In this episode, Chris Horne, CEO of Azets Group, reflects on what it really means to lead a people-first, tech-enabled accountancy group at scale.

From fast-tracked digitisation in the pandemic to scaling across eight countries through selective M&A, Chris explains why alignment beats speed alone - because direction builds an army, not crowd control. The future of accountancy, Chris argues, is ‘full stack’, with AI for insight and benchmarking, humans for trust and relationships, and culture as the connective tissue.

Looking ahead to 2026 with optimism, Chris reinforces a leadership philosophy that doubles as Azets’ competitive edge: purpose, people, performance. In that order. Great data needs great people to deliver it, and sustainable growth starts with a story everyone can genuinely believe and repeat.

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Fresh Perspectives is the business podcast from Azets – where advisers, experts, and leaders share fresh thinking to help you move forward with confidence.

Each episode explores real-world challenges and opportunities for business owners and entrepreneurs, from finance and growth to leadership and technology.

Formerly Bang The Drum, the show continues Azets’ commitment to sharing practical advice, new ideas, and inspiring stories from across the business community.

This podcast has featured at #1 in the Apple Podcast charts for Management podcasts and #19 in the Apple Podcasts charts for Business podcasts.

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Find more about Azets at www.azets.com.

Contact us at podcast@azets.co.uk.