lawrence A. "Mac" McClelland — see the full agenda ↓
About this event
Agenda
Select a day, then a class, for full details.
Day 1 Monday, October 26, 2026 2 sessions
Winning Hearts and Minds: Building Future-Ready Businesses
7:00 – 9:00 AM · Stephen Yoss · 2 credits
This practical program provides accounting professionals with actionable strategies for evaluating and implementing technology solutions that drive firm growth and efficiency. Participants will examine case studies showcasing different organizational approaches to hardware, software, cloud, and on-premise solutions while addressing the unique needs of remote workers and in-office teams. The program focuses on immediate implementation techniques rather than theoretical frameworks, ensuring attendees can apply concepts directly within their practice environments. Through examination of diverse organizational examples, participants will identify practical technology assessment methods and implementation approaches suited to various firm sizes and client service models. The program addresses common technology adoption challenges while providing concrete strategies for managing...
Excel Functionality That Every Accountant Should Know
9:30 – 11:30 AM · Stephen Yoss · 2 credits
Excel is the default program for many financial professionals–and highly effective–if used correctly. It can be used for everything from simple tabular analysis to creating in-depth aggregate pivot tables. This course will give participants the necessary tools to turn data into meaningful information and will examine cutting edge ways to store, retrieve, report, and analyze data using Excel and plugins. It will provide recommendations on how to more efficiently use Excel and potential traps to avoid.Participants are encouraged to bring their technology devices to follow along with the interactive discussions, technology demonstrations, sample spreadsheets, and demo tools. Financial professionals will walk away from this course with valuable tools and insights into understanding, managing, and utilizing data in an organized and meaningful manner inside their organizations.
- Describe the features and functions of Excel Tables and data modeling.
- List and detail Excel functions that are the most useful for financial professionals.
- Outline the main features and functionalities of Power Query and how it can be used to improve organizational reporting.
- Demonstrate how to create a pivot table in Excel and how to utilize their major functions.
- Describe the purpose and intention of Microsoft Power BI. Explain how it can be a great complement to Excel for financial reporting.
Day 2 Tuesday, October 27, 2026 2 sessions
K2's Ripped From The Headlines: Lessons From Interesting Tech Crimes
7:00 – 9:00 AM · Lawrence A. "Mac" McClelland · 2 credits
Generative AI and “ransomware for hire” have helped cybercriminals thrive in the post-pandemic period – but how do they do it? This all-new session is a series of case studies that examine actual criminal filings and news accounts and use them to highlight some of the actions you can take to limit your exposure to similar schemes. Attend this session and learn more about how high-profile control failures occurred so you can be more effective at preventing crimes such as theft, malware, ransomware, phishing, and hacking.
- List at least three major security incidents reported in the headlines in the last year, and explain at least one major internal control design or operation flaw that allowed the hack to occur
- Select the correct definitions for common security terms such as attack surface, vulnerability, exploit, social engineering, phishing, malware, heuristics, biometrics, and multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- List at least three best practices learned by reviewing the control failures cited in the case studies
K2's Harnessing ChatGPT
9:30 – 11:30 AM · Lawrence A. "Mac" McClelland · 2 credits
Enhance your productivity and streamline your accounting practices with ideas learned in this course. This dynamic program, designed specifically for accountants seeking a competitive edge, delves into the practical applications of ChatGPT in your daily workflow. From conducting comprehensive research and crafting compelling correspondence to swiftly addressing technical inquiries and optimizing Excel formulas, you will gain invaluable skills to expedite your tasks and improve overall efficiency. Furthermore, we will delve into the power of ChatGPT plugins, equipping you with the knowledge to process PDF documents seamlessly and efficiently navigate the vast expanse of the web. Join us on this transformative journey and unlock your potential as a proficient and empowered accountant.
- Identify options to leverage ChatGPT for research, correspondence, technical inquiries, and Excel formula optimization
- List examples of practical applications of ChatGPT in the realm of accounting
- Identify powerful plugins for GPT4 for efficient PDF document processing and web searching
- List examples of how accountants can unlock professional efficiency by utilizing ChatGPT
Day 3 Wednesday, October 28, 2026 2 sessions
K2's Excel PivotTables for Accountants
7:00 – 11:00 AM · Lawrence A. "Mac" McClelland · 4 credits
Many business professionals consider PivotTables the most powerful feature in Excel, yet most accounting and financial professionals do not use them in their day-to-day activities. If you are ready to learn how to take advantage of PivotTables or extend your existing knowledge, then this course is for you! In this dynamic and engaging session, you'll master how to: • Build PivotTables from scratch • Group data inside PivotTables, including options for fiscal periods • Create user-defined calculations in your PivotTables We start with the fundamentals and quickly move to advanced techniques, including: • Building PivotTables that consolidate data from multiple ranges • Connecting PivotTables dynamically to external databases and financial accounting systems • Leveraging other Excel features associated with PivotTables, such as Slicers, Power Query, and Power Pivot This...
