Laura A. Hay, CPA, CAE
As President and CEO of The Ohio Society of CPAs (OSCPA,) Laura Hay, CPA, CAE, brings decades of experience, institutional knowledge and a career distinguished by innovation and proven leadership. Guiding the 100+-year-old member-based organization into the next chapter, Laura is committed to ensuring OSCPA continues to thrive as a leader in the CPA profession.
Laura has a proven track record of transforming complexity into clarity and translating strategies into measurable results. She believes that success is driven by empowering people, fostering collaboration and creating environments where talent flourishes. Her leadership style emphasizes clear communication, accountability and a shared sense of purpose.
Laura’s leadership philosophy is rooted in collaboration and an unwavering focus on OSCPA’s mission to protect and advance the CPA profession in Ohio and beyond. Her strategic priorities include:
- Developing CPA talent through innovative initiatives to strengthen the CPA pipeline and provide robust support for experienced professionals,
- Advocating for essential protections for the CPA profession by engaging policymakers and delivering exceptional guidance and resources to OSCPA members and
- Ensuring excellence in OSCPA initiatives to contribute to a strong, vibrant, thriving CPA profession.
With over three decades at OSCPA, including 12 years as Executive Vice President, Laura has consistently demonstrated her ability to address the evolving needs of the profession. She has been instrumental in driving thought leadership activities, overseeing technical services such as peer review, professional ethics and accounting and auditing standards, and representing the profession with key standard-setters and regulators.
Laura’s career has been devoted to advancing the CPA profession, from her early days in public accounting to her role as a trusted advocate for CPAs. As the former Chief Operating Officer at OSCPA, she led with strategic insight and operational excellence, ensuring continued growth and relevance.
A highly regarded instructor of OSCPA’s professional ethics courses, Laura is deeply committed to the profession’s role in upholding public trust and inspiring future generations to pursue careers in accounting. She is passionate about the critical role CPAs play as the guarantors of trust in the U.S. and global economy.
Before joining OSCPA in 1992, Laura was a senior auditor with Price Waterhouse in Columbus and taught introductory accounting at Indiana University while pursuing graduate studies. She earned her B.S. with honors from Miami University. Laura is a proud member of both The Ohio Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs.