From the Xero band to the budget roundtable; A review of my time as Xero’s Head of Accounting

In May 2014 after the Xero roadshow, I wrote a blog that challenged Xero to take responsibility for the disruption it was bringing to the industry (for the better). Little did I know that this blog would start a chain reaction of proportions I could never have imagined.

I had spent the better part of five years writing about industry change, and the issues facing small businesses. I’d shared my thoughts on panels at Xerocon and at roadshows, played in the Xero All Stars band and worked closely with the Xero team to help the platform better serve accountants, bookkeepers and small businesses.Continue reading “From the Xero band to the budget roundtable; A review of my time as Xero’s Head of Accounting”

The rise of the agile accountant

As noted in my last post I have number of speaking commitments coming up over the next couple of months, so I’ve spent a lot of time recently reflecting on the role of a CFO and, indeed, the wider accounting profession.

During my presentations and panel discussions, I’ll be speaking to audiences from across the APAC accounting community about the tech trends that are going to shape the future of the industry.

These sessions will take a deep dive into the topics of: Continue reading “The rise of the agile accountant”

The Xero Partner Code of Conduct – one of my proudest achievements

During my years as the Head of Accounting at Xero I had the privilege to develop and deliver the Partner Code of Conduct. This code was one of the first of its kind worldwide when released in 2016

The link to the blog I wrote about the code is here and the link to the actual code is here.

Continue reading “The Xero Partner Code of Conduct – one of my proudest achievements”

Profiting from providing compliance services in an automated world… its actually really easy to do

In a world where time is money, it can feel like a double-edged sword when efficiency is deemed the only measure of success.

For all accountants, providing compliance services is still a necessary part of the job, and will be up until the day we no longer need to lodge tax returns. It is a required service, and one that accountants should charge for. However, as technology continues to speed up the rate at which such tasks can be completed, the issue of perceived value comes into play.

For many accountants, they believe that because it takes less time to do, they should be charging less for the service. Wrong. It is still a valuable service.

Continue reading “Profiting from providing compliance services in an automated world… its actually really easy to do”

Feature – BusinessSA Pulse – Innovation in Business Tools

The digital age has transformed the way businesses operate – from interacting with customers to financial reporting – and has provided the opportunity to make efficient and effective business decisions.

“Technology has brought about positive change when it comes to how we can interact with clients and suppliers and be more connected to them than ever before,” James Solomons, Head of Accounting at Xero told The Pulse.

Continue reading “Feature – BusinessSA Pulse – Innovation in Business Tools”

Partnership model to keep ‘falling away’

First published on Accountants Daily – 11th October 2016

https://www.accountantsdaily.com.au/professional-development/9593-partnership-model-set-to-keep-falling-away

While the partnership model remains “old-school attractive” in the industry, it is becoming increasingly less appealing to younger accountants with different career and lifestyle priorities to the previous generation, Xero’s head of accounting and director at Aptus Accounting and Advisory, James Solomons, told AccountantsDaily.

Mr Solomons is finding that younger accountants who are eyeing more senior positions are thinking either “I’m going to go my own way, or stay an employee”.

Continue reading “Partnership model to keep ‘falling away’”