On CPE Management: An Interview with Alex Maktaz of Motorola Solutions

Anyone who has suffered from some type of chronic pain knows what it’s like to adapt to that pain. When faced with constant physical discomfort, the human body acclimates and builds up a tolerance, allowing people who live with it to become desensitized and often times, to ignore it.

After talking with Alex Maktaz, CPA, MBA about continuing professional education (CPE), I liken the process of earning and managing those credits to the human body adapting to pain.

The process of finding, completing and knowing the status of CPE can be frustrating and tedious, but CPAs cannot avoid it if they wish to remain licensed. Many careers depend on CPE. Regardless of how taxing CPE maintenance is, the process is obligatory, and many CPAs seem to build up a tolerance to the chaos that surrounds it. It becomes a part of their lives and they rarely have time to wonder if there’s an easier solution.

Instead, they adapt.

Most of the time, anyway.

Maktaz, who is a manager of financial planning and analysis for Motorola Solutions, said he has recently been considering not renewing his CPA license because of the angst involved with earning and maintaining CPE.

“I would like to keep my CPA license,” said Maktaz, “I worked hard to get it. But I don’t absolutely need it in my current position, and the process as a whole can be exasperating. It is always difficult to keep track of where exactly I’m at in my reporting period, how many credits I’ve earned and how many hours I still need.”

Maktaz says that knowing his exact standing at any point in time is one of the biggest issues with maintaining CPE.

“I end up having to call the AICPA to find out what my status is –  which is time-consuming – just to keep track of where I’m at in the process,” said Maktaz. “And as you progress in your role in your career, you have less and less time to devote to other things, like finding classes and keeping track of credits earned.”

He said he finds himself asking questions like, “Where and when are the classes I need?” and “How many credits can I earn?” and “Are those credits accepted by my state – do they even apply?”

Like many CPAs, Maxtaz searches for CPE that is most relevant to his career, like classes on financial planning and budgeting, in order to become as specialized and focused in his position.

So, what would the perfect solution look like to him? What would make him reconsider letting his license lapse?

“Ideally it would be a website with a platform that is simple and intuitive,” said Maktaz. “I would be able to get up-to-date statistics on what CPE I’ve completed and what is missing. It would show me providers who offer courses I still need and allow me to buy them online right at that moment. It would generate certificates of completion for me. I could check it from my mobile phone and always know what my status is. I don’t want to have to think about it.”

I think the most telling part of the entire conversation is the fact that a licensed CPA is considering not renewing that license, based solely on the fact that CPE management can be too involved and too frustrating.

What about you? What are your thoughts on CPE management?