NASA astronaut Eileen Collins reveals encouraging perspective and insight on the leadership skills needed to break barriers and become a successful pioneer in your own right.

One of America’s most admired women, Col. Collins became the first female to pilot a U.S. spacecraft with the Discovery shuttle flight in 1995, and the first female commander on the 1999 Columbia shuttle flight. In 2005, NASA tapped Col. Collins to command the space shuttle Discovery’s historic “Return to Flight” mission, NASA’s first piloted flight following the loss of space shuttle Columbia in 2003.

While logging 872 hours in space, Col. Collins earned a reputation for coolness under pressure. With that same calm demeanor, she shares how her career as an astronaut took shape, from her early years in the U.S. Air Force to her ground-breaking experience with NASA. Her memoir, Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars, was published in 2021. In 2022, Col. Collins was awarded the National Aeronautic Association’s Wright Brothers Award for her inspirational career as an astronaut, teacher and leader. She is also honored as a 2025 inductee into the Living Legends of Aviation.

Collins explores the essential elements of effective leadership - managing people, learning from mistakes, prioritizing safety and fostering creativity in complex environments. Drawing on the depth of her career experiences, Eileen shares candid insights shaped by both her successes and her setbacks. She highlights the power of collaboration in achieving ambitious goals and reflects on what it takes to lead with clarity and resilience in dynamic, high-stakes settings. Her perspective offers practical wisdom and inspiration for anyone looking to chart their own bold and original path.

Joe Lazer is an award‑winning marketing leader and author who helps businesses strengthen relationships with their clients, communicate value clearly, and drive measurable impact.

In a world drowning in data and AI, Joe Lazer teaches the superpower that sets humans apart: storytelling. Author of The Storytelling Edge and the new Amazon #1 release Super Skill: Why Storytelling Is the Superpower of the AI Age, Joe helps 185,000+ weekly newsletter subscribers master the art of connection.

His expertise provides actionable insights for professionals on how to communicate with clarity, build trust, and foster meaningful relationships with both clients and colleagues.

Barry C. Melancon retired on December 31, 2024, from his role as President and CEO of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and CEO of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association). The Association is the world's largest accounting membership body of public and management accountants. Melancon served the profession in this role for 30 years.

During his career, Melancon has served as an advocate for the accounting profession. He has built extensive relationships with governments around the world, extending the reach of the public and management accounting profession to new regions and opportunities. 

Melancon joined the AICPA as CEO in 1995. He was the longest serving CEO in the organization’s 133-year history. Under his tenure, the AICPA grew to become the largest membership body of CPAs in the world and has directed numerous initiatives to benefit not only the profession, but also investors, business owners, lenders, and the general public. These include audit quality centers, private company reporting standards, the computerized CPA Exam, and two consumer financial literacy education programs.

Under Melancon’s leadership in 2011, the AICPA formed a joint venture with CIMA to elevate management accounting globally. Together, the organizations created the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation for those professionals who meet the highest benchmark of rigor and quality. Today, approximately 150,000 professionals hold the CGMA designation worldwide. Then, in 2016, Melancon led a process for members of the AICPA and CIMA to combine and form the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. The effort was supported by more than 85% of the members voting. The combined entity has 33 offices in 23 countries, all under Melancon’s direction.

Melancon led the Association in the release of multiple integrated reports that share a holistic view of how the AICPA, CIMA and Association come together to create value in the short- and long-term. This complements his service as global chair of the Board of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), prior to its merger with SASB to form the Value Reporting Foundation (VRF). Inside the VRF, he chaired the Strategy Committee and co-chaired a Deal Team to merge VRF into the IFRS Foundation which formed the basis for the formation of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB).

Additionally, Melancon serves as chairman of the Board of CPA.com, a for-profit subsidiary of the AICPA which was his brainchild in 1998. In a unique approach, he raised more than $70 million to fund an organization controlled by the AICPA but with minority owners. CPA.com today provides leading-edge technology services to tens of thousands of small CPA firms in the United States. Further, under his direction, the AICPA has been awarded the .cpa domain, which will help CPAs promote themselves online through a clear connection with the CPA profession. The new domain is only available to the CPA community. 

Melancon is also chairman of eXtensible Business Reporting Language-US (XBRL), a founding member of the Global Accounting Alliance (GAA), and a founding board member of the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ). He serves on the board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness and is a member of the delegation to the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). During 2007-2008, Melancon served on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession. He has also testified for the profession before Congress numerous times.

His extensive experience also includes spearheading the development of a new cybersecurity assurance service in 2017, the professionalization of a cloud-based client accounting service in 2007, the next generation of leadership academies, the computerization of the US-CPA exam, the global CGMA exam, uniform licensure for CPAs throughout the country, and has helped elevate CPA and CGMA skills globally for technology and business service. He also spearheaded the formation of a nearly $100 million consortium to reinvent the traditional audit, called Dynamic Audit Solution (DAS). He led a renewed commitment to diversity in the profession and countless legislative and regulatory approaches to benefit businesses and the profession. On the international stage, he has spoken on business, technology and change management issues to professional accountants and business leaders throughout the world, and met with government leaders, regulators, and stock exchanges focusing on the future of business and business information. 

