Private equity continues to reshape the growth trajectory of leading accounting firms. In this panel, leaders from Accounting Today’s 2026 Fastest-Growing Firms share how PE has shaped their firm models, accelerated growth, and introduced new pressures and expectations. Panelists will discuss what PE has enabled, how it differentiates their firms, and what it really takes to manage rapid, PE-backed growth.

This interactive roundtable brings CPAs and accounting leaders together for a candid, peer-to-peer discussion on today’s most pressing technology and AI challenges. Guided by a facilitator, participants will share what’s working—and what isn’t—across tech stacks, AI tools, automation, data management, and adoption strategies. Attendees will actively exchange ideas and perspectives on how to leverage technology and AI to better support their firms, their teams, and their clients.

The profession is shifting from services to transformations. In this session, you’ll explore why the billable hour and “best practices” are dead—and how value pricing, subscriptions, and timeless best principles can turn customers into lifelong collaborators. Leave with fresh frameworks and the courage to lead the Transformation Economy rather than chase it.

As client expectations evolve, many CPA firms are expanding beyond compliance into advisory services. This session explores how firms can build and grow an advisory practice—from identifying the right services and clients to aligning talent, pricing, and processes. Learn practical steps to develop advisory offerings that drive deeper client relationships and sustainable firm growth.

Every firm owner knows the challenge: you want higher-value clients, but identifying a niche—and actually becoming known for it—is easier said than done. This session offers a practical, repeatable framework to identify profitable niches, validate their real-world potential, and position your firm as a true authority without sounding like every other “specialist” on LinkedIn. This isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about building a focused strategy that scales.

Design an AI-first accounting firm using a clear, month-by-month roadmap. This session walks through how to prioritize high-impact use cases, evaluate tools responsibly, establish practical guardrails, and deploy durable automations that actually stick. We’ll also cover leadership conversation starters, core policy considerations, prompt fundamentals, training options, and a curated resource wall of trusted guides and tech stack ideas.

You’ll leave with a practical 12-month implementation plan, defined success metrics, and several quick wins you can activate immediately in Month One.

Sustainable growth doesn’t happen by accident. This panel discussion will focus on how firms are intentionally aligning pricing models, client strategy, and operational execution to support profitable and scalable growth. Drawing on real firm examples, the discussion will explore how leaders evaluate service mix, standardize and streamline operations, and make disciplined decisions around talent and capacity. Participants will leave with a host of best practices they can use to assess their current growth approach and identify actionable next steps.

As accounting firms face mounting capacity constraints, increasing return complexity, and pressure to deliver faster turnaround times, many are looking to AI for answers. But moving from experimentation to real-world deployment raises important questions around trust, workflow integration, and maintaining professional standards.

In this case study, leaders from Armanino, a Top 20 accounting firm, will share how they partnered with Accrual to introduce AI directly into live tax operations.