Part 9 of 10
In honor of Black History Month, NCACPA would like to celebrate the diverse individuals who contributed to the success of the accounting profession and the association. Please join us in recognizing these trailblazers through a 10-part series of posts being published throughout February.
By D. Scott Showalter, CPA, CGMA, CGFM, Immediate Past Chair, NCACPA Board
The individuals highlighted in this series of posts represent minorities and have all made significant contributions to the accounting profession during their careers despite the many challenges they faced.
I’ll introduce everyone by asking a question that describes their respective contribution. I apologize in advance for any factual inaccuracies in this article. While researching, I ran across conflicting dates and proofs, settling on the facts that seem best supported. Either way, I don’t think it distracts from their significant accomplishments.
Which North Carolina CPA was named to the 2019 Most Powerful Women in Accounting list? This individual graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. She later graduated from the University of South Carolina, where she completed the Darla Moore School of Business’ Master of Accountancy (MACC) program in 1992. After graduation, this individual joined Deloitte, where she worked for six years advancing to manager. She joined Cherry Bekaert in 1998 and became an assurance partner in 2001. In 2011, she joined the firm’s executive management team when she was named managing partner of assurance services. Effective May 2019, she became firm managing partner and CEO. In June 2019, she was named 2019 Most Powerful Women in Accounting by CPA Practice Advisor. Who is she? Her name is Michelle L. Thompson.