About this episode

Blake and David discuss Grant Thornton's acquisition of CBIZ and its implications for the accounting industry, along with the impact of AI on finance and other current topics.

Could Grant Thornton’s $5 billion CBIZ deal create a Big Five? Blake and David unpack the private-equity-backed combination, what it means for accounting firm ownership, and why controller talent is still hard to find. They also examine AI’s effect on finance judgment—and why nearly half of Gen Z workers say it makes them less intelligent—plus tariff refunds, audit scrutiny, and rising software prices. Sponsors Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay Thomson Reuters - http://accountingpodcast.promo/taxautomation Veltrix - http://accountingpodcast.promo/veltrix Chapters (00:00) - TAP 499 (02:17) - Livestream and CPE Plug (03:12) - Grant Thornton Buys CBIZ (04:35) - Stock Spike and Activists (09:06) - PE Strategy and IPO Exit (11:09) - Deal Size vs Big Four (13:21) - Trump Immunity and Nominee (16:39) - EY Hack Claim Explained (18:56) - Trump Deal Appeal Update (21:37) - Controller Hiring Crunch (23:21) - Senior Pay Flattening (26:24) - Corporate Hiring Demand (27:59) - AI Boosts Finance Judgment (29:38) - Claude Transforms Forecasting (30:43) - Gen Z AI Dependency Fears (34:32) - Xero Price Hike Backlash (36:45)…

People in this episode

Hosts: Blake Oliver, David Leary

Topics covered

• accounting firm acquisition
• AI in finance
• Gen Z workforce
• tariff refunds
• audit scrutiny
• software pricing

Keywords

• Grant Thornton
• CBIZ
• Trump
• AI
• Gen Z
• tariff refunds
• audit
• software prices

Sponsors

Cloud Accountant Staffing, OnPay, Thomson Reuters, Veltrix

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Grant Thornton, CBIZ, EY, PwC UK

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