CEO
Koltin Consulting Group, Inc.
Koltin Consulting Group, Inc. is a Chicago-based consulting firm that specializes in working with professional and financial services firms in the areas of practice growth, practice management, human capital, and mergers and acquisitions. Highly sought for his ability to engage and inspire audiences, Allan enjoys delivering keynote addresses at conferences throughout the professional services industry. His passion is facilitating strategic planning retreats for firm leadership and partners. His specialties include strategy, governance, profitability, compensation, growth, human capital, succession, and mergers and acquisitions.
For the last twenty-four years, Allan has been named by Accounting Today as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the accounting profession. In 2023, he was listed as the “Second Most Influential” in the profession. For the past twenty-three years, Allan was voted as one of the Most Recommended Consultants in the “Annual Survey of Firms” conducted by INSIDE Public Accounting. For the past decade, Allan has been named by CPA Practice Advisor as one of the Top 25 Thought Leaders in the profession and, in 2016, they also inducted Allan into the Accounting Hall of Fame. Allan was one of the first to be inducted into the Accounting Marketing Hall of Fame by the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM). A nationally recognized speaker and industry analyst, he has appeared on CNN, WGN and FOX TV and has been quoted frequently in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, USA Today and New York Post.
Previously, Allan was the CEO of PDI Global, which was the largest provider of marketing products and services for CPA firms. Allan sold PDI Global to H&R Block in 1998, buying it back in 2008, and then selling it to Thomson Reuters in 2011. Prior to that, Allan was a partner in the Chicago-based CPA firm of FERS, where he served as leader of the Investment Banking and Law Firm Services Groups, as well as the Executive Committee.
For decades, accounting firms relied on a predictable formula for growth and ownership transition: Partners funded the next generation, firms financed growth from operations, and independence was the default path forward. That model is increasingly under pressure.
Accounting Today’s 2025 research revealed that one in three firms now report needing capital, driven by rising technology and AI investments, acquisition opportunities, talent challenges, and the growing cost of partner succession. At the same time, aging ownership groups and rising firm valuations are making traditional partner buyout models harder to sustain, forcing firm leaders to reconsider how they fund growth, transition leadership, and remain competitive.
This opening session will explore the structural forces creating capital pressure across the profession and examine the strategic choices firms now face.
Our conference co-chairs sit down with Dan Hood for a candid discussion on the changing economics of firm ownership, the realities of succession planning in today’s market, and the funding models that will shape the next generation of accounting firms.
As private equity interest in accounting firms accelerates, the path from initial outreach to a successful deal is proving more nuanced than many expect. From sourcing and valuation to partner alignment, governance, and post-deal integration, acquiring an accounting firm requires a deep understanding of both the business model and the people behind it.
In this interactive session, industry advisors Allan Koltin, Bob Lewis, and Phil Whitman—who field calls from PE firms every day—share what you need to know before pursuing a transaction. Each will offer a brief, focused perspective on what drives successful deals, common missteps, and how to effectively evaluate and engage with target firms.
The session will then open into a town hall-style discussion, giving PE firms the opportunity to ask candid questions and pressure-test their approach in real time. Whether you’re actively deploying capital or exploring the space, this is a chance to get unfiltered guidance from advisors who understand both sides of the table.
Moderated by Accounting Today.
Note: Space is limited to encourage open, high-value discussion.
Private equity has already reshaped the accounting profession—but what happens next? In this interactive town hall, industry leaders will explore how capital, consolidation, technology, and talent pressures are transforming firm ownership and operations. Will private equity become the dominant ownership model? Can independent firms continue to compete and thrive? And what will the next generation of accounting firms look like five to ten years from now? Join this forward-looking discussion on the forces shaping the future of the profession and what firm leaders should be doing today to prepare for tomorrow.
The first wave of private equity transformed the accounting profession. The second wave will go further.
As accounting firms and investors move beyond their initial transactions, the conversation is shifting from deal-making to value creation, integration, recapitalization, and long-term growth. While the level of interest in CPA firms remains strong, the market is becoming more competitive as growth expectations increase and firms face greater pressure to differentiate themselves.
What separates tomorrow’s winners from everyone else? How will ownership structures evolve? What happens when firms pursue a second transaction, a continuation vehicle, a recapitalization, or even a buyback?
In this opening conversation, industry leaders will examine how the private equity landscape is changing, what lessons have been learned from the first wave of deals, and what firm leaders, investors, and stakeholders should expect as the profession enters its next chapter.
Our co-chairs return to the stage to wrap up the event, highlighting the most important takeaways from the previous two days, offering their key insights, and taking questions from the audience.
Once the ink on a private equity deal dries, accounting firms enter a new phase of their existence — one that requires fresh thinking, different reporting structures and new approaches. This session looks at how firms can balance accountability and autonomy, leverage the new resources that are available to them, develop new strategies, and turbocharge their growth with PE at their side.
In this session, a panel of top experts and deal-makers (including our conference co-chairs) will survey the current state of play in the accounting profession — covering everything from what types of firms can expect to be able to make a PE deal and how those deals are changing, and how that is impacting the broader profession, laying a groundwork for the more granular discussions to come on Day 2.
Discover the pivotal milestones of the past four years as CPA firms have partnered with private equity. This session dives into how these deals have reshaped firm growth, culture, strategy, talent, and client relationships—offering a clear view of where the industry is headed next.