FEI St. Louis is where engaged financial leaders thrive | |
Audit Fees Hold Firm, Relationships Are Evolving, and Financial Leaders See Room for More
FEI Daily | 04/14/2026
by FERF Research
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FERF’s 16th Annual Audit Fee Survey finds median S&P 500 audit fees at $7.96 million, audit relationships more stable than headlines suggest, and AI moving faster in the audit room than clients are feeling it.
The 2024 audit cycle was, by most measures, operationally stable. Fees held relatively steady. No major regulatory disruptions upended the profession mid-year. What FERF’s 16th Annual Audit Fee Survey and Insights Report captures is both the steadiness of that moment and a profession's growing appetite for greater clarity, communication, and strategic engagement.
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St. Louis area controllers, directors, or chief financial officers are eligible to join the select ranks of the area's finest financial leaders, FEI St. Louis.
If you're a member, invite eligible financial leaders to a meeting or a tech series event so they can experience the benefits of connecting and collaborating with their financial peers in St. Louis.
If you are interested in joining, contact Membership Chair, George Kobitz at george.kobitz@roberthalf.com today to learn more.
There's no better time than now to join FEI St. Louis, where engaged financial leaders thrive!
If you haven't joined FEI yet, why are you waiting? Contact George Kobitz, membership chair, at George.Kobitz@roberthalf.com to learn about all the advantages of joining St. Louis' premier group of financial leaders.
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When Workforce Compliance Starts Affecting the Forecast
Workforce compliance issues don't stay in HR. They move into payroll, planning and reporting, then show up in the forecast.
The 2026 employment law changes matter because they raise labor costs, add complexity across states and expose weak points in payroll controls. When states like Delaware or Maine launch new paid family leave programs, or pay transparency laws spread to Massachusetts or New Jersey, the cost assumptions in your plan may already be outdated.
It's not just wages or leave either. New AI-in-hiring regulations or non-compete restrictions are creating fresh legal or financial exposure.
That's the real risk for finance. Small changes in leave rules, wage thresholds or hiring requirements can distort assumptions long before the numbers make the problem obvious.
The fix isn't more last-minute reporting. It's earlier coordination. Finance, HR and payroll need to review workforce changes together, reset assumptions sooner and catch cost exposure before it moves through the income statement.
Labor is too large an expense to manage after the fact. Treat workforce compliance as an early planning signal, not a back-end HR issue.
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Ron Remiger is your iSolved representative. Please contact him at RRemiger@isolvedhcm.com to learn more about how platinum sponsor iSolved can assist your company.
| | AI in Finance Is Scaling Fast. Is Your Team Ready? | | |
As AI and automation move from pilots to full-scale adoption, closing the skills gap is now a workforce imperative—not a future goal. AI and automation are rapidly changing how finance and accounting teams operate, from forecasting and reporting to compliance and close processes. And while the technology is advancing quickly, workforce readiness is lagging a bit behind.
According to Robert Half research, only 6% of finance and accounting leaders say they have the talent they need to deliver on priority projects this year. In one of our most recent articles, our experts share strategies for identifying and implementing the skills and capabilities that define AI-readiness. Building your AI workflows and processes now will ensure you attract and retain the right talent to create an environment that’s critical for finance leaders looking to stay competitive.
Read the full article to explore how AI in finance and accounting is changing the skills you and your team need. Learn about the emerging roles within the field and ways you can upskill your team to help close the skills gaps.
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For additional insights and support, connect with your local Robert Half representative, George Kobitz. Or if you would like to learn more about exactly how your peers are actively leveraging AI today, please send an email to George at George.Kobitz@RobertHalf.com to schedule an appointment to discuss further.
| | The agents have landed: what agentic AI means for your business now | | AI is moving beyond copilots. A new generation of AI agents can take a goal, determine the steps, and complete work with minimal human involvement. That shift is already changing how leaders think about productivity, risk, and return on investment. In this article, Sikich experts explore what agentic AI means for your business right now—and why governance and clarity matter more than ever. | |
Sikich has decades of experience implementing and managing ERP and CRM solutions, including Dynamics 365, Netsuite, Salesforce, and Oracle Cloud. Learn more about how they can help you navigate AI in today's fast-paced business environment.
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Ingrid Boyd is your Sikich representative. Please contact her at ingrid.boyd@sikich.com or by phone at (314) 648-6567 to learn more about how platinum sponsor Sikich can help your business.
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ACG/FEI Wine Tasting
- April 23, 2026
- Algonquin Golf Club
- St. Louis, MO
- 6:30 - 8:30 pm
- Members Only Event
April Dinner and Speaker
- Fireside Chat with Nick Sansone, the Sansone Group
- Le Meridian
- 7730 Bonhomme Ave, Clayton, MO
- 5:30 - 8:30 pm
- April 28, 2026
- 1.0 CPE credit available
- Register today
May Dinner and Speaker
- Fireside Chat with Dusty Muckenthaler, CFO Hussmann Corporation
- Le Meridian
- 7730 Bonhomme Ave, Clayton, MO
- 5:15 - 8:30 pm
- May 19, 2026
- 1.0 CPE credit available
- Register today
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SAVE THE DATE FOR EVENTS
- June 23: Fireside Chat with Jay Link, CFO of AITX and Brandi Matthews, CFO of Paric
- July 28: Happy Hour
- August 25: FEI Night at the Ballpark – Premium Party Suite 322 (Members only)
- September 22: FEI Annual Economic Outlook, Featuring Charles Gascon of the Federal Reserve
Check events at FEI St. Louis regularly to learn details and register for these upcoming events.
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Annual Golf Tournament
Forest Park Golf Course
11:00 am - 7:00 pm
June 9, 2026
Register today
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This year, FEI St. Louis is supporting Home 2 Home Canine Orphanage with a generous donation from the proceeds of this event. Home 2 Home is a nonprofit organization that provides a safe, loving environment for dogs in need, offering rehabilitation and intentional matchmaking so they can find the right forever families.
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SAVE THE DATE FOR TECH SESSIONS
- June TBD: Husch Blackwell
- July 14: HUB International
- August 11: Protiviti
- September 8: USI
Tech Sessions are presented by our valued FEI sponsors. Each free event is curated to share valuable insights with financial executives. Check our website regularly to learn details and register for these upcoming events.
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