Leadership Team

Lauren Uyeno

Director

Lauren specializes in engaging, organizing, and empowering thought leaders to deliver world-class local and online events. She combines people, processes, and technologies to scale global programs aimed at building membership, expanding chapters, and retaining advocates. Prior to the Professionals Groups, Lauren was the Manager, Global Community Groups & Events at Alteryx. She received her Bachelors degree from California State University, Long Beach and resides in Orange County, California.

Steve Soter

Executive Advisor

Steve joined the Professionals Groups leadership team in 2019, after years of serving as a founding Salt Lake City Advisory chair. Steve is also Senior Director of Product Marketing and Accounting Industry Principal at Workiva. Previously, Steve served as an accounting leader in multiple roles including Vice President and Controller for Backcountry.com, a private equity owned, online retailer of outdoor products, and as the Director of SEC Reporting for Overstock.com (NASDAQ: OSTK), a $2 billion revenue, online retailer of homegoods and blockchain technology company. His experience includes multiple acquisitions, debt offerings, an IPO, and the world's first digital debt and equity offering (by Overstock). Steve is also a former member of the US XBRL Data Quality Committee. He began his career as an auditor in public accounting, received his Accounting degree from the University of Arizona, graduating summa cum laude, and received a Master of Accountancy and Information Systems degree from Arizona State University. 

Joe Howell

Founder and Community Moderator (retired)

Joe has served as CFO of three public companies—eMusic.com (NASDAQ: EMUS), Merix Corporation (NASDAQ: MERX), and Borland Software (NASDAQ: BORL)—and as CFO of several pre-public companies. As CFO, he led multiple public offerings, private placements, M&A transactions, and the IPO for eMusic.com. 

Joe was Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Co-founder of Workiva—the leading cloud-based solution provider for SEC and business reporting.

Joe founded the SEC Professionals Group in 2008 and the SOX & Internal Controls Professionals Group in 2015. He is a CPA (inactive) and an alum of Arthur Andersen & Co. Joe earned a BA from the University of Michigan and an MS in Accounting from Eastern Michigan University.