- Identify the six main elements of a PivotTable report and their use when creating PivotTables
- Select appropriate tools to manipulate data in PivotTables using grouping techniques, modified Field Settings, user-defined calculations, and sorting and filtering options
- Determine the best process by which to link and import data from external data sources into PivotTables
- Use Consolidation PivotTables to consolidate data from multiple data sources in Excel
- Apply knowledge gained in this session to create enterprise-class PivotTables that integrate Power Pivot and Slicers
K2's Securing Your Data – Practical Tools for Protecting Information
11:30 AM – 3:30 PM · Lawrence A. "Mac" McClelland · 4 credits
In today's digital landscape, security is non-negotiable. Yesterday's techniques cannot keep up with today's threats. It's time to elevate your knowledge and protect your sensitive data with our comprehensive security program. Join us to discover the latest tools and techniques for securing your data, including encryption, virus protection, safe communications, electronic signatures, secure authentication, and more. You'll also learn how to implement a practical, five-step approach to securing your PC and the critical questions to ask your staff to ensure server-based information remains protected. Security failures, such as client or customer data breaches, can be devastating and even drive your company out of business. So, what security tools do you need, and how should you use them to safeguard your sensitive data and systems? Can you afford to manage today's threats with...
- Determine the relevant security risks in your organization
- Identify specific tools and techniques to protect sensitive data
- Identify five specific steps to improve PC security
- Differentiate between security procedures to improve organizational security
Day 4 Thursday, October 29, 2026 1 session
K2's Small Business Internal Controls, Security, and Fraud Prevention and Detection
7:00 AM – 3:00 PM · Brian Tankersley · 8 credits
Internal controls are more important than ever, and their importance increases daily. However, internal controls present a challenge for many smaller organizations. This program will teach you how to evaluate, develop, and implement an effective internal control structure in a small business environment. You will identify how to assess risk in smaller organizations and implement preventive, detective, deterrent, and compensating controls to mitigate these risks, even without proper segregation of duties. Additionally, participating in this program will teach you technology-focused techniques for preventing and detecting fraud and securing information systems and sensitive data. For small organizations, maintaining an effective system of internal controls presents a significant challenge. Realistically, implementing many theoretical concepts surrounding internal controls may...
- Cite internal control fundamentals, including definitions and concepts, types of internal control activities, and the need for internal controls
- Identify common small business control deficiencies and issues, including concentration of ownership and inadequate segregation of duties, and list five key risk areas for small businesses
- Recognize the common types of fraud schemes occurring in small businesses and implement internal control measures to reduce the threat of becoming a victim
- List the objectives and common deficiencies of small business accounting systems
- Define the purpose of general controls and list examples of typical control techniques in small businesses
Your instructors
Brian Tankersley
Speaker & Author · K2 Enterprises · ★ 4.5 instructor rating
Brian Tankersley is a consultant who advises US firms and companies on accounting technology issues. Mr. Tankersley is a frequent speaker at continuing education courses for K2 Enterprises, and publishes a nationally recognized blog on accounting and technology (www.cpatechblog.com). He has also served as the technology editor for a major accounting industry publication. Mr. Tankersley has over 25 years of...
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Lawrence A. "Mac" McClelland
Speaker & Author · K2 Enterprises · ★ 4.5 instructor rating
Mac McClelland, an attorney and accounting professional, is an associate of K2 Enterprises of Hammond, Louisiana, and Network Management Group of Hutchinson, Kansas. Mac was formerly the director of the Centre for Financial Studies at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, where he lived and worked for seven years from 1990 to 1997. He was also a member of the faculty of the Advanced Business...
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Stephen Yoss
Speaker & Author · CPE Today · ★ 4.7 instructor rating
Stephen M. Yoss, Jr., CPA, MS, is a certified public accountant, partner and CEO of Devmatics, LLC, a continuing education instructor for financial professionals, a and a licensed pyrotechnician. While his interests and skills are varied, they all share a common thread—his love for and skill in finding technology-based solutions. In 2017, Stephen and Alex White formed Devmatics, LLC, a company focused on helping...
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What attendees say about these sessions
Every event runs once, so these are verified reviews from past attendees of the individual sessions on this agenda — the same instruction, the same courses.
“The presentation included very practical recommendations for improving security that were much appreciated.”
“Great instructor, just an 8 hour course is a beast.”
“An important look at some bad stuff. It's information we all need, so we can do our work with more care and caution and realism.”
“Great session to end the Tech conference. Lots of interesting real life cases.”
“This was an awesome class. The instructor was so good at explaining these concepts that were new to me. I like that there were examples that we could work with and follow his leading with. It left me wishing the class was a little bit longer. However, I believe it gave...”
“Definitely learned some new things. Thanks for your time!”
“Great course! With any software course though it is easy to miss something. This might be a better one for self-study setup so you can stop and go back if need be. But overall, this guy did an excellent job!”
“This was one of the most helpful Excel courses I have taken. Thank you for presenting this session and being so knowledgeable.”
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