Founder
Accountants Forward
Seth Fineberg is an accounting industry consultant & Content Strategist. He has been an editor and journalist for over 30 years, the vast majority of which has been spent overseeing the accounting profession at large, with a focus on the evolution and applications of accounting-related technologies. To this end, he has served as Technology Editor at Accounting Today and the lead Editor of AccountingWEB's US team.
His passion has been helping to curate information on what makes businesses tick. A huge part of that process is the role of the professional accountant. He is particularly keyed into business technology, changes and trends in this field, as well as how businesses, accounting firms and the technology companies that serve them think about their growth and what they bring to clients and customers.
Technology has become one of the most important drivers of growth, efficiency, and firm value. As accounting firms face mounting pressure to modernize operations, leverage AI, improve the client experience, and create capacity, technology investment is increasingly being viewed as a strategic capital decision rather than a routine operating expense. In this panel discussion, thought leaders from some of the profession’s leading technology vendors will share their perspectives on where firms are investing today, the capabilities firms will need to remain competitive tomorrow, and how firm leaders should think about prioritizing future technology investments.
Technology has become the single biggest driver of capital demand in accounting, with firms investing heavily in AI, automation, workflow modernization, and tech stack optimization. But does private equity actually accelerate innovation, or simply provide the resources to move faster?
In this panel, technology leaders from three of the industry’s leading accounting platforms will discuss how access to capital, shared resources, and platform-level investments are influencing technology adoption across member firms. Attendees will gain insight into how firms are approaching AI, automation, tech stack consolidation, and operational modernization—and whether private equity is creating a meaningful competitive advantage in the race to build the accounting firm of the future.
Both before and after a deal, private equity will rouse a lot of emotions inside an accounting firm — and change a lot of people’s roles. Experts will discuss how to keep both partners and young staff on side, how to communicate with clients, and how to help everyone adjust to a firm’s new structure.
What does PE want? Leaders from the private equity side of the equation share why they’re interested in accounting, what they’re looking for in accounting firms, and how they see the relationship developing in the future.
A key consideration for accounting practices that want to remain independent is finding the capital they need to invest in staff, new technologies, and growth strategies — particularly those that involve M&A. Fortunately, more and more players are entering the field, from banks and venture capital firms to ESOP advisors and beyond. This session will dive into the details.