Laura Sprouse: A Tasty Profile in IPA Brewing World

TLDR

Key Points:

• Laura Sprouse discusses the challenge of staffing in the accounting industry.
• She focuses on growth, remaining independent, and expanding service offerings in the next few years.

Laura Sprouse, CEO of Brown Edwards, talks about the challenge of attracting and retaining top talent in the accounting industry due to a shortage of accounting graduates. She emphasizes the importance of producing ideas outside the box to address this issue and shares initiatives targeting high school students and college underclassmen to increase the candidate pool. Sprouse highlights the firm’s goal of improving both employee and client experiences by conducting satisfaction surveys and implementing action plans based on feedback.

In the next two to three years, Sprouse plans to focus on growth, remaining independent, and expanding service offerings in areas like private colleges, financial institutions, construction, and employee benefit plans. She aims to enhance resources while maintaining the accessibility of a local firm. Sprouse also discusses the importance of leveraging teams effectively and recruiting the right people to optimize the firm’s performance.

Sprouse sees the accounting profession evolving with advancements in technology and the use of AI. She is excited about these changes but approaches them cautiously to ensure ethical data use. As a leader, she is motivated by enthusiastic employees and believes in giving them autonomy to foster creativity and engagement. Sprouse’s proudest professional achievement is becoming the CEO of Brown Edwards, a journey she attributes to embracing opportunities and developing a vision for the firm.

She recommends business books like “Blue Ocean Strategies,” “Good to Great,” and “Think Big, Act Small,” emphasizing the importance of creativity and engaging employees. Sprouse advises young professionals to accept challenges, find their passion, and continuously learn to grow in their careers. She envisions the accounting profession evolving through technology and hopes for a future that prioritizes ethical data use.