Eric E. Cohen
Mechanicsburg, PA, USA
SUMMARY
OF QUALIFICATIONS
Mr. Cohen is an accounting technology futurist, one of the original founders of XBRL and a pioneer in accounting and audit technology and related assurance methodologies. A writer, teacher and trainer, he has taught accountants, academics, regulators, software developers and business people about the Internet, XBRL, standardized business reporting, audit data standards and electronic distributed ledgers, security and authentication, analytics, robotic process automation, ESG and continuous auditing. He has published hundreds of articles and columns for the business and academic press, and written or contributed to numerous books, including primary authorship of Accountant's Guide to the Internet, the first book about the relevance of the Internet to the accounting profession. An experienced global collaborator and standards developer, he works with a global network of specialists and academics in standards development relevant to the accounting and audit process. Mr. Cohen worked for PwC from May 2000 to June 2017, and served as its XBRL Global Technical Leader, supporting standards awareness, strategy, training and technical support. He represented the Firm to the AICPA’s numerous committees focusing on the emergence of analytics in audit processes, and contributed to numerous internal assurance technology-related projects.
Background
Mr. Cohen is one of XBRL’s “forefathers”, working with his co-founders to encourage the AICPA to begin the effort now known as XBRL. Mr. Cohen is responsible for the broader data view of XBRL; he is originator and chief architect of XBRL’s Global Ledger Taxonomy Framework (XBRL GL). Mr. Cohen has served the international and jurisdictional XBRL organizations as chair of XBRL-US and numerous working groups, as well as serving as a trainer, teacher and speaker for XII and XBRL US. Currently, his technology consultancy, Cohen Computer Consulting, works with audit firms and blockchain start-ups to develop the future of the accounting and audit profession and related services.
As an ambassador of XBRL, Mr. Cohen has collaborated with virtually every organization developing detailed accounting and audit standardized representations, including the UN/CEFACT ECE, for which Mr. Cohen served as its global domain coordinator in accounting and auditing standardization, the OECD, developers of the SAF-T (Standard Audit File – Taxation), and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), developers of the Audit Data Standard. He is active in numerous International Organization for Standardization technical committees, actively participated in the development of ISO 21378:2019 from ISO/PC 295 Audit Data Collection, is vice chair of the Canadian mirror to the ISO/TC 307 Blockchain and Electronic Distributed Ledger Technologies effort and serves as international Convenor of the ISO’s ad hoc group on Audit Guidance. Mr. Cohen has collaborated with the standards community in developing broad XML-based security standards to encourage the secure and authentic flow of standardized data and is a named contributor to the World Wide Web Consortium’s XML Encryption Recommendation. He has also worked with the Open Compliance and Ethics Group (OCEG) to develop standards for risk and controls (GRC). As a member of OASIS TaxXML, Mr. Cohen collaborated with the Netherlands and Australia as a co-developer of the concept of Standard Business Reporting.
Mr. Cohen currently sites on the NYSSCPA Digital Assets Committee and the PICPA Public Accounting Technology Thought Leadership Committee.
Mr. Cohen also actively collaborates with the academic community as a guest lecturer, providing workshops at the AAA National Symposium and engaging in and promoting research; he received the 2012 Best Reviewer Award from the AAA Journal of Information Systems. He is an adjunct professor for both Bryant University and Lamar University.
Professional Licenses/Certifications: Certified Public Accountant, State of New York
Professional Affiliations: American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New York State Society of Certified
Public Accountants, Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs
Education: MBA, Accounting/Marketing, University of
Rochester Graduate School of Management (Simon School)
Eric E. Cohen (Continued)
Selected Bibliography: Articles and Books
Appelbaum D, Cohen E.E.,
Kinory E, Smith SS. (2022) “Impediments to Blockchain
Adoption”, Journal of Emerging Technologies in Accounting. 2022 Jan 7.
Cohen E.E., Vinci A. (2021) “Digital Assets: Does the
Perception Match Reality?”. The CPA Journal. 2021 Jun 1;91(6/7):30-5.
Cohen, E.E., Burns, J., Steele. A., Ramamoorti,
S. (2020) “Blockchain and Internal Control: The COSO Perspective”, COSO Monograph,
July 2020.
Cohen,
E.E., Debreceny, R., Farewell, S., Roohani, S. (2014) “Issues with the communication and
integrity of audit reports when financial reporting shifts to an
information-centric paradigm”, International
Journal of Accounting Information Systems. (December 2014) Volume 15, Issue
4 (pp. 400-422)
Cohen,
E.E. (2009) “XBRL's Global Ledger Framework: Exploring the standardised missing link to ERP integration”, International Journal of
Disclosure and Governance. August 2009, Volume 6, Issue 3 (pp
188–206).
Cohen,
E.E. (2006) “Interactive Data and the Tax Executive: Why Tax
Standards Setters are Paying Attention to XBRL (and Why You Should, Too)”, Tax Executive. May-June 2006 (pp 196)
Cohen,
E.E., Schiavina, T, Servais, O (2005)
“XBRL: The standardised business language for 21st
century reporting and governance”, International Journal of
Disclosure and Governance. December 2005, Volume 2, Issue 4 (pp
368–394).
Cohen,
E.E. (2004) “CAP Forum on E-Business: Compromise or Customize:
XBRL's Paradoxical Power”, Accounting
Perspectives November 2004, Volume 3, Issue 2 (pp. 187-206).
Cohen,
E.E. (2004) “Discussion of a continuous auditing Web Services
model for XML-based accounting systems”, International
Journal of Accounting Information. July 2004, 5 (pp. 139–163)
Cohen,
E.E., Lamberton, B., Roohani, S. (2003)
“The Implications of Economic Theories for Data Level Assurances: Research
Opportunities”, Trust and Data Assurances
in Capital Markets: The Role of Technology Solutions. March 2003 Research
Monograph (Bryant University).
Cohen,
E.E., Hannon, N. (2000), “How XBRL will change your practice”, The CPA Journal. November 2000 (pp.
36-41)
Watson, L.A., McGuire, B.L., Cohen, E.E. (2000) “Looking at business reports through XBRL-tinted
glasses”, Strategic Finance. September
2000 82 (pp. 40-45)
Schmidt, W.C., Cohen,
E.E. (1999) “XML: Powering the Web into the twenty-first century”, The CPA Journal. November 1999 (pp.
20-24)
Cohen,
E.E. (1999) “The XML files: Solving the Mystery of Data
Interchange”, Accounting Technology.
12+
Cohen,
E.E. “The Accountant’s Guide to the Internet”, John Wiley & Sons, 1997, 2nd
ed. 2000
Cohen,
E.E. (1995) “Tapping into the Internet”, Journal of Accountancy. 180.2
(August 1995): 59+.
Cohen,
E.E. (1994) “Reading Between the Lines.” Journal of Accountancy (August 1994): 59–64.
Needle, S, Cohen, E.E.
“Guide to Customizing Accounting Software”, Computer
Training Services, 1993
Cohen,
E.E. (1992) “Manufacturing Inventory Software Review.” The CPA Journal. June 1992 Volume: 62.
Issue: 6. (pp. 83+)
Journal
Editorships
Journal
of Emerging Technologies (JETA) Editorial Board
Journal
of Information Systems (JIS) Editorial Board; Best
Reviewer Award (2012)
ThinkTwenty20,
Contibuting Editor