What does episode 500 reveal about where accounting is headed? Blake Oliver and David Leary celebrate the milestone with CFO.com’s Adam Zaki and Going Concern’s Adrienne Gonzalez. They unpack AI’s pressure on billable hours, shrinking entry-level pathways, the changing route to CFO, and PwC’s canceled Disney intern event. Plus, Blake shares what happened after NASBA challenged his CPE comments.

Sponsors
OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
Canopy - http://accountingpodcast.promo/canopy
Thomson Reuters - http://accountingpodcast.promo/taxautomation
Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas

Chapters

(00:00) - ‌
(00:20) - Episode 500 Kickoff
(02:59) - Origin Story Live Chat
(07:22) - Billable Hour Fading
(13:36) - AI Knowledge vs Data Risk
(16:21) - PwC Intern Disney Cut
(24:31) - Pyramid to Diamond Firms
(34:29) - CFO Pathway Disrupted
(37:25) - AI Without Apprenticeship
(38:55) - Would You Work for AI
(39:47) - CFO Pipeline Shrinking
(41:11) - Skipping Entry Level
(43:15) - Simulations vs Real Work
(45:05) - Metaverse Training Fail
(47:35) - Crypto Fraud Irony
(49:10) - Listener Milestones
(51:58) - Billable Hour Debate
(01:01:21) - AI Auditing Future
(01:02:33) - NASBA Speech Clash
(01:11:48) - Wrap Up and Thanks

Show Notes

CrossCountry Consulting's new co-CEOs say billable hour is 'waning'

https://www.cfo.com/news/crosscountry-consulting-new-co-ceo-amy-bjarnason-neil-smith-discuss-their-industrys-future/826266/

Diamonds May Be a Firm's Best Strategy: How AI Is Rewriting the Structure of Modern Practice

https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/08/05/diamonds-may-be-a-firms-best-strategy-how-ai-is-rewriting-the-structure-of-modern-practice/188060/

Teikametrics CFO Brian Beaupre says the career path he took is disappearing

https://www.cfo.com/news/teikametrics-cfo-brian-beaupre-says-the-career-path-he-took-is-disappearing-cfo-leadership-council-/824716/

The Age of Artificial Intelligence: Quinnipiac University Poll on AI

https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3955

We Went to the Boot Camp Where KPMG Teaches Auditors to Think Critically

https://www.wsj.com/business/kpmg-summer-interns-auditing-ai-training-941ad5cc

In Case You Didn't Hear, PwC Interns Won't Be Swarming Disney World This Year

https://www.goingconcern.com/in-case-you-didnt-hear-pwc-interns-wont-be-swarming-disney-world-this-year/

Bitquery CEO Faces $5M Theft Claim, 194 Records Deleted

https://www.analyticsinsight.net/news/bitquery-ceo-faces-5m-theft-claim-194-records-deleted

Need CPE?

Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.com
Subscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.com

Get in Touch

Thanks for listening and the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Call us and leave a voicemail; maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040.

Sponsorships

Are you interested in sponsoring The Accounting Podcast? For details, read the prospectus.

Need Accounting Conference Info?

Check out our new website - accountingconferences.com

Limited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessities

TeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merch

Subscribe

Apple Podcasts: http://cloudacctpod.link/ApplePodcasts
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAccountingPodcast
Spotify: http://cloudacctpod.link/Spotify
Podchaser: http://cloudacctpod.link/podchaser
Stitcher: http://cloudacctpod.link/Stitcher
Overcast: http://cloudacctpod.link/Overcast

Classifieds
REFRAME 2026 - http://accountingpodcast.promo/reframe2026
Flowglad - https://cal.com/team/flowglad/flowglad

Want to get the word out about your newsletter, webinar, party, Facebook group, podcast, e-book, job posting, or that fancy Excel macro you just created? Let the listeners of The Accounting Podcast know by running a classified ad. Go here to create your classified ad: https://cloudacctpod.link/RunClassifiedAd

Transcripts

The full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

PwC Cuts Disney & The Uncertain Career Path for CPAs

The Accounting Podcast

PwC Cuts Disney & The Uncertain Career Path for CPAs