Accounting Influencers

AI is everywhere in accounting right now. Vendors claim transformation. Conferences promise disruption. Firms report adoption. But how much of this is real strategic change and how much is just efficiency improvement dressed up as transformation? In this episode, Rob Brown explores a critical leadership question: Where is AI genuinely reshaping accounting firm direction? This episode separates true structural change from surface-level productivity gains, helping firm leaders diagnose whether their AI adoption is strategic or accidental.Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nTC9Bk9Wf7MThank you to our Season Partners for making this series possible.Fieldguide is the AI-native platform for audit and advisory enabling human and AI collaboration to scale capacity, improve quality and transform how firms operate. fieldguide.ioKarbon is the global leader in AI-powered practice management software for accounting firms. Their research into how technology is reshaping firm performance is essential reading fo

In this episode, we explore what’s actually happening inside firms right now as artificial intelligence begins to change strategy, talent models, partnerships, operating structures, and decision-making at every level. While nearly 98% of accounting firms are already using AI in some form, only about 1 in 5 have a documented AI strategy. That gap is where the biggest risks and opportunities exist. This conversation kicks off a powerful leadership series built around five critical questions senior partners and executives must answer today if they want their firms to remain relevant in the next decade.Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/x7uvCiJ6VD8Thank you to our Season Partners for making this series possible.Fieldguide is the AI-native platform for audit and advisory enabling human and AI collaboration to scale capacity, improve quality and transform how firms operate. fieldguide.ioKarbon is the global leader in AI-powered practice management software for accounting firms. Their research into how

There’s a deeper tension shaping the future of accounting firms and most leaders aren’t talking about it openly.In this episode of the Accounting Voices Podcast, Rob Brown dives into one of the most critical strategic questions facing firm leaders today:

There’s a deeper tension shaping the future of accounting firms and most leaders aren’t talking about it openly.In this episode of the Accounting Voices Podcast, Rob Brown dives into one of the most critical strategic questions facing firm leaders today:

This is Part 3 of the Leadership Under Pressure series on Accounting Voices.For more than a decade the accounting profession has repeated the same message. Advisory services represent the future.But AI and automation are now forcing a deeper questionIs advisory truly embedded in accounting firm operating models or is it still aspirational.In this episode Rob explores:1. Why advisory is not simply another service line2. The metrics contradiction facing accounting firms3. The identity shift required for advisory leadership4. The forty million dollar firm advisory scenario5. The PE backed advisory expansion challengeIf firms want advisory growth they must redesign pricing, incentives and leadership expectations.You can watch this on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/ACmxNM2mIp0Come and join our Accounting Voices Collective on Linkedin to find out more about our shows and virtual networking events: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-voices◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢The Accounting Voices Podcast serves accounting

AI transforming accounting firms… or quietly breaking their leadership pipeline?In this first episode of a 5-part leadership series, Rob Brown explores a critical issue facing the profession:AI is not just improving productivity in accounting firms. It is stress-testing leadership models.If AI removes the grind, what replaces the apprenticeship? Drawing insights from conversations on the Inside Public Accounting podcast with Chelsea Summers, this episode goes beyond margin, leverage, and production capacity.Instead, it asks a deeper question:

In this episode of Accounting Voices, Rob Brown discusses key predictions for the accounting profession in 2026 based on insights from 48 industry leaders. The conversation covers themes of automation, revenue shifts from compliance to advisory, the integration of AI in accounting practices, talent sustainability, and the ongoing trend of consolidation within the industry. The episode emphasizes the need for firms to adapt to rapid changes and prepare for future challenges, particularly during busy seasons.TakeawaysThe month-end close process will be automated by 2026.Audits will be completed in under five hours.Advisory revenue is set to surpass compliance revenue.Firms will budget for AI as they do for headcount.AI will become the first staff accountant in firms.50% of firms will use AI assistance systematically.Consolidation in the industry will intensify.Busy seasons will continue to be challenging for firms.Change is inevitable in the accounting profession.Firms must stay relevant and adapt to new trends

In this episode of Accounting Voices, Rob Brown discusses the evolving landscape of leadership in the accounting profession. He emphasizes that technical excellence is no longer sufficient for leaders, who must now embrace emotional literacy, adaptability, and strategic thinking to navigate the complexities of modern business. The conversation highlights the importance of trustworthiness, effective people management, and the need for leaders to develop AI skills to stay relevant in a rapidly changing environment.TakeawaysTechnical excellence is the price of entry for accountants.Leaders must transition from technical experts to enterprise leaders.Emotional literacy is crucial for effective leadership.Change management differs from change leadership.Delegation is essential to prevent burnout.Trustworthiness cannot be automated and is vital for leadership.Every firm member will need AI operator skills by 2026.Strategic heresy involves letting go of outdated practices.Leaders should view their firms as products

