Illinois CPA Society president and CEO announces retirement

The Illinois CPA Society - one of the largest state CPA societies in the nation - said President and CEO Todd Shapiro intends to retire in February 2023. A search committee made up of current and past board members has been named to oversee the process of identifying his successor in partnership with executive search firm Koya Partners.

Shapiro, a Kankakee native currently residing in La Grange Park, joined ICPAS in 1998 and served as CFO for 14 years before being named president and CEO in 2013. He also serves as president and CEO of CPAs for the Public Interest and ex officio board member of the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois, ICPAS' charitable partner.

During his time as ICPAS' president and CEO, Shapiro has been a national thought leader in the accounting profession. He has served on various boards, committees and task forces, including the Accountancy Advisory Board for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the AICPA National Commission on Diversity, the AICPA/NASBA CPA Evolution Working Group, AICPA Peer Review Board, AICPA Future of Learning Task Force, and others.

In 2021, Shapiro was named to Accounting Today's "Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting" list for the seventh straight year, in which Accounting Today stated that "Shapiro has a keen eye for the issues that matter most to the profession, and a passion for engaging with them."

"It's been an honor serving as president and CEO of the Illinois CPA Society," Shapiro says. "I've thoroughly enjoyed working with and strengthening the society's relationships with our volunteer leaders, members firms, and companies across the state. Our mission is to enhance the value of the CPA profession, and I firmly believe that our efforts to objectively explore, discuss and bring solutions to the challenges and issues impacting the accounting profession are fulfilling that mission. I couldn't be prouder of our position as a national thought leader."

Prior to joining ICPAS, Shapiro amassed 20 years of financial and managerial experience as director of finance for Unilever, a multinational consumer package goods company, as well as with Continental Bank, Helene Curtis, Quaker Oats, and Zenith Electronics.

He earned his bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Illinois and his MBA from DePaul University.