CAS practices are growing 30% annually. But most firms still can't scale past bookkeeping.

In this episode, Kane Polakoff, Partner and CAS Practice Leader at CohnReznick, shares how they are approaching AI adoption with discipline, transparency, and professional responsibility.

In this episode, we cover:

• The AI question clients are already asking firms

• How and when to be transparent about AI use

• Why CAS growth often slows inside firms

• What drives sustainable CAS growth at scale

Get this right, and you'll build client trust competitors can't replicate.

Connect with us here:

Kane Polakoff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kanepolakoff/

CohnReznick:https://www.linkedin.com/company/cohnreznick-/

Kacee Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacee-johnson/

Digits: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digits-financial/

Three of the most influential builders in modern accounting software explain the shift every firm will feel as AI reshapes the profession, both in the near term and the decade ahead.

In this episode, Dan Wernikoff (Bill), Craig Walker (Digits), and Jeff Seibert (Digits) sit down with Kacee Johnson to break down what’s actually coming next.

You’ll hear them discuss:

• How AI goes far beyond the cloud shift accountants lived through

• The automation of month-end close expected by 2026

• What 96% AI accuracy actually means for bookkeeping and review

• What is expected of accountants as firms go AI-native by 2030

Connect with us here:

• Dan Wernikoff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwernikoff/

• Craig Walker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/storminwalker/

• Jeff Seibert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jseibert/

• Kacee Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacee-johnson/

• Digits: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digits-financial/

00:00 Trailer

01:28 Introduction

02:27 Journey Through Cloud Solutions and AI

06:38 The Future of Accounting: AI and Automation

23:55 The One That Got Away: Unbuilt Features and Missed Opportunities

27:21 The Future of Budgeting: Automating Financial Planning

28:41 Trust and AI: Balancing Innovation with Client Confidence

38:54 Predictions for 2030: The AI Native Firm

As AI accelerates work automation, how do accounting firms prove their value?

Ron Baker, co-founder of Threshold, joins Kacee Johnson to explore ‘outcome focused accounting’.

In this episode, they dive into:

• designing firms around long term transformations rather than hours.

• why trying to be all things to all clients undermines firm effectiveness.

• tracking client impact through time saved, time invested, and transformation KPIs.

• linking financial guidance to clients’ broader aspirations like health and purpose

Connect with us here:

1. Ron Baker- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronbaker1/

2. Kacee Johnson- https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacee-johnson/

3. Digits- https://www.linkedin.com/company/digits-financial/

(00:00) Trailer

(01:10) Understanding the Transformation Economy

(04:34) The Evolution of Economic Value

(09:05) Challenges and Opportunities in Professional Services

(26:38) AI's Impact on Hourly Billing and Firm Confidence

(31:34) Private Equity's Influence on Accounting Firms

(38:20) The Future of Accounting: Transformation Economy