In his inaugural speech Tuesday during the AICPA Governing Council's Fall meeting in Maui, Hawaii, Ezzell declared his upcoming year as chairman "a year of restoration" focused on "restoring the profession's belief in itself and its core values, restoring its reputation among the communities it serves, and restoring a sense of shared purpose in the profession and the AICPA."

Ezzell cited a number of questions that CPAs should ask themselves.

"We all know we can do everything right, and still not do the right thing," Ezzell said. "How much time do we spend teaching new hires about ethics and hard choices? How much time do we spend reflecting on what it means when we say our profession stands for objectivity, competence and integrity? How often do we celebrate those who say 'no' in the face of overwhelming pressure?"

Ezzell reiterated that the profession is responsible for an "unwavering commitment to a code of ethics."

The AICPA recently unveiled a new anti-fraud program, which includes a new auditing standard that gives auditors additional guidance on detecting material fraud in financial statements.

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