{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2F47aa55e7-3c6b-43f9-876e-e6745bd14cee","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"The Future of the Accounting Profession with Steve Cox of Iris (Highlights)","description":"Episode 63. On today's show, a Leaders special interview where Rob Brown talks to Steve Cox, Head of Accountancy at Iris Software on the future of work and the accounting profession.\n\nSteve Cox is Head of Accountancy for Commercial at IRIS Software Group. He is a technologist and chartered accountant (FCCA) who looks at how technology can simplify the modern working environment. Steve joined IRIS in 2002 and has worked in many areas of the business including Customer Support, Engineering, Product Management and Marketing. His most recent previous roles at IRIS include Senior Product Director, Interim CTO and Chief Evangelist.\n\nSteve has almost 20 years of experience in technology and accounting which he uses to work closely with customers, software companies, accounting/governing bodies and the government to champion the digital transformation and role evolution of accountants. In his current role as Head of Accountancy, he looks across the globe at how technology and legislation is changing the roles and requirements professionals in the workplace and looking to the future to predict how their roles will further evolve.\n\nKey takeaways from the full uncut interview include:\n\n\u2713 The secret to longevity in software and fintech where the average job change happens every 1-2 years\n\n\u2713 The key personal and professional changes that have disrupted the accountancy accountancy profession during the pandemic\n\n\u2713 How the complexity and volume of regulatory change has ramped up for the accounting sector in the last couple of years\n\n\u2713 The issue of recruitment and retention of suitable talent for accountancy firms\n\n\u2713 How service delivery is providing challenges for accountants from increased demands of clients and regulation\n\n\u2713 What percentage of the accountancy profession has been digitised so far\n\n\u2713 How the new ways of working have increased pain points for CPA and accounting practices to cover all the bases in hybrid situations\n\n\u2713 The challenge of building culture for accounting firms in a virtual working environment\n\n\u2713 Research on the number of new accountancy practices being formed every month in the UK (and likely the same in other countries\n\n\u2713 What an increased volume of start up, fully digitised accounting firms does for the marketplace and the pressure it puts the very small firms under to survive\n\n\u2713 How client demands have changed throughout the pandemic and why the new starts ups demand more of their accountants due to technological advancement\n\n\u2713 The subtle changes in what it means to be a trusted advisor, with a move towards 'agony aunt' and emotional as well as professional support\n\n\u2713 Why many accountants are now being asked by clients to advise on areas they've never had training on, like recruitment or HR\n\n\u2713 The arguments for and against in working for a big accountancy practice versus a smaller one\n\n\u2713 Despite the uptick in new accounting firms starting up, some stats on how many are winding up, being sold or just dying\n\n\u2713 Figures from the US and the UK about the trends in the so called 'recession proof' accounting sector\n\n\u2713 Factors which might dictate what decisions accountants make about their time, particularly with work life balance and mental wellbeing\n\n\u2713 What the next five years might look like for the world of accounting and fintech\n\n\u2713 The three technology drivers that are disrupting the accounting sector globally\n\n\u2713 Why artificial intelligence or AI will never replace the role of an accountant or CPA\n\n\u2713 Where new competition is coming from for accountancy firms\n\n\u2713 Comments on \"its time to get rid of the accountant\" software vendor plays from the likes of Xero, Ember and Pilot \n\n\u2713 the number one most fundamental thing about the client-accountant link that vendors or automation will never replace\n\n\u2713 Whether full \u2018big-box\u2019 suites might win over a variety of specialised apps for accountancy practices (best of breed vz best of suite)\n\n\u2713 The importance of implementation and adoption to make software solutions work and...","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/6ee302fa-2d23-4ea0-b9d3-39220335ebab/Vjk_-5XrwWtn0CknDSik_xpd.jpg"}