In this episode of Accounting Voices, we continue our Reflections 2025 series with a different kind of question:What moment actually changed how leaders think about the accounting profession?Across 48 conversations, a clear pattern emerged.2025 became the year the profession was forced to look in the mirror — and many leaders didn’t like what they saw.This episode explores the assumptions that quietly collapsed:The idea that technical excellence alone is enough to surviveThe belief that only accountants can run accounting firmsThe illusion that private equity is a guaranteed exitThe comfort of reactive advisory instead of proactive leadershipAnd the dangerous gap between AI experimentation and governanceFrom the Deloitte Australia AI scandal, to the rise of non-accountant COOs, to push-button data migrations eliminating long-accepted friction, this conversation maps the strategic fault lines now defining the profession.You’ll hear insights from leaders including:Alice Grey Harrison on the irony of firms faili

In this episode of Accounting Voices, Rob Brown shares the most honest reflections yet from 48 industry leaders, partners, and practitioners. After asking one tough question, “What disappointed you in 2025?”, a clear pattern emerged.The problem wasn’t a lack of technology.It wasn’t AI.And it wasn’t ambition.It was execution.From shiny new tools layered onto broken processes, to decision paralysis, vendor overpromising, outdated partner models, and firms mistaking activity for progress, this episode breaks down why the profession feels stuck despite unprecedented opportunity.You’ll hear powerful metaphors, sharp warnings, and uncomfortable truths about why agreement without action is holding firms back, and why courage, not more tools, is now the missing ingredient.If you’re a firm leader, partner, or professional navigating change, this episode will challenge how you think about technology, strategy, talent, and accountability.You can watch this on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/rStqAfRmxDUCome and join our A

In this powerful episode of Accounting Voices, Rob Brown reveals the findings from an ambitious project: interviewing 48 senior leaders across the accounting profession and asking them the same five questions about the year that changed everything.This episode focuses on Question 1: What defined 2025? And the answer is uncomfortable but critical: 2025 was not a year of progress. It was a year of separation.You’ll hear how:AI stopped being “innovation” and became baseline infrastructure.Private equity permanently changed the profession’s operating model.Legacy processes collided with modern technology.Talent pressure exposed broken cultures and outdated firm models.The profession entered a deep identity crisis.The “velocity gap” between firms is now a serious threat.You can watch this on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/01w0gDWxE6ECome and join our Accounting Voices Collective on Linkedin to find out more about our shows and virtual networking events: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-voices◣━━━━━━━━━━

In this episode, Rob Brown discusses the evolving landscape of accounting firms, emphasizing the importance of understanding the type of firm one wants to become amidst rapid changes driven by technology and market dynamics. He highlights five key signals affecting leadership and firm relevance, including the discomfort surrounding AI, the challenges of the partnership model, and the pressures faced by mid-tier firms. Brown offers takeaways for current and aspiring leaders, focusing on the need for clarity, interpretation of information, and the importance of relevance over tenure in leadership roles.You can watch this on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/WhG5gORGVCsCome and join our Accounting Voices Collective on Linkedin to find out more about our shows and virtual networking events: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-voices◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢The Accounting Voices Podcast serves accounting firm leaders, managers and partners looking to build their executive presence, influence and credibility both

In this episode of Accounting Voices, Rob Brown discusses the critical choices accounting firms must make as they navigate the evolving landscape of the profession. He emphasizes the importance of making intentional decisions regarding automation, client relationships, and specialization, highlighting the trade-offs that come with each choice. The conversation explores the four dominant strategic positions firms can adopt and the implications of these choices for their future success.You can watch this on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/42pAfXia5LwFuture Accounting Firm Models 2026 | The Strategic Trade-Offs Leaders Must FaceCome and join our Accounting Voices Collective on Linkedin to find out more about our shows and virtual networking events: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-voices◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢The Accounting Voices Podcast serves accounting firm leaders, managers and partners looking to build their executive presence, influence and credibility both internally and externally. Host Rob Bro

2026 is not a reset year for accounting firms.It is a sorting year.In this episode of Accounting Voices, Rob Brown explains why the accounting profession is splitting and why firms will be forced to choose a direction.Four fault lines are reshaping the profession:1. How firms adopt AI2. How client expectations are changing3. Whether the next generation wants ownership4. Which business models survive consolidationSome firms will gain clarity, margin and confidence. Others will stay busy and quietly fall behind. This episode is not about tools. It is about direction.You can watch this on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/240ZreNQrT4Come and join our Accounting Voices Collective on Linkedin to find out more about our shows and virtual networking events: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-voices◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢The Accounting Voices Podcast serves accounting firm leaders, managers and partners looking to build their executive presence, influence and credibility both internally and externally. Host Rob

