Executive Overview
The three-day conference in Washington, DC, in December 2025
brought together AICPA, SEC, FASB, and PCAOB leaders alongside
market practitioners to discuss priorities for US capital markets,
standard-setting, audit oversight, and emerging topics such as AI,
complex capital projects, and shareholder activism. Consistent
themes included streamlining disclosures to revitalize public
markets, elevating audit quality, and maintaining independence in
light of AI and evolving firm structures.
At the conference, former FASB board member and current A&M
Senior Advisor Marc Siegel moderated a session discussing how
shareholder activism is shaping financial reporting and the CFO
agenda. A&M Managing Director Jason Frankl served as a
panelist, delivering practical, board level insights on shareholder
activism emphasizing preparedness, engagement strategy, and
disclosure judgment. Frankl highlighted real world tactics for
stress testing vulnerabilities,