Accountex London 2026: 19 sessions you can’t miss | Karbon Magazine
Accountex London 2026: 19 sessions you can’t miss
19 hand-picked sessions for Accountex London 2026, covering AI adoption, leadership, talent, and the future of the accounting firm. Build your agenda here.
Is it that time already? Accountex London is right around the corner, and like every year, it promises to be one of the biggest events on the calendar.
With over 240 sessions across 2 days, 16 theatres, and 300+ exhibitors, planning your time will be as exciting as it is complex.
Here’s a list of 19 high-value sessions you can use as a starting point when building your own agenda.
Day 1: 13 May
What's next for finance? How today's CFO mindset is reshaping tomorrow's decisions
Time: 10.20am–11am
Speakers:
Heather Stockton, Champion Accountants
Darren Cran, AIQ Group
James Sundin, R.E.P.R.E.S.E.N.T
Elaine Birch, AccountsIQ
CFOs and Finance Directors are under pressure from all sides—tech choices, rising client expectations, and rapidly shifting industry demands. This session surfaces exclusive insight into how finance leaders feel about AI, automation, and decision-making confidence. You'll leave with a clearer picture of where finance leadership is heading and what needs to change to get there.
The change-ready leader: Preparing your firm for what's next
Karbon is our rocket booster that’s allowing us to grow at 40% to 50% year‑over‑year.
Time
: 10.20am–11am
Speaker: Heather Townsend, Accountants' Growth Club
MTD forced change on you, and now AI, talent wars, and new regulations are next in line. This session gives exhausted firm owners a practical recovery roadmap: a post-MTD triage system, a 'buffer' formula for building time and headspace, and an anti-fragile framework that turns regulatory chaos into competitive advantage.
Lessons accountants can learn from elite sport
Time: 12.20pm–1pm
Speakers:
Roger Black, BackleyBlack Ltd
Steve Backley, Backley Black Ltd
Two Olympic champions share the non-negotiable traits of high performance and why they translate directly from the track to the boardroom. Through personal storytelling, Roger and Steve connect the mindset, resilience, and habits forged in elite sport to the behaviours that drive success in any organisation.
What happens to the value of relationships when your client is AI?
Time: 12.20pm–1pm
Speakers:
Alastair Barlow, flinder
Stuart Mcleod, Archie
Emily Dear, Moore Global
Des O'Neill, ProfitPro
When your client is no longer a person but an AI system, what happens to the relationship at the heart of great client service? This session challenges accountants to examine whether empathy, judgement and human connection still have a place in an AI-first economy, and what new forms of value professionals must cultivate to stay indispensable.
AI that compounds: How leading firms are putting it to work
Time: 1.20pm–2pm
Speakers:
Panel to be announced
Most accounting firms are using AI. Far fewer are using it in a way that compounds across the practice. The difference is whether AI is working alongside your data, workflows, and operating system, or working in a vacuum. In this session, you'll learn real-world use cases across client communications, advisory prep, and financial analysis, plus practical guidance on AI security, data handling, and building a team AI policy.
The true state of talent: Salary benchmarks and employee expectations revealed
Time: 1.20pm–2pm
Speakers:
Matthew Gregson, Howden
Louise Hellem, CBI
Gareth John, First Intuition
Lorraine Twist, Hays Accountancy & Finance
How much should you really be paying your staff? What benefits matter most to today's accounting talent? This data-driven session lifts the lid on the latest salary insights and employee benefits trends across the profession, backed by economic context from the CBI and expert commentary from recruitment partners.
The architecture of leadership: How great leaders are actually built
Time: 2.20pm–3pm
Speaker: Laura Cadman, Laura Cadman Limited
Using architecture as a metaphor, this session explores what really goes into developing strong, effective leaders: solid foundations, clear structures, and the courage to renovate outdated habits. You'll leave with a practical framework for building leadership capability that supports performance, people, and long-term resilience.
How to increase revenue without new clients
Time: 2.20pm–3pm
Speaker: Grace Hardy, Hardy Accounting
Many accounting firms leave significant revenue on the table by treating tax work as purely compliance rather than strategic advisory. Grace Hardy makes the case for deepening existing client relationships through proactive tax advisory via quarterly strategy reviews, entity structuring, and high-net-worth planning to create recurring revenue from the clients you already have and trust.
LinkedIn for accountants and bookkeepers who hate showing off
Time: 2.20pm–3pm
Speaker: Ashley Leeds, Full Cup Coaching
Most accountants don't need another LinkedIn 'how to'. They need a way to show up that doesn't feel cringey or salesy. LinkedIn coach Ashley Leeds shares how simple 15-minute-a-day habits built a thriving business working with accounting professionals. You'll leave with an easy routine you can actually stick to, even if you hate the spotlight.
Is AI recommending your business?
Time: 2.20pm–3pm
Speaker: Callum Macrae, JE Consulting
Instead of Googling you, your next client will ask ChatGPT. 77% of ChatGPT users already use it instead of search engines, and it recommends firms that look the most credible online. This session breaks down how AI search actually works and how to optimise your online efforts so it will recommend you.
Day 2: 14 May
Spreadsheets to stories: How to present with confidence and impact to non-finance stakeholders
Time: 10.20am–11am
Speaker: Kolarele Sonaike, The Great Speech Consultancy
Numbers tell you ‘what’. Stories tell you ‘why’. Whether you're presenting to a board, a leadership team, or a room full of shareholders, the ability to turn complex financial data into a clear, compelling narrative is a critical skill. This session will show you how to communicate with the kind of clarity and confidence that helps stakeholders make better decisions.
Cloud accounting is dead: Long live digital
Time: 10.20am–11am
Speakers:
Ryan Pearcy, Digital Disruptors
Frances Kay, App Advisory Plus/TC Group (Farnell Clarke)
Cloud accounting moved firms from desktop software to real-time client conversations, but it was only the foundation. Today's clients want deeper discussions about operations and performance. This session explores the shift from cloud finance to true digital service delivery, showing how forward-thinking firms build connected ecosystems, automate workflows, and unlock higher-value advisory.
CPD on steroids: The career-boosting power of volunteering
Time: 12.20pm–1pm
Speaker: Alex Marsh, Charterpath
What if the most powerful professional development you could do was completely free? This panel features finance professionals who found that volunteering their skills fast-tracked leadership capabilities, built confidence, and opened unexpected career doors.
Planning your exit: Strategies for a smooth transition from practice ownership
Time: 12.20pm–1pm
Speakers:
Bridget Foley, ACCA
Chloe Britnell, PJCO
Shiv Shah, TC Group
Peter Jarman, PJCO
Every practice owner will exit someday. The question is whether it'll be on your terms. This expert panel covers when to start planning, what buyers look for, the exit routes available, and how to prepare effectively. Whether succession is years away or on the horizon, you'll leave with a clearer picture of what a well-executed exit strategy actually looks like.
Why choosing clients is the most expensive decision in your firm
Most firms lack visibility into which leads are actually profitable. Rachel Harris introduces the PROFIT Filter™, a practical method for deciding who to accept, who to decline, and why. Better data at the point of enquiry reveals hidden patterns in pricing and client fit, helping you grow confidently without adding more work.
The transformed accounting firm: A new blueprint for how your firm works
Time: 12.20pm–1pm
Speakers:
Mary Delaney, Karbon
Frances Kay, App Advisory Plus/TC Group (Farnell Clarke)
The profession is changing faster than most firms are ready for. Karbon CEO Mary Delaney shares a vision for the transformed accounting firm, one where people and AI agents work side by side, every function from bookkeeping to tax to advisory is supported by purpose-built intelligence, and a