Episode 66

Governance Best Practice for Successful Accounting Firms

Jeremy Clopton is a governance and leadership expert who works extensively with accounting firms.

Jeremy and Rob delve into the critical topic of governance best practices for successful accounting firms. Jeremy emphasizes the importance of separating governance (strategic decision-making) from operations (day-to-day management). He shares insights on streamlining decision-making processes, delegating authority, and fostering effective communication within partner groups.

Clopton's insights shed light on the common challenges firms face as they grow, including the need for partners to relinquish autonomy and embrace a more structured, business-like approach to governance.

He stresses the importance of clearly defining decision-making authority at different levels within the firm and ensuring that partners understand and buy into the governance model.

Key Takeaways:

  • Differentiate between governance (strategic decisions) and operations (day-to-day management)
  • Clearly define decision-making authority at partner, management committee, and managing partner levels
  • Foster effective communication to keep partners informed and engaged
  • Embrace a business-like approach to governance while maintaining a people-focused culture
  • Align partner compensation with desired behaviors and contributions to firm success

"You can either be running your firm like a business, or you can be running it as nine different firms that all sit under the same roof."

View this episode in video on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/QYUCukwNwQs

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About the Podcast

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Accounting Voices Podcast
Accounting Voices helps people in the accounting world stay relevant visible and vocal. Host Rob Brown interprets trends reshaping the profession and gives listeners insight to build authority influence and a stronger voice in firms and markets.

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About your host

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Rob Brown

Rob Brown is the founder and host of the Accounting Voices Podcast, the flagship solo show of the Accounting Voices Network. Each episode offers sharp analysis and commentary on the trends, ideas and people shaping the global accounting profession.

Through this Accounting Voices Podcast, Rob helps accounting firm leaders, decision makers and professionals stay relevant and make sense of disruption in areas like AI, automation, M&A, private equity and soft skills beyond the tech. His perspective blends clarity, insight and curiosity, making complex issues relevant and practical for professionals and decision makers across accounting and finance.

He also leads two monthly panel shows, Accounting M&A and Accounting AI, which bring together senior voices to explore consolidation, strategy and the impact of technology on firms and people.

Rob is the author of the bestselling book Build Your Reputation (Wiley) and a TEDx speaker whose talk The Personal Brand of You has more than 400,000 views. Over his career he has hosted and moderated more than 1,000 conversations with accounting and fintech leaders worldwide.

Based in Nottingham UK, Rob is a stroke survivor living with epilepsy, a black belt in kickboxing, a decent chess player and an average player of four musical instruments.