Why the QXAS Advisory Council Was Formed and Why Now

28 January 2026

The accounting profession is not facing a single moment of disruption. It is facing several, all at once.

AI adoption, consolidation, private equity investment, leadership transitions, and talent shortages are converging in ways that are forcing firms to make much harder decisions about how they are built, led, and scaled. Individually, these forces are familiar. What is different now is their simultaneity and speed.

For many firm leaders, the challenge is not ambition or intent. It is clarity.

This discussion was recorded as part of the first QXAS Advisory Council: Insights session.

Why the Moment Matters

Across conversations with accounting firms in the UK and the US, a consistent theme emerges. Leaders are under pressure to respond to multiple structural changes at the same time, while still running profitable, compliant, and growing businesses.

Technology alone does not solve this. Capital alone does not solve this. Incremental change rarely does.

What firms are being asked to rethink is more fundamental: operating models, leadership structures, and how talent, technology, and scale fit together in practice.

It was in this context that QXAS formed its Advisory Council.

The Purpose of the Advisory Council

The QXAS Advisory Council was created to bring independent, external perspectives into how QXAS thinks about the profession, its strategy, and the products and services it builds.

Rather than relying solely on internal viewpoints, the Council exists to challenge assumptions, pressure-test ideas, and anchor thinking in lived experience from different parts of the ecosystem.

As Sagar Ahuja, CEO of QXAS, explained during the discussion:

“Our philosophy has been to really listen first, understand deeply. And then on the basis of that, we build solutions around it.”

The Council’s role is not symbolic. It is operational. Insight from these discussions feeds directly into how QXAS prioritizes problems and designs solutions for accounting firms navigating change.

Independent Perspectives on What is Changing

Each Council member brings a distinct lens shaped by where they operate in the profession.

From a private equity and firm economics perspective, Bob Lewis highlighted the growing gap between ambition and execution, particularly when it comes to AI and scale.

“AI is going to be a huge backbone for making that work.”

His point was not about technology adoption for its own sake, but about how firms think about productivity, revenue per professional, and the limits of compliance-led growth.

Ellen Choi brought a technology and transformation lens, emphasising that progress rarely happens in isolation.

“Just like it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to have CPA firms actually progress forward on AI technology.”

Her perspective reinforced a recurring theme: transformation requires ecosystems, not standalone tools.

From a leadership and governance standpoint, Alan Whitman focused on how firms learn and adapt.

“Putting people that are not in the same lane in a space together is where the magic happens.”

For him, the value of the Council lies in access to diverse thinking rather than ownership of expertise.

Moderating the discussion, Rob Brown reflected on the broader market context.

“What strikes me right now is the level of noise and uncertainty in the market.”

His role, and the role of the Council more broadly, is to help leaders cut through that noise and focus on what truly matters.

Informing Strategy, Products, and Services

One of the defining characteristics of the QXAS Advisory Council is that it is designed to inform action.

Insight from these discussions helps QXAS think more clearly about:

• How operating models are evolving
• Where firms are struggling to scale sustainably
• How talent, technology, and outsourcing intersect
• What leadership teams need to prioritize next

As Sagar noted:

“The job of the advisory council is to really anchor the thinking with real experience.” This ensures that our strategy, products, and services are shaped not by theory, but by what firms are experiencing on the ground.

This ensures that our strategy, products, and services are shaped not by theory, but by what firms are experiencing on the ground.

A Series, Not a One-Off

This first conversation focused on why the Advisory Council was formed and why now. It sets the foundation for a broader series of discussions that will follow.

Upcoming conversations will go deeper into:

• The big forces reshaping the accounting profession
• Operating models and Outsourcing 3.0
• Leadership, credibility, and trust
• What the next chapter looks like for firm leaders

Each discussion is designed to stand alone, while also contributing to a coherent body of insight that will ultimately be brought together in a longer-form whitepaper.

Looking Ahead

The pace of change in the accounting profession is unlikely to slow. Firms that succeed will be those that step back, seek perspective, and make more deliberate decisions about how they evolve.

The QXAS Advisory Council exists to support that clarity. This first discussion is the starting point.

QXAS Advisory Council

The QXAS Advisory Council comprises industry leaders across private equity, technology, leadership, and strategy, providing independent perspectives to inform QXAS strategy and the wider accounting profession.

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