Leading Into the Future: Rethinking Work, Value and Leadership in Accounting

Overview

The accounting profession is at a crossroads — not because of a new generation, but because the entire architecture of work is being rewritten. Smaller firms are feeling it most: recruiting has become harder, AI is changing client expectations overnight, and leadership succession looms large. In this fast-moving and practical session, global future-of-work strategist Steve Cadigan (LinkedIn’s first CHRO and author of Workquake) unpacks how small and mid-sized firms can reimagine how they attract, develop, and lead talent in a world where certainty is gone and adaptability is gold. Through real-world examples from progressive firms like Bookminders, Prestige Accounting, LedgerWise, Nova Accounting, and Insights CPAs, Steve shows how leaders are reshaping work models, leveraging AI as a time- creator, and making accounting a magnet for modern talent again.

Objectives

Analyze the structural forces reshaping the accounting profession
Reimagine talent attraction and retention strategies for smaller firms
Leverage AI to enhance efficiency and human decision-making
Apply adaptive leadership practices to prepare for succession and change
Implement actionable steps to future-proof firm growth and culture

Highlights

Talent Strategy
Leadership
AI
Adaptability
Future of Work
Succession

Designed For

All Professionals

Prerequisites

None

Preparation

None

Notice

Your webinar can be accessed via https://ctcpas.acpen.com/. If you do not have an ACPEN account, please sign up for an account using the email address you have on file with CTCPA.

Fees

Credits

Level

Code

Vendor

Fields of Study

Leader(s):

Steve Cadigan, Cadigan Talent Ventures LLC

Leader Bios

Steve Cadigan, Cadigan Talent Ventures LLC

Steve Cadigan Founder Cadigan Talent Ventures

Steve Cadigan has spent 30 years at the forefront of global talent strategy and company culture. As LinkedIn’s first Chief Human Resources Officer, he led the talent push from 400 to 4,000 people in 3.5 years and architected the company culture that, even today, other organizations study and try to replicate.

He pioneered the Tour of Duty employment model replacing hollow promises of permanent employment with honest growth partnerships, and used it to compete for talent against Google, Apple, and Facebook. He predicted the Great Resignation in his book Workquake before it happened, recognizing a foundational truth: people leave companies that see them as costs rather than potential.

Today, Steve is the originator of the Human Advantage framework, a strategic approach for unlocking human potential as organizations deploy AI. He works directly with CEOs and CHROs at scaling organizations facing two pressures at once: boards demanding faster AI deployment, and employees terrified of being replaced. His thesis is contrarian: the architecture of work was built for a slow pace of change and is no longer fit for purpose. Employee engagement is not worth measuring the way it has been. Long tenure should not be rewarded for its own sake. Job security comes from movement and learning, not loyalty to an employer.

The throughline across every engagement: the organizations that treat their people as potential to maximize rather than costs to minimize build advantages that compound. Steve has worked across five industries and three countries, led dozens of acquisition integrations, and serves on the boards of three corporations. He has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal and Fortune as one of the top 200 global thought leaders in talent management.

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