Presented by Jody Padar
The Radical CPA - XcelLabs
Key Takeaways:
Understand the five shifts reshaping the accounting firm business model.
Identify where human value increases as AI takes on more execution, and why judgment, communication, curiosity and relationship-building become critical skills in the Firm of 2030.
Recognize the decisions firms need to make now around pricing, workflows, talent development and client experience to intentionally build toward a different future-state business model.
NASBA CPE 1
Field of Study: Business Management and Organization
Delivery Method: Group Internet Based
Prerequisites: None
Level: Basic
Recommended Audience: Any CPA or EA planning on being in business in 2030 and beyond.
The Firm of 2030 Is Being Built Right Now
We know that AI is changing accounting, but do we know what kind of firm we’re building in response? The Firm of 2030 won’t be today’s firm with better technology. AI changes the economics of the work, the roles people play, what clients are willing to pay for and how firms create value. That means the traditional accounting firm model has to change with it.
In this session, Jody Padar will explore five shifts reshaping the accounting business model: from time to outcomes, hierarchical teams to humans working alongside AI agents, advisory as a service line to advisory as the operating system, knowledge to trust, and the traditional firm to a technology-enabled accounting company.
She’ll also examine what those shifts mean for talent, pricing, client experience, firm metrics and leadership — and why the human skills of judgment, communication, curiosity and relationship-building become more valuable, not less, as AI takes on more of the execution.
Most importantly, this isn’t a prediction about what might happen in 2030. The decisions firms are making today are already determining what they will become. The Firm of 2030 is being built right now.
The question is whether you’re intentionally building yours.
Your Presenter
Jody Padar, CPA, also known as The Radical CPA and is co-founder of XcelLabs, is a well-known advocate for tech adoption and general forward-thinking behavior inside the profession, and has been consistently named one of the Top 100 Most Influential to the Profession by Accounting Today. She is a regular contributor to a number of industry publications, including Accounting Today and CPA Trendlines, where she offers practical tips and advice on running a next-generation firm. Padar is married with two adult children and currently resides in Door County, Wisconsin. She earned her BBA from Saint Mary's College and MST from Northern Illinois University. Follow her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook.
Your CPE Sponsor:
The CPA Trendlines Academy (Thomas Advisors LLC d/b/a) is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors via its website at nasbaregistry.org.