In this episode, Rob Brown reflects on the significant changes and challenges faced in the accounting and finance sectors over the past year. He discusses the impact of private equity, AI, and shifting workplace dynamics on professionals' mental health and job satisfaction. Rob emphasizes the importance of recognizing these changes, reassessing career paths, and building personal brands to ensure stability and relevance in the evolving job market. He encourages listeners to reflect on their experiences and consider what they want to carry forward into the next year.TakeawaysThis year has brought unprecedented change in the workplace.Mental health and job satisfaction are crucial for professionals.Many are questioning if their current career aligns with their expectations.Stability comes from personal skills and relationships, not just employers.Silence in the workplace can lead to irrelevance.It's acceptable to seek more from your career without being ungrateful.Accounting offers diverse career paths and oppo

In the final part of this mini series Rob Brown explains how professionals and leaders should act when firm change is officially announced. From mergers to ownership shifts this episode shows why coping with uncertainty is now a career defining skill.Key takeawaysChange tests behaviourClarity builds trustVisibility creates securityAdaptation wins careersYou can watch this on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/YnwCVRqWdO0Come and join our Accounting Voices Collective on Linkedin to find out more about our shows and virtual networking events: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-voices◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢The Accounting Voices Podcast serves accounting firm leaders, managers and partners looking to build their executive presence, influence and credibility both internally and externally. Host Rob Brown delivers insights to help professionals strengthen their personal brand, stay informed about industry changes and navigate disruptive forces affecting accounting business models and trends. Check out the show

Accounting firms send signals long before announcing mergers restructures leadership changes or new ownership. In this episode Rob Brown explains the early warning signs that professionals notice first and how to read them so you stay informed relevant and secure during uncertainty.KEY TAKEAWAYS Leaders change language before they change structure Partner behaviour reveals direction Hiring patterns predict strategy Tech spend is the earliest indicator Visibility protects your career during uncertaintyYou can watch this on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/WXUNtQOLv0MCome and join our Accounting Voices Collective on Linkedin to find out more about our shows and virtual networking events: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-voices◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢The Accounting Voices Podcast serves accounting firm leaders, managers and partners looking to build their executive presence, influence and credibility both internally and externally. Host Rob Brown delivers insights to help professionals strengthen the

Accounting firms everywhere are changing. Private equity takeovers. Mergers. Leadership shifts. Advisory growth. Partner exits. New models. Staff feel unstable confused and worried. In this episode Rob Brown explains why firms feel unpredictable right now and what you can do to stay relevant visible and secure during this major transition.KEY TAKEAWAYS Firms are changing for real structural reasons Instability does not mean your career is at risk Visibility matters during uncertainty Relevance beats hierarchy Your future is shaped by your choices not your firmYou can watch this on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/SnBcdEEnLMUCome and join our Accounting Voices Collective on Linkedin to find out more about our shows and virtual networking events: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-voices◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢The Accounting Voices Podcast serves accounting firm leaders, managers and partners looking to build their executive presence, influence and credibility both internally and externally. Host Rob

Public accounting is intense and many professionals are questioning whether they should stay. In this episode Rob Brown breaks down the real reasons people want to leave public accounting and the key differences between the profession and the environment. You will learn how to assess burnout learning and the future of your career. This episode gives you a clear framework for deciding whether to stay in public accounting or move into industry or finance with confidence.KEY TAKEAWAYS Public accounting and accounting are not the same Leaving public accounting is not leaving the profession Burnout and boredom need different responses Environment shapes success more than technical skill Accounting remains a strong and flexible career pathYou can watch this on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/XM1-bQtUG-kCome and join our Accounting Voices Collective on Linkedin to find out more about our shows and virtual networking events: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-voices◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢The Accounting Vo

In this pivotal episode Rob Brown explains the truth about the future of accounting.From AI disruption to collapsing entry level pathways to the rise of visibility and influence, this episode is a wake up call for accountants who want to stay relevant. Learn how to build fluency, clarity and credibility in a changing profession.Key Takeaways* Visibility is the new career advantage* AI replaces tasks not trust* Younger accountants want clarity not grind culture* Standing out is safer than blending in* Judgment communication and influence are the futureYou can watch this on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/63zyKUFQEFcCome and join our Accounting Voices Collective on Linkedin to find out more about our shows and virtual networking events: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accounting-voices◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢The Accounting Voices Podcast serves accounting firm leaders, managers and partners looking to build their executive presence, influence and credibility both internally and externally. Host Rob Brown delivers