Accounting Today Podcast

Private equity can solve many of a firm's problems –– but not necessarily all, according to Phil Whitman of Whitman Transition Advisors, and there are alternatives.

Private equity is a solution to many accounting firm problems -- but not for all accounting firms. Allan Koltin of Koltin Consulting Group dives into who might be a good fit for PE, and what they can expect if they do.

Private equity presents a lot of opportunities for accounting firms -- but comes with a great many questions, too. Bob Lewis of the Visionary Group offers answers and valuable advice for accountants looking at this major trend.

What keeps employees engaged is changing rapidly, and accounting firms can't afford to fall behind, according to Tina Wang , division vice president of HR at payroll and HR giant ADP, and Darren Root, a major thought leader in the profession and Co-founder of Better Every Day.

Too many accounting firms are relying on outdated or inappropriate data to measure their success, and Sarah Dobek of Inovautus Consulting lays out a much more forward-looking set of data for them to work with.

Melanie Lauridsen, vice president of tax policy and advocacy at the AICPA, and Cynthia Rijo Sanchez, president of the Puerto Rico CPA Society, discuss the boom in demand for tax and accounting services, and what it takes to successfully serve this market.

Terrell Turner of the TLTurner Group explains his firm's unique process for upgrading employee reviews and keeping staff performing at the levels they need.

John Napolitano of Napier Financial takes a long look at the host of unusual investment opportunities available to your wealthier clients, and how to tell what will work from what won't.  

Michael Bannon of ESOP investment banking advisors CSG Partners explains which accounting firms might want to look into employee stock ownership plans -- and why.

AICPA chair Carla McCall talks about the opportunities and challenges facing the profession, and how accounting firms need to work together so they can all thrive separately. 

And that should be their firm, says David Wurtzbacher of PE-backed accounting firm platform Ascend, so they can spend the vast majority of their time working on the business, rather than in the business.

Service line and practice offering leaders stand at the point where a firm's overall strategy meets the delivery of its actual services, and they have a unique role and set of responsibilities, says Sarah Dobek of Inovautus Consulting.

Service line and practice offering leaders stand at the point where a firm's overall strategy meets the delivery of its actual services, and they have a unique role and set of responsibilities, says Sarah Dobek of Inovautus Consulting.

Client advisory services Kane Polakoff of CohnReznick looks into the future of this fast-growing service area, and outlines the steps firms need to take to succeed in CAS's next iteration.

Many retirement plans are geared toward the specific date a person retires -- but clients will hopefully live long beyond that, and there are a lot of issues they'll need to consider, says John Napolitano , founder of Napier Financial.  

The National Pipeline Advisory Group's recommendations cover a wide range of ways to attract more people to the profession, and NPAG facilitator and ConvergenceCoaching co-founder Jennifer Wilson walks us through what everyone can do to bring in the next generation. If you're interested in helping, you can take the Pipeline Pledge here .

Laura Sprouse, the new CEO of Top 100 Firm Brown Edwards, shares her path to leadership, and where she's taking her firm in the future.

What it means to be an accountant is changing -- and that may be an important part of attracting more young people too the profession, says David Bergstein.

What clients value and what accountants think they value are rarely the same thing, and Joe Woodard makes the case that it's accountants who need to change their ideas around value, not clients.

Why work 80 hours a week when you can work 40? Why work 40 when you can work 25? Consultant Geraldine Carter explains why it's not the hours you work that matter, but what you and your clients get out of them, and shares strategies from her new book to help build accounting practices that take less of your time but deliver just as much value -- if not more.

The co-leaders of the Rosenberg Group, Marc Rosenberg and Kristen Rampe look back at three decades of change in the accounting profession — and what lies ahead.

Kelly Fisher , chief practice officer at Top 100 Firm Wipfli, offers a practical look at artificial intelligence, current use cases, and how accounting firms should be thinking about it.

The profession is seeing wholesale shifts in generational approaches across a range of areas, say Bob Lewis and Doug Lewis of the Visionary Group, as they dive into how best to navigate all those changes.

Accounting hought leader Seth Fineberg shares the three areas that public accounting needs to address: life-work balance, DEI and salaries.

The AICPA's Crystal Cooke talks about why the perception that companies are scaling back their diversity efforts is wrong, and how accounting can move forward in its pursuit of diversity, equity and inclusion.