Beyond Automation: How Wiss Is Rethinking AI in Accounting | Paul Peterson
Episode Summary
“The accountant is the underdog right now. Like, they really are.” — Paul Peterson, CEO, Wiss
Paul Peterson, CEO of Wiss, a Top 100 accounting firm, joins Kacee Johnson to explain why AI is a bigger shift than the cloud, the internet, or anything else he’s seen since joining Wiss in 1995.
With the cloud, Paul could see the destination and plan the route. AI is different: it’s disruptive in every part of the firm, the end state keeps moving, and the hardest challenges are emotional, not technical. Even his most secure partners have asked where they fit after 35 years of building an identity around the work.
Through Wiss Labs, the firm has tested hundreds of platforms, partnered with early-stage AI companies, and deployed technology inside real client work. Paul breaks down the three lenses Wiss uses to evaluate tools, why the firm now partners and pilots instead of building, the hidden costs most firms miss, and why he and Kacee agree that efficiency is the consolation prize — the real return is a more competitive business and a profession finally valued for outcomes instead of hours.
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
Paul Peterson
CEO, Wiss
Paul Peterson is the CEO of Wiss, a Top 100 accounting firm. He leads the firm’s innovation agenda through Wiss Labs, its innovation arm, where he and his team evaluate emerging technologies, partner with AI companies, and pilot solutions in real client workflows. Paul is a vocal advocate for rethinking the accounting operating model around AI readiness and organizational alignment and for a future where technology handles repetitive work so accountants are recognized for judgment, analysis, and the outcomes they drive.
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.
