Jennifer Burns ’93 attended Claremont McKenna College’s Accounting Banquet as a student. This year, she returns as keynote speaker.
“I’m very honored that Professor Massoud [Robert A. Day Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Accounting] invited me to be the keynote speaker at this year’s Accounting Banquet,” said Burns, the chief auditor at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). “When starting on your career path, you don’t know exactly where that path will lead. I’ve seen how well CMC prepares you for any future endeavor.”
In her talk, From College to Career: Dream and Build the Life You Want, at the 43rd annual event in CMC’s Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum on April 27, Burns will share advice on building meaningful careers and lives, while reflecting on her own journey.
As a Berger Institute for Individual and Social Development board member, she regularly engages with students as they imagine and create their futures.
“The Berger Institute’s research looks at how social, psychological, and environmental factors influence how individuals and communities thrive,” Burns said. “It’s been very meaningful to be involved with Berger because of its focus on helping students think about the kind of lives they want to build.”
This work is one way she expresses gratitude to her alma mater: “CMC played such an important role in shaping my path. It’s a way of giving back to a community that means so much to me.”
Leading with accountability
Burns was recently named, for the fifth year in a row, one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting by Accounting Today.
As chief auditor of the AICPA in Washington, D.C., Burns leads the strategic direction of the professional organization’s standard-setting initiatives—related to audit, attestation, quality management, review, compilation, and preparation standards—while working closely with the Auditing Standards Board and the Accounting and Review Services Committee.
It’s the kind of role that requires responsible leadership, a hallmark of CMC’s mission.
“Responsible and effective leadership to me means leading in a way that achieves meaningful results, while acting with integrity and accountability,” Burns said. “It involves balancing competing priorities, making thoughtful and informed decisions, and influencing and inspiring others toward shared goals. It also means fostering collaboration and sometimes compromise—while still holding true to your values.”
What she appreciates most about her work is being able to contribute to the profession and the public good.
“I’m fortunate to be part of a profession that reflects important values, including integrity, responsibility, and due care,” she said. “That culture is what makes the accounting profession unique and rewarding, as we have the opportunity to make a real difference in our communities.”
Burns also launched internship and fellowship programs at the AICPA, inspired by the mentors in her own life.
“First, of course, Professor Massoud P’89. I would not have pursued a career in accounting without his encouragement and support,” Burns expressed. That encouragement from ‘Dad Massoud,’ as many students call him, started when I visited CMC as a senior in high school—and continues today.”
She also had important mentorship from CMC alumni at Deloitte, where she started her career.
“The relationships and friendships forged through CMC have been an enormous source of support throughout my career and in life more broadly.”
A foundation for success
Beyond relationships, CMC also prepared her academically. “CMC provides such an excellent well-rounded education—creating a foundation in critical thinking, analysis, writing, communication, and more,” she said.
As an Economics-Accounting and Government major, Burns found the CMC Washington Program particularly impactful. She interned full-time with Senator Richard Bryan from her home state of Nevada.
“That experience helped shape my career goals and led me to seek roles that combined accounting and public policy,” she said. Prior to her current position, those roles included partner at Deloitte’s national office and professional accounting fellow at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Looking back, Burns said each step helped forge her journey.
“I truly believe we each have the power to build the lives we want,” she said. “The old saying ‘if you put your mind to it, you can do it’ holds true, even when we encounter detours or get temporarily stuck. Often those twists lead to meaningful experiences and open the door to new opportunities.”
Click here to RSVP to CMC’s 43rd Annual Accounting Banquet, taking place on April 27, 2026.