Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
Issue link: https://cpapracticeadvisor.epubxp.com/i/40356
Jennifer Warawa — 35 Senior Director, Partner Programs — Sage Lawrenceville, Georgia Blog URL: www.jenniferwarawa.com Twitter ID: twitter.com/jenniferwarawa Education: Okanagan University College, 1997 Hobbies: Work (I'm truly passionate about my career!), Reading, Public speaking and Swimming What ONE piece of technology could you absolutely not live without? I am totally, completely addicted to the Internet. When I'm traveling, the time on a flight between when I have to power down my smartphone and when I can power up my laptop and get online almost kills me. I love being plugged in, knowing what's happening and just being connected. Whether it's my smartphone or my laptop, I need to be online. It keeps me close to everything. What are some ways your firm/business has gone "paperless" and/or "green" in the last two years? Sage is an extremely environmentally conscious company. A recent example of this was at Sage Summit, our annual partner and customer conference, when we moved to a virtual tote-bag instead of the traditional bag full of brochures that people tend to discard. Not only did it allow our attendees to select what they wanted in their virtual tote-bag, but it also saved on a ton of unnecessary paper. We, of course, recycle and take advantage of all the day-to-day ways we can go green, but I find that people at Sage are continually reinventing themselves to be better stewards of the environment. NOT including your current employer, what company do you most admire and why? I really admire Apple. This is a great example of a company that has totally reinvented itself and does things its own way and, because of that, is wildly successful. I admire the company's innovative approach and ability to drive demand for its latest products. It's not only admirable, it's intriguing. Do you embrace cloud computing? I definitely embrace technology and the evolution of technology, which of course includes cloud computing. I think it would be hard to be involved with the accounting profession without embracing it. At Sage, we're continually looking to evolve our products and services to better meet the needs of our customers and partners so you will see us taking advantage of cloud technology and delivering competitive solutions in this area. Do you foresee the majority of firms still implementing servers for the majority of their computing in their offices five years from now or do you think they will be outsourcing this component to vendors who specialize in this area? At Sage, we've seen both sides of the spectrum — businesses that prefer to have on-premise servers and those that prefer to avoid the up-front hardware costs and outsource. I believe in five years there will definitely be more outsourcing than there is today, but I think there will be a place for on-premise solutions (hardware and software). How is cloud computing changing the accounting profession, and how con- cerned are you with the security issues related to cloud computing? Cloud computing isn't just changing the way the profession does business; it's really a paradigm shift in the way accountants think. The options that the cloud has introduced to businesses are endless, and it's caused tax and accounting professionals to rethink how they can best serve their clients. As far as security issues, I truly believe that there are as many security risks with an on-premise solution as there are from working in the cloud. Combine data, human interaction (or intervention) and the Internet, and I think the risks are equal. Other than SMS on your cell phone, what is your favorite way to IM with your friends and family? I am a Trillian user, which allows me to have one account to manage all my IM accounts. Some of my contacts prefer AIM, some Messenger, some Yahoo!, etc., so Trillian allows me to connect with them on whatever IM they prefer. For business, I find that Twitter is one of the most effective forms of IM. It allows you to connect with someone immediately. I love it! I am just starting to get into Google+ so that one is still out for debate. Cell phone: I have an iPhone for work and an Android (HTC) for personal use. What is your favorite smartphone or tablet app? I love both my smartphones for different reasons. When it comes to Flash, I have to have my Android. It's also interesting to see how various applications work on iPhone vs. Android — different apps work differently on one or the other — so depending on what app I am using will determine what smartphone I use. What sports team/championship event do you absolutely refuse to miss? Being from Canada, I'm still a hockey gal so I would have to say the NHL is still a top favorite for me. Can't miss the Stanley Cup Finals! What are some of your favorite books, music and TV shows? I can't get enough of business books — I usually have three or four on the go at a time (most via my Kindle, of course!). There is such a wealth of information available to us from successful people who have "been there, done that," and I find their lessons fascinating. For music, I love it all – my iPod looks like 30 different people assembled my playlists… everything from country to top 40 to jazz and blues. Regarding TV shows, I don't watch a lot of TV but if I do, for the most part it's to unwind so it's relatively mindless. Monitors on your desk? I only have two , which I know means I've got some catching up to do. Are you using social networking (such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+) as a marketing tool for your business … or do you use such sites for personal use only? Have you gained any customers or seen other demonstrable benefits from the use of social networking? I am a social media early adopter… I use them all! That being said, I've seen the greatest success with making valuable business connections and actually engaging people beyond my immediate sphere of influence with Twitter. I have "met" more people, gotten to know more people and really connected with more people on Twitter than any other social media platform. What pitfalls or what unwritten rules of social net- working etiquette exist, which are frequently missed by others in the profession? I think the most important thing for people to remember is that social media and online information lives forever (or at least almost forever). I actually just tweeted a "Bloomberg" article today titled "That Facebook Post Just Doomed Your Career," which was very insightful. I believe before you tweet or post on social media, you need to ask yourself, "If the CEO of the company I work at (or another company for that matter) saw this post, would I be okay with that?" If the answer is no, don't do it. 5 UNDER 30 At 27, Michael Hsu is the youngest of this year's honorees, and he's joined by four other young profes- sionals: Kim Hogan and Noel Abdur-Rahim, both 28; and Kasey Bayne and Jon Petit, both 29. 18 Back to Contents Page 3