Avalarians honored in Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting

This month, Accounting Today published its annual, eagerly anticipated list of the most influential people in accounting. For insiders, it’s the “list of lists” as chosen by the newspaper of record for the accounting profession.

The 2018 most influential people list featured brutal competition, as evidenced by the leaders, luminaries, and upstarts who didn’t make the list. Editor-in-chief Dan Hood noted that “this year’s roster may be one of the most influential ever. The changes currently under way in the profession are so significant that the decisions they make now and in the coming years and months will have repercussions that will be felt for decades to come.”

Avalara CEO Scott McFarlane pulled off a hat trick this year, his third consecutive inclusion on Accounting Today’s most influential list. The magic of 2018 was not lost on Dan Hood, who noted, “In just one short week earlier this year, McFarlane handled two once-in-a-lifetime changes, either one of which would rivet industry watchers: launching his sector-leading tax compliance company's initial public offering, and responding to the game-changing Supreme Court decision in Wayfair.”

And of Scott Peterson, our VP of U.S. Tax Policy & Government Relations, who among other things is one of the visionaries of the movement to simplify and modernize sales and use tax collection and administration in the U.S., Hood offered, “it’s not Peterson’s background in South Dakota that gives him such unique insight into the implications of the landmark Wayfair sales tax case (though it certainly doesn’t hurt) — it’s his long experience in the field, including serving as head of the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board.”

Congratulations to both of our Scotts on this big honor and great teamwork in carrying Avalara’s influence into the accounting profession and ecosystem!

Last, we’d be remiss if we didn’t offer our enthusiastic congratulations to the Avalara partners and industry colleagues also included on the 2018 most influential list. You have each contributed to the ongoing success of Avalara, and your place on this year’s list is well-deserved.