Thomson Reuters professionals William Hill, Jordan Kleinsmith and Melissa Oaks have been named CPA Practice Advisor magazine’s 20 Under 40 Superstars. This honor is awarded to young leaders helping to advance the tax and accounting profession through their roles in technology, education, consulting and firm development.
“We are fortunate to be surrounded by so many young professionals who are sharing their ideas, skills, and enthusiasm with the goal of making the accounting profession a better place. Change is occurring rapidly in our profession and this year’s award winners are embracing and welcoming the changes,” said Editor-in-Chief Gail Perry, CPA. “They are strong, dedicated, spirited leaders and we are proud to recognize these professionals as the 2018 ’40 Under 40 in the Accounting Profession’ and the ’20 Under 40 Vendor Superstars.’”
Through William Hill’s time at Thomson Reuters, he has been inside the offices of almost 400 different firms and has had countless interactions with other firms via web-based interactions and regional and national events. This exposure and his desire to understand accounting firms and their needs have been the key resource for decision making in his current role as a Manager in the Training, Consulting & Implementation Services (TCIS) Department. Through his leadership, the TCIS Department has revised its implementation methodology of all products to better speed the return on investment for firms purchasing new software. They have also expanded consulting offering for firms’ post-implementation, ensuring firms are getting the most out of their tools for the betterment of the firm.
Jordan Kleinsmith is the Director of Innovation at Thomson Reuters. Each day, he works tirelessly at the intersection of public accounting firms, corporate tax departments, product management, product development, operations, and the Thomson Reuters Labs organization. In his current position, he strives to act as a catalyst for the accelerated adoption of emerging technologies into Thomson Reuters products – including Artificial Intelligence, distributed ledger technology (a.k.a. blockchain), and API ecosystems – frequently as part of joint projects with customers.
Since joining Thomson Reuters, Melissa Oaks has authored and edited numerous publications on a wide range of state tax issues. She developed an annual survey of state revenue departments on corporate income tax e-commerce concerns and has presented on complex apportionment issues at the annual Thomson Reuters SYNERGY conference. In December 2017, she became Managing Editor of the Checkpoint Catalyst state and local editorial team, just in time for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. She led a webinar on the state tax impact of TCJA and recently coordinated the Checkpoint team’s response to South Dakota v. Wayfair, attending the oral argument and authoring and editing numerous articles, infographics, special reports, and other valuable resources for tax and accounting professionals.
To view the full list of winners, click here.
