American Institute of CPAs executive vice president of firm services Mark Koziel announced that he is leaving after almost a decade-and-a-half with the institute to take the helm at international accounting association Allinial Global.

Koziel will become president and CEO of the association on August 1, following the retirement of current chief Terry Snyder. He was selected after an extensive review that looked at over 100 candidates.

A widely respected figure in the profession, Koziel has often been one of the AICPA’s most prominent faces for members through his work as head of firm services and his frequent public speaking. He has been regularly included in Accounting Today‘s list of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting for a decade.

“The last 14 years at the AICPA have prepared me for this journey, and I look forward to working with the members of Allinial Global,” Koziel said, in a statement. “I thank Terry Snyder for his leadership over the past 12 years — it is an honor to carry that leadership forward.”

“It’s a pleasure to welcome Mark to Allinial Global, and I look forward to working with him to coordinate a smooth transition,” said Snyder, who will continue to consult with Allinial after August 1 to ease the transition. “Mark’s commitment to serving CPA firms and his longstanding leadership within the profession make him an ideal choice to ensure that Allinial Global continues to lead the way with the innovative strategy and world-class service our members and their clients have come to expect.”

A graduate of Canisius College, Koziel started his career in public accounting at Lumsden McCormick, in Buffalo, where he was a founder of the Young CPAs Committee of the Buffalo Chapter of the New York State Society of CPAs. He later spent a few years as a director of media planning at a political strategy media consultancy, before joining the AICPA as a senior technical manager. He became vice president of firm services and global alliances in 2011, and assumed his current title in 2016.