Prior to joining the AICPA, Melancon served for eight years as executive director of the Society of Louisiana CPAs. He began his accounting career in 1979 at a small CPA firm in Louisiana. In 1984, he was elected a firm partner. Melancon graduated in 1978 from Nicholls State University in Louisiana, majoring in accounting with a minor in government. He also earned an MBA in 1983 from Nicholls State University and subsequently served as an adjunct professor of accounting at his alma mater for four years. He was also awarded his alma mater’s first and only Honorary Doctorate of Commerce in 2008.

He has been honored with many awards, including the 2011 National Association Executive of the Year award. He presented to profession and business leaders more than 100 times per year.

On Feb. 10, Baker Tilly (U.S.), an advisory, tax, and assurance firm, together with Baker Tilly International, a global network of independent accounting and advisory firms, announced Melancon’s appointment to two influential roles: advisor to Baker Tilly (U.S.) and non-executive director and chair-elect of the Baker Tilly International board of directors.

Brent McDaniel is the Chief Digital Officer at Aprio, where he leads a dynamic technology team focused on driving growth through intelligent automation, data activation, and creating the industry's best client experiences. With a passion for innovation and a relentless drive to shape the future, Brent partners with Aprio’s leadership and management to develop transformative solutions that enhance operations, empower team members, and deliver exceptional client results.

Bringing nearly 30 years of experience, Brent has a proven track record of aligning technology with business strategies to achieve measurable growth. His knowledge spans building organizations from the ground up – including scaling a startup into the world’s largest financial exchange – and implementing impactful, scalable solutions. At Aprio, Brent specializes in simplifying complexity and designing actionable roadmaps that fuel the firm’s strategic objectives.

Randy DeFauw is a Sr. Principal Solutions Architect at AWS. He has over 20 years of experience in technology, starting with his university work on autonomous vehicles. He has worked with and for customers ranging from startups to Fortune 50 companies, launching Big Data and Machine Learning applications. He holds an MSEE and an MBA, serves as a board advisor to K-12 STEM education initiatives, and has spoken at leading conferences including Strata and GlueCon. He is the co-author of the books SageMaker Best Practices and Generative AI Cloud Solutions. Randy currently acts as a technical advisor to AWS’ director of technology in North America, and has had over 300 customer conversations about GenAI and agents over the past two years.

Terri Ellis is a Partner at Aprio, where she works to build and grow Aprio Alliance — a national network built on the idea that great firms grow better together.

Her work is grounded in a simple belief: the firms that thrive aren't necessarily smarter than the ones that struggle — they're more willing to challenge what they've always believed. Terri works at the intersection of Aprio's capabilities and the independent firms that make up the Alliance, helping members unlock the full value of the network through technical and industry insight, business development support, talent strategy resources, client service tools, and exclusive peer access.

She brings more than twelve years of experience working inside the professional services industry, including time at the partner table for growth strategy, succession planning, and market development. Prior to joining Aprio, she spent over seven years at RSM Canada, where she launched and led the RSM Canada Alliance and developed the firm's Business & Professional Services industry practice.

Terri is known for her pragmatic approach, market instincts, and her ability to help firm leaders see — and act on — what's possible.

With a wealth of experience in international business and strategic organizational development, Tony Sacre is building upon a 25-year career that includes senior executive roles within ANZ Banking Group, Commonwealth Bank, HSBC, JP Morgan, and National Australia Bank, as well as experience leading various financial markets, trade finance, and advisory businesses across the globe.
From 2018 to 2025 Mr. Sacre served as Chief Executive Officer of the Bentleys Network, Australia’s twelfth largest accounting firm with revenues in excess of 140 million AUD. There, he focused on enhancing capability and capacity within the network and driving developmental projects across all regions.
At Allinial Global Sacre is responsible for strategic planning, financial performance, and the association’s overall growth and success. With both CA and CPA credentials and experience serving on the association’s Global Executive Board and APAC Regional Board, he complements a primary strength of the Allinial Global leadership team—its deep, nuanced understanding of the accounting profession and the evolving needs of today’s independent accounting and advisory firms.

Lara Joseph serves as Chief Operating Officer at Allinial Global, where she has spent over 15 years in leadership roles. She is responsible for driving strategic execution and operational excellence across the organization, overseeing key functions including member experience, marketing, technology, governance, and core operations.

Throughout her tenure, Lara has played a key role in shaping the association’s member experience and strengthening its operational infrastructure. Her focus is on aligning strategy with execution, scaling impact, and ensuring the association delivers meaningful, measurable value to its global membership.