Sarah Ference

Sarah Ference is a Risk Control Director for the Accountants Professional Liability Insurance Program of Continental Casualty Company, a CNA company and the underwriter of the AICPA Professional Liability Insurance Program. Risk control services provided by Sarah and her team include policyholder consultations, development and delivery of risk management training and education products, authoring monthly risk management articles for the Journal of Accountancy, and creating other tools to assist CPA firms in managing their professional liability risk.

Prior to joining CNA, Sarah practiced public accounting for 15 years with a Big Four public accounting firm. As a director at the firm, Sarah provided internal control and risk management co-sourcing and external audit services to clients in multiple industries. She partnered with clients to help supplement or outsource functions typically performed in-house. She also served in a senior management role for a financial institution client for a 10-month period. Sarah was a national instructor for the firm, educating audit and advisory staff on the firm’s audit process and internal control assessment methodology.

A graduate of Drake University with a BSBA in Accounting and Corporate Finance, Sarah is a CPA licensed in Illinois and Iowa, as well as a member of the AICPA and the Illinois CPA Society.