Worcester Business Journal

26 Worcester Business Journal | March 4, 2024 | wbjournal.com F O C U S H A L L O F FA M E Despite sustained growth, McCall has kept small-firm mentality, values at AAFCPA BY ERIC CASEY WBJ Staff Writer W hen Carla McCall first got into the field of accounting, she didn't have many potential female role models to look to for guidance. e fact her grandmother started her own insur- ance agency in 1948 showed women could be business leaders, but upon graduating from Bentley University in Waltham, she found few female accounting execu- tives whose footsteps she could follow. "ere were no women that were role models in this profession," McCall said. "You kind of had to figure it out yourself." anks in part to a progressive managing partner at her first firm who took an interest in personal develop- ment, she quickly fell in love with the job, enjoying the fact clients leaned on her as a trusted advisor. Aer five years working at that small firm in Con- necticut, McCall joined Westborough-based account- ing firm AAFCPAs in 1995. Her early work was mostly tax-focused, but she eventually turned her attention to being a nonprofit auditor. McCall has been at AAFCPA ever since, working her way up the ranks to audit manager in 1996 and becoming a partner in 2003. Taking the reins of a firm from its founder can be a tricky process, but McCall and Dave McManus assumed the roles of co-managing partners in 2011 from Founder Herb Alexander and kicked off the next stage of the firm's evolution. McCall's vision was a key reason for the firm's suc- cess, said McManus, who is now partner and AAF- CPAs cannabis practice leader. "She's a visionary," McManus said. "She really trans- formed this firm from being a traditional CPA that focuses on compliance, audit, and tax services into getting us to look into different areas such as business and IT consulting." AAFCPAs has undergone rapid growth since 2011, continuing as McCall took over as the sole managing partner in 2020. Now with 300 employees, revenue has grown from $16 million in 2011 to $63 million in 2023. e growth hasn't gone unnoticed by others in the industry, as AAFCPAs was named among the top 100 accounting firms in 2023 by INSIDE Public Account- ing, an Indiana-based organization providing leader- ship, financial, and operational consulting services to certified public accountant firms. "It has always been an environment where you can try anything and it's okay to fail, that kind of culture," McCall said. "I was lucky enough to have leadership that embraces that, because I'm not sure every firm does." Beyond taking steps to help rapidly accelerate AAF- CPAs' growth, McCall has implemented a human-first approach, making efforts to ensure the next generation of accountants had access to resources and mentorship not always available to her at the start of her career. is process has included creating the firm's first mentoring, coaching, and professional development programs, as well as the firm's first culture statement, which made it clear AAFCPAs' employees are the company's greatest asset. McCall made deliberate efforts to help ensure young women in the field had role models and resources un- available to her at the start of her career, launching the firm's Women Opportunity Network in 2011 with the WBJ Hall of Fame Carla McCall Managing partner AAFCPAs, in Westborough Employees: 325 Birthplace: New Britain, Connecticut Residence: Hopedale Epic football fan: McCall has attended three winning New England Patriots Super Bowls and got Tom Brady's autograph. PHOTO | MATT WRIGHT

• Cover