Episode 65

Panel: Making the Accounting Profession Future-Ready

This episode features a panel discussion on the challenges and future of the accounting profession. Panelists include Ed Kless, Michael Turner (Validis), Steve Cox (IRIS), and Dan McMahon (Integrated Growth Advisors). They delve into issues like the billable hour model, talent shortages, resistance to change, the role of technology like AI, client advisory services, private equity's impact, and more. The conversation offers insightful perspectives on where accounting is stuck and what kind of transformation is needed.

Panelists:

- Ed Kless, Former Senior Director of Partner Development and Strategy at Sage

- Michael Turner, CEO of Validis

- Steve Cox, Business Intelligence Director at IRIS

- Dan McMahon, Management Consultant at Integrated Growth Advisors

Key Topics:

- The billable hour as the "cancer" holding back accounting

- Need to transition to selling knowledge/value instead of time

- Talent shortage and struggles to attract newcomers

- Importance of purpose, values, and accountability for great firms

- Role of change management to drive transformation

- Predictions on multidisciplinary teams, data-driven audits, advisory services

"Stuck. In a word, stuck...The cancer of the accounting profession is the billable hour and the timesheet." - Ed Kless

"Let's eliminate the annual performance review and instead institute after action reviews...that is the replacement for the timesheet." - Ed Kless

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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.