Interview with Jeremy Shen, Chief Strategy Officer at YHB

, a marketing whiz who brings a diverse background in marketing leadership from global law firms to manufacturing companies, was recently named chief strategy officer at聽, an accounting and advisory services headquartered in Winchester, Va. It is a rare position in the accounting industry, and reward for a man who has held significant marketing roles in a nearly decade-long stint at the firm.

鈥淚t is incredibly encouraging for a firm in the accounting industry to implement this type of role and shows YHB鈥檚 continued innovative spirit. I recognize the 鈥榳eight鈥� this carries and also thankful for the network of people that I am able to surround myself with,鈥� Shen said, after his appointment.

鈥淭his is new to the firm and fairly innovative for accounting firms in general,鈥� Shen told聽Citybiz Publisher聽聽in an interview. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot,鈥� he added with a happy sigh.

Shen said his role manifests itself in the interactions with C-suite executives, and others, and critically requires him to make sure that 鈥渨e are not forgetting the bigger picture and making intentional decisions.鈥�

On use of AI and the growing trend of private equity investments in accounting firms, Shen laid out YHB鈥檚 position. Clearly, AI has 鈥渁dded fuel to the fire鈥� of already accelerating change, Shen said. Still, YHB would prefer to seek out software partners to add AI tools, rather than build its own platform, Shen said, citing the firm鈥檚 success with assurance software Inflo that incorporates AI tools. As far as PE goes, he said, YHB is 鈥渘ot interested in private equity right now.鈥� But that that could change in later years, Shen added.

Shen received a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Communications from Geneva College and an MBA in Marketing from Longwood University. In recognition of his professional achievements, Shen earned the Professional Certified Marketer certification from the American Marketing Association in 2020. She is a member and volunteer of the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM), where he collaborates with industry peers to share insights and best practices.

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Interview questions:

Introduction | Congratulations on your new position as Chief Strategy Officer. What are your responsibilities?

Strategic Initiatives | Can you talk about some of the strategic initiatives?

AI | Private equity is focused on the opportunities of AI in the accounting profession. How is YHB using and/or exploring AI?

Update | Would you like to share any additional news on YHB?

At YHB, we are all about you. That is why we take a holistic approach to assisting clients with growing, managing, and protecting their hard work. We partner with many of the region鈥檚 most trailblazing and passionate leaders and organizations. Our team offers comprehensive advisory, assurance, tax, wealth management & risk advisory solutions to clients of all sizes.