WTF? What's the Future of CPAs, Finance and Accounting in Industry 4.0?

Are you seeing what I am seeing?

We are seeing a big shift in the finance and accounting world. A shift from status quo to forward momentum. A shift from denial to adaptation. Like the big ggggrrrrriindddding sound when a big truck shifts into high gear. It is the realization that this 'fourth industrial revolution' is upon us and it is not going away!

"If you don't have a vision for yourself or your organization, you'll just get sucked into someone else's vision."

- Watts Wacker - futurist

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (or Industry 4.0) official started with the convergence of many technologies since the dot com bubble of 2000. Some say it was exemplified when Steve Jobs held up the first iPhone in 2007. That is the same year Facebook, Twitter, Hadoop, and other significant technologies all came out on the hyper-connected world of the internet. This convergence is now moving up the exponential curve and driving massive changes in the business and social sectors and the accounting and finance profession at a faster and faster pace.

However, technology is not the only driver. Other 'hard trends' of demographics, regulations and standards are also moving and causing major shifts in the business world. Consider the baby boomer retirements at 10,000 per day driving the biggest shift in the history of mankind. We could go on and on, but I think you get the picture.

All around us there are signs or 'weak signals of disruptive change' coming at us and our businesses and clients. CFOs and CPAs in firms are all asking what's next? Are we moving fast enough? What does the future hold for finance Pros? Are we really facing a "roboapocalypse"?

We believe it is time to convene, to come together in a strategic conversation about the future. To tap the wisdom of the crowd of our global profession and co-create a new vision for CPAs, Finance and Accounting in Industry 4.0, That is why we want you to join us in a different kind of conference, CPA Convene on October 3rd, 2019.

Imagine a data-driven future, by pre-recording three panels that coincide with the #FutureReady theme of aware, predict and adapt, then having the panelists join in the chat with you during the day of the conference. All of your comments and conversations captured an synthesized by a team of data scientists to give us back what we all think about the future, segmented by all of the ways CPAs, finance and accounting professionals work and where they are from. It is truly a way to co-create our future, together.

CPA Convene - October 3, 2019 12-3pm ET. Registration details here.

Join global leaders in the CPA, Accounting and Finance Profession from the AICPA-CIMA, IMA, CPA Canada, CPA.COM, the Accounting & Financial Women's Alliance, Beta Alpha Psi and a group of State CPA Societies (Colorado, Arizona, Delaware, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey, California, and Pennsylvania and more to come) along with students and educators to actively discuss what the future holds for us in Industry 4.0.

I hope to 'see' you on October 3rd!

TOM HOOD, CPA, CITP, CGMA is one of the most influential thinkers in the CPA Profession. He was named to the Accounting Hall of Fame by CPA Practice Advisor and the Second Most Influential Person in Accounting by Accounting Today Magazine for the past six years. He is also one the Top 100 Influencers on LinkedIn. Tom is also a member of Forbes Finance Council.

He is the CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA) and CEO of the Business Learning Institute, the innovation, strategy, and learning subsidiary of the MACPA, a leading strategic planning and talent development and training organization for CPAs, finance and accounting professionals in the world.