FUTURE PROOF: Innovating in the Accounting Industry

The accounting industry is experiencing seismic shifts. Client expectations are evolving, new technologies are emerging faster than firms can adapt, and the war for talent rages on. In this landscape, the firms that thrive will be those with the most adaptable, innovative, and engaged people.
With over 20 years of experience in design thinking and organizational development, we’ve helped organizations across industries unlock innovation. Our Switch Innovation Method brings a unique, human-centered approach and acts as a catalyst for change, empowering you to transform your firm and position it for lasting success.

What You Will Learn

• Insight into opportunities based on your firm specific data
• How to deploy the process of innovation to solve your firms most pressing problems.
• How to create the conditions of success for an innovative culture

Key Takeaways

• A roadmap for people-first innovation: A clear framework to align your firm’s growth with investment in your team’s development.
• Actionable leadership strategies: Proven tools and techniques to immediately elevate your coaching and leadership skills.
• The power of EQ in accounting: How emotionally intelligent teams create a better client experience and a more resilient workplace.
• Building a talent magnet: A blueprint for making your firm stand out in a competitive recruiting landscape.
• A culture of continuous growth: How to champion ongoing development for yourself and your team as a key pillar of success.

Special Presentation: The Next Generation of Accounting

Presented by Tony Bucaro, PhD, CPA

Chair, Department of Accountancy
E. Mandell De Windt Endowed Professor in Leadership and Enterprise Development
Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University

Tony joined the Weatherhead faculty in the fall of 2015, after receiving his PhD in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to joining the academic community, Bucaro worked for 15 years in public accounting. He joined the international audit and accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche, in 1995, where his professional focus was financial statements and processes of large public and private companies. More specifically, he focused on the audit of business processes, risks and internal controls over financial reporting, and consulted with clients to improve their risk-related processes. Deloitte & Touche made Bucaro a Partner in 2007. He left public practice in 2010 to pursue his PhD in Accountancy and now uses his professional experience to guide practical, academic research related to effective audit processes, audit regulation, and other accounting topics, and to teach financial accounting, audit, and accounting information systems.Chair, Department of Accountancy

Through his unique lens in higher education and first-hand experience with  current and future accounting professionals, Tony will provide insights on trends and the state of the accounting profession. 

The Switch Innovation Method was created to help organizations innovate by focusing on both process and people. It addresses the common failing of innovation because of lack of attention to the people side.

By consistently focusing on the important human factors throughout the entire innovation journey — with targeted coaching and consulting specifically during the prototyping, implementation, and testing phases — teams can sustain hope and resilience.  

This targeted support fosters an environment conducive to cultivating psychological resilience and a future-oriented mindset. These psychological constructs are essential for navigating the inherent challenges associated with innovation and successful change management, ultimately leading to a more efficient and adaptable accounting practice.

The outside purple circle represents the overall innovation process. The inside green circle represents people — specifically the five crucial human factors that enable successful innovation organizations.