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.
