AI & The Talent Model - Redesigning the Ladder

September 24, 2026 @ 1-1:50pm ET

AI isn't coming for accounting, it's already reshaping how firms hire, train, and promote talent. This 50-minute session examines how AI is disrupting the traditional accounting career ladder, from entry-level work being absorbed by automation to the erosion of learn-by-volume development. Drawing on current data (AICPA PCPS, Deloitte, Gallup) and real case studies like Current (formerly Crete PA), the session introduces a new "skill stacking" model, alternative hiring and staffing approaches, a compressed advisor development roadmap, and a live AI Readiness Assessment firms can use to benchmark themselves. Attendees leave with a specific 90-day commitment to act on.

Who Should Attend

• Managing partners
• Firm leaders
• HR/Talent leaders
• Practice leaders at CPA and professional services firms responsible for hiring, staff development, or succession planning.

Learning Objectives

• Identify where and how AI is disrupting firms' traditional development model.
• Apply a skill-stacking framework (Advisor, Builder, Specialist stacks) to redesign career paths.
• Evaluate alternative hiring and staffing models suited to an AI-infused firm.
• Use a firm AI-readiness diagnostic to benchmark their organization across six dimensions.
• Develop a specific 90-day action plan to address a talent/AI challenge at their firm.