Dan Hood has spent decades watching the accounting profession change. He has never seen everything change at once quite like this.

The editor-in-chief of Accounting Today joins host Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk to make sense of the collision: AI and accelerating technology, the shift from compliance to advisory, private equity consolidation, demographic shifts, ESG, and a rising generation that evaluates employers very differently than their predecessors did. None of these forces is operating in isolation, and firms that treat them that way are already falling behind.

The conversation covers a lot of ground, but the throughline is consistent: the firms that will thrive are the ones building culture with intention, expanding their talent pipelines beyond the usual suspects, and telling a better, more honest story about what a career in accounting actually looks like.

What you'll take away:

• Why it is the convergence of change, not any single trend, that demands attention right now
• How intentional culture building becomes a real competitive differentiator in the talent market
• Why DEI is fundamentally about access and retention, and how that reframe reduces resistance
• What the generational squeeze between Boomers and younger professionals means for firm structure
• Why firms recruiting from the same schools year after year are leaving entire talent pools untapped
• What Gen Z is actually watching for when they evaluate whether your firm means what it says

Resources & Links

Connect with Dan Hood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-hood-3494ab49/

Accounting Today: https://www.accountingtoday.com

Participate in the MOVE Project: https://accountingmoveproject.com/

About MOVE Like This MOVE Like This is the podcast for accounting firm leaders building more equitable, competitive, and people-first firms. New episodes drop bi-weekly during survey season and monthly in the off-season. Hosted by Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk.

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