Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk

President | BBR Companies & Accounting MOVE Project

CAREER JOURNEY
Bonnie’s career journey is better described as an odyssey driven by curiosity, tenacity, and moxie. With marketing jobs in entertainment, banking, health & fitness tech, ERP software, and more, she finally found her footing 15 years ago when she entered the world of professional services. Still wearing a lot of hats, her primary role is as a marketing consultant and outsourced CMO with BBR Companies. She is also co-owner of Rally Rounds mastermind groups which provides support, ideas, and accountability for growth professionals. Finally, she is a Cornell-certified DEI consultant and owner of the Accounting MOVE Project, the only annual benchmarking research and advocacy report that equips accounting firms to detect, develop, and drive competitive advantages from diversity initiatives and trends.

WHY SHE'S SHARING HER EXPERTISE AT EMERGE
Bonnie loves digging into engaging areas of convergence, and let’s be honest, sometimes poking the bear. She is excited to examine how AI will neither end DEI as we know it nor be the panacea that will remove bias and racism. Like all tools, its effectiveness depends greatly on who is using it and how well they understand its function and limitations.

WHEN SHE'S NOT WORKING YOU CAN FIND HER...
Hosting impromptu cocktail hours on her back deck, traveling to new and exciting places, or enjoying downtime with her husband and dogs.

TOP TIP FOR NAVIGATING INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGIES
Look at artificial intelligence as a power tool. It can be incredibly effective when used for its intended purpose, but it will not fix everything. Understand how it works, where it pulls data, and how it can help, or hinder, you reach your goal. And keep in mind that if you jump in willy-nilly without understanding how it works, you can lose a finger.