COO Roundtable

The COO role is central to CPA firm success, but sometimes the resources available to support the role are sparse.

There are conferences and occasional sessions. But you need a consistent, year-round forum for peer COOs to connect, compare notes, learn, tackle the issues and jump on opportunities that don’t get solved or implemented in a one-time conversation. Join us in building that community with the COO Roundtable.

Why Join Our COO Roundtable?

Network with other COOs who are drivers of performance and leaders in their CPA firms.
Get best practices on firm operations from expert facilitators and speakers with in-depth industry experience through our virtual meetings and annual conference.
Share firm challenges and benefit from the input of your peers to help solve them. Multiple firm members in each size band, so everyone can give and receive.
Advance your role and firm value by learning both the hard and soft skills it takes to be a strategic partner at your firm through 1:1 consultations with Kristen and Carl.
Lead discussions and facilitate breakouts with your peers.
No sponsors, just value.

Facilitators


Carl George, CPA, CGMA	Kristen Rampe, CPA
Carl George’s perspective comes from experience few advisors can match. As CEO of Clifton Gunderson, he guided the firm through decades of sustained growth — scaling revenue fivefold and building a culture of leadership that carried well beyond his tenure. His career reached a high point with the merger of Clifton Gunderson and LarsonAllen, creating CliftonLarsonAllen, now one of the largest CPA firms in the nation. That merger was recognized across the profession as a transformative step in reshaping the competitive landscape and strengthening opportunities for future generations of leaders. Read full bio >>	Kristen Rampe, CPA, is a nationally known consultant who works with CPA firms on practice management and leadership matters. She specializes in developing future partners, governance, partner compensation, and retreats. Kristen has been recognized multiple times as one of the Top 100 Most Influential people in accounting by Accounting Today, a Woman to Watch by the California Society of CPAs, and a 40 Under 40 by CPA Practice Advisor. She shares her knowledge through Accounting Today and speaking at industry conferences. Kristen spent 10 years in public accounting at PwC and Frank, Rimerman before moving into consulting. Read full bio >>

Carl George, CPA, CGMA

Kristen Rampe, CPA

Carl George’s perspective comes from experience few advisors can match.

As CEO of Clifton Gunderson, he guided the firm through decades of sustained growth — scaling revenue fivefold and building a culture of leadership that carried well beyond his tenure.

His career reached a high point with the merger of Clifton Gunderson and LarsonAllen, creating CliftonLarsonAllen, now one of the largest CPA firms in the nation. That merger was recognized across the profession as a transformative step in reshaping the competitive landscape and strengthening opportunities for future generations of leaders.

Read full bio >>

Kristen Rampe, CPA, is a nationally known consultant who works with CPA firms on practice management and leadership matters.

She specializes in developing future partners, governance, partner compensation, and retreats. Kristen has been recognized multiple times as one of the Top 100 Most Influential people in accounting by Accounting Today, a Woman to Watch by the California Society of CPAs, and a 40 Under 40 by CPA Practice Advisor. She shares her knowledge through Accounting Today and speaking at industry conferences.

Kristen spent 10 years in public accounting at PwC and Frank, Rimerman before moving into consulting.

Read full bio >>

2026-2027 Sessions

Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026

Topics:

– Introductions and Background

– Sharing Top Issues of Today’s COOs

– Defining Your COO Role

Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026

Topics:

-Partner Accountability at Your Firm

-Instilling Discipline and Why This Matters

Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026

Topics:

– High-Value Clients – Are We Doing Enough?

– Low-Value Clients – Are We Doing Too Much?

– Developing Your High-Value Client Plan

IN PERSON EVENT – ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2027 – Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2027 (likely location: Phoenix)

Topics:

– What Does Your Firm Look Like in 5 Years?

– Best Practices in Partner Compensation

– Identifying Highest Value Partner Attributes: Shifting Partners from “What You Know” Being the Most Valued Skill to “Can You Lead, Manage, and Hold Others Accountable?”

– Trending Topics Critical to the COO Role at CPA Firms

Tuesday, April 20, 2027

Topic:

– Opportunity Season Debrief and Next Steps

– Developing Your COO Action Plan for the Year

Tuesday, June 22, 2027

Topics:

-Dealing with Unexpected Challenges – Death, Disability, Substance Abuse, and Other Issues

-M&A Integration Best Practices

All virtual meetings are from 1:00-3:00 p.m. ET via Zoom (unless otherwise noted).

Price

$9,500 per person

Includes

Five two-hour facilitated virtual meetings with peer-to-peer sharing throughout the year
Annual one and one-half day in-person conference
1:1 consultations, two sessions per year per participant
Small group cohort-based networking, paired with firms of similar sizes, at virtual and in-person sessions for more in-depth discussion and idea exchange
22 CPE hours

Any questions or want to set up a call to discuss? Reach out to kristen@rosenbergassoc.com or carl@carlgeorgeadvisory.com.

Join

CPA firm COOs interested in elevating their position as a strategic partner at their firm are invited to join the COO Cohort Series. Please fill out the interest form below to learn more, or the sign-up form to join.