PE, M&A, and AI: What Accounting Firms Need to Know Now for 2026
Episode Summary
Complexity in accounting has never been higher and neither has opportunity.
With Top 100 firms growing 8.58%, Daniel Hood, Editor-in-Chief of Accounting Today, joins Kacee Johnson to unpack why firms below $1B are outperforming the broader market.
They also discuss how cross-selling improves client retention and increases revenue per client, and why growth is funding technology investments rather than technology driving growth.
Hosted by Kacee Johnson, fintech innovation leader and Principal at Radical, AI-Native Accounting is the podcast at the crossroads of AI and the future of finance. Engage in monthly discussions with firm owners, tech pioneers, and visionary accountants. Explore real-world applications of AI, uncovering how it's streamlining processes and enhancing decision-making. Discover what's working, what's emerging, and what's on the horizon in the world of accounting technology.
Featured Guest
Daniel Hood
Editor-in-Chief, Accounting Today
Daniel Hood has been editor-in-chief of Accounting Today since 2011; he joined Accounting Today as managing editor in 1998. A graduate of Georgetown University, he has also served as a business editor for the New York Daily News, and as a production editor for The Wall Street Journal Europe. He is the author of five novels and a guidebook to New York City.
Your Host
Kacee Johnson
Digits Advisor & Innovation Partner
Kacee Johnson is a leading figure in the accounting profession, recognized among Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People, CPA Practice Advisor's Top 25 Thought Leaders, and as one of the Most Powerful Women in Accounting. She advises AICPA and CPA.com as an innovation partner and leads the Startup Accelerator program, mentoring startups that shape the profession's future. In 2025, she completed Harvard Business School's Executive Program on Private Equity and Venture Capital and joined the be radical team as a Principal in FinTech Innovation.