Session Sneak Peek: Kara Davis

Q&A with Kara Davis
 

OSCPA: Why should our members attend your Lunch + Learn session?
Davis: Employee turnover isn’t a people problem—it’s a financial problem hiding in plain sight. Every resignation represents a measurable liability that quietly erodes profit margins, valuation, and culture. In this session, we’ll pull back the curtain on what traditional accounting overlooks: the reverse compound interest of turnover. You’ll learn how to quantify hidden losses tied to disengagement, training costs, client disruption, and productivity lag—and more importantly, how to convert that data into actionable financial intelligence.

This isn’t another HR conversation. It’s a bottom-line conversation designed for strategic advisors who want to elevate their influence in the boardroom. You’ll leave with a practical framework to help clients and organizations protect EBITDA, strengthen retention ROI, and create workforce stability that drives long-term enterprise value.

OSCPA: How did you become an expert in employee turnover?
Davis: My expertise was forged at the crossroads of finance, human capital, and strategy. Over two decades, I’ve helped organizations—domestic and international—translate workforce volatility into financial clarity. Working side by side with CFOs, private equity partners, and executive teams, I’ve built and refined predictive human-capital models that directly link turnover to cash flow, valuation, and growth capacity.

What began as HR analytics evolved into a sophisticated advisory discipline. By analyzing data patterns across industries and continents—understanding why people leave, what makes them stay, and how leadership behaviors affect profitability—I developed Exemplar Consulting’s proprietary retention-to-revenue framework. My passion is bridging the gap between the people side and the profit side of business—helping leaders make decisions with both heart and hard data.

OSCPA: Why is this topic important for the CPA profession?
Davis: The accounting profession is evolving from recording the past to predicting the future. Today’s CPAs are expected not only to report financial results but to interpret what’s driving them. Turnover is one of the largest unmeasured financial exposures on the books—one that impacts payroll burden, recruiting costs, client continuity, and enterprise value.

By understanding how to quantify and forecast the true cost of attrition, CPAs gain a new advisory edge. This insight transforms compliance into strategy—empowering you to advise clients on how to protect profit margins, stabilize teams, and optimize performance. In a marketplace where human capital transparency and legislation like the One Big Beautiful Bill are reshaping financial governance, CPAs who master this connection will become the indispensable advisors CEOs and boards rely on most.

Attend the Lunch + Learn 

OSCPA's December Lunch + Learn
December 16 |Oklahoma City| Virtual| Recommended CPE: 1 hour