Brian Bluhm
Making his mark with national oversight
January 5, 2023
You can find presidential quotes in droves with a simple web search, but none may apply better to Brian Bluhm, Eide Bailly LLP’s chief quality officer, than this line from Harry S. Truman: “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”
By nature of Bluhm’s career in audit and assurance, he knows a thing or four — who’s counting? — about getting the work done without claiming recognition.
Bluhm’s professional approach extends to his volunteering, where the adage of more smart people at the table means there are more smart people at the table. All benefit from this.
“I can’t think of any of the committees, boards or task forces for that I have served on that I didn’t learn something from the group or didn’t meet someone who I could call later to ask a question or bounce an idea off them,” Bluhm said.
That collaborative approach helped Bluhm rise to the C-suite at his firm, and to the top of the AICPA’s Peer Review Board, where he’s served since 2018 and as chair since 2021. For him, that collective effort with his peers is a driving force to better himself, his peers and the profession alike.
Though like all good leaders, he contends the brunt of the work is done by the Peer Review Board’s three task forces and staff, making this the “easiest job of all!” But Bluhm still puts in the work by attending as many task force meetings as possible so he’s aware of what’s coming to the board.
As the chair of the AICPA Peer Review Board, Bluhm is one of two Minnesota CPAs who oversee one of the four primary standard setting bodies of the AICPA, joining Sara Lord, who is the chair of the AICPA Auditing Standards Board (ASB).
“I believe it is indicative of the culture here in Minnesota and the Midwest in that we are willing to volunteer our time – not only individually, but that our firms, both of which originated in this part of the country, recognize the importance of that as well,” Bluhm said. “Sara is an exceptionally good choice as the chair if the Auditing Standards Board. Not only is she really smart, but she also understands the perspective of firms of all sizes and ensures that those perspectives are considered by the ASB.”
Bluhm’s background is littered with other AICPA and MNCPA volunteer commitments, which gave him a vast understanding of the peer review process for firms of all sizes, as well as the administrative side and technical review processes. It’s been important for him to be involved locally and beyond, and he can’t recommend enough that other Minnesota CPAs get involved in the volunteer side of the profession.
“It is well worth the time. The experiences I have had and friends I have made have been invaluable to me,” Bluhm said. “This profession has presented me with so many opportunities that I feel it is important to give something back and, for me, volunteer opportunities offered by the MNCPA and AICPA allow me to do that.”
Topics: Member Profiles
Corey Butler
Corey Butler is the MNCPA communications manager, working to enhance the professional reputations of members through content, media relations and public affairs. He's been with the MNCPA since 2013. Corey keeps busy outside of the MNCPA spending time with his wife and children, serving on his local school board, volunteering in his community and catching up on long-lost hobbies. Corey enjoys the works of John Steinbeck and Rankin/Bass Productions, and Paul Bunyan, Robin Hood and Santa Claus lore. You may reach him at 952-885-5530 or cbutler@mncpa.org.
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