Buffalo, NY - The Canisius University Accounting Society recognized Mark Koziel '91, CPA, CGMA, president and CEO of the American Institute of CPAs, as its Accountant of the Year at the 68th annual Accounting Society Banquet held on Thursday, April 24 at Salvatore's Italian Gardens.
The Canisius University Accounting Society also recognized Henry "Hank" McWilliams '94, CPA, chief financial officer of UBMD Primary Care, during the dinner. McWilliams received the Dr. Joseph R. Coppola '40 Award, which recognizes the exceptional achievements of a Canisius University accounting graduate.
As president and CEO of the American Institute of CPAs, and CEO of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, Mark Koziel leads the most influential body of professional accountants in the world with 600,000 members, candidates, and registrants. Formed in 2017, the association combines the strengths of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and the AICPA.
Koziel was named to the role by the association's Board of Directors in October 2024 and began his tenure on January 1, 2025. He brings a wealth of leadership experience, having served in the profession for decades. Most recently, he was president and CEO of Allinial Global, an association of independent accounting and advisory firms worldwide. He began that role in 2020 after 14 years with the association (previously AICPA), where he served in a number of roles, including executive vice president for firm services.
Koziel began working in the profession at a large accounting firm in Buffalo, New York. Throughout his career he has been a consistent advocate for accountants, developing a strong global understanding of the accounting and finance profession. He regularly appears on Accounting Today's
Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting where he was named in the top 10 most influential by his peers in 2024. Among his many accolades, Koziel was also named CPA Practice Advisor's Top Thought Leaders in Public Accounting.
Originally from Buffalo, NY, Koziel graduated from Canisius University in 1991 with a BS in accounting.
As CFO at UBMD Primary Care, Henry “Hank” McWilliams is a member of the leadership team. He oversees the accounting, finance, IT, and human resources departments and is responsible for the oversight of all financial, business and clinical operations. Prior to joining UBMD in 2009, McWilliams worked in the public accounting, banking and real estate industries.
McWilliams graduated from Canisius University with a BS in accounting in 1994. He graduated with his PMBA from the University at Buffalo in 2003.
While at Canisius, McWilliams was president of the Accounting Society during his senior year and a member of the Alpha Kappa Psi professional business fraternity. He has served on the university’s Council of Accountancy since 2014 and currently chairs the Curriculum Committee. McWilliams also serves on the Finance Committee at Saint Joseph's Collegiate Institute and was a trustee from 2009 – 2015.
Founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, Canisius is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
