Finding—and keeping—the right talent has become one of the biggest growth constraints for accounting firms. In this panel, firm leaders and HR executives share what’s actually working to attract top candidates, engage high performers, and retain talent in an increasingly competitive and evolving market. From modern recruiting strategies and career pathing to culture, flexibility, and workforce models, this session offers practical insights CPAs can apply to build resilient, people-first firms that scale.

Accounting firms are under sustained pressure to grow—yet many remain constrained by operating models built for a different era. Static staffing structures, peak-season resourcing assumptions, and linear growth strategies often create inefficiencies during slower periods, strain teams during demand spikes, and limit long-term scalability.

Drawing on new Accounting Today research—including survey insights from U.S. firms with 30+ employees and operational data from organizations implementing flexible talent models—this session examines how leading firms are rethinking work. The findings highlight how flexible staffing strategies, AI-enabled tools, analytics, and technology-supported workflows across audit, tax, and advisory are transforming performance outcomes.

Panelists will explore how aligning talent flexibility with intelligent automation unlocks measurable gains in efficiency, productivity, scalability, and service delivery. Attendees will gain a practical, data-backed framework for building a more agile, resilient, and future-ready operating model—one capable of navigating demand volatility while sustaining growth.

This session is designed for firm leaders seeking operational clarity, strategic alignment, and actionable insight into modernizing their firm’s delivery model.

Small and midsize CPA firms are under increasing pressure—from talent constraints and shrinking compliance margins to growing client demand for higher-value, strategic guidance. The firms that are scaling effectively are doing so by intentionally connecting three disciplines: AI-enabled operations, expanded and specialized CAS and advisory services, and a disciplined, client-centric service model.

In this keynote, Jim Bourke outlines how firm leaders can move from experimentation to execution. He will share how to identify and deploy safe, high-impact AI pilots that improve quality and throughput; how to strengthen and extend existing CAS practices by delivering new and expanded advisory services; and how to elevate client service in ways that deepen relationships and protect revenue.

Attendees will gain insight into how high-performing firms are using AI in day-to-day practice, why CAS continues to outpace overall firm growth when supported by clear strategy, niches, and dedicated teams, and how firms are successfully cross-selling advisory services and integrating multiple offerings to drive sustainable growth and stronger client outcomes.

Kick off the event at our Opening Night Cocktail Reception honoring Accounting Today’s Fastest Growing Firms. This reception is designed for networking and conversation, giving attendees the opportunity to connect directly with honorees, firm leaders, and peers while building relationships that will carry through the rest of the conference.

Accounting Today proudly recognizes firms that are redefining and advancing the accounting profession. One of the clearest measures of that impact is sustained growth. The firms honored here—those that achieved the highest revenue growth in 2025—embody the future of accounting and the next generation of firm leadership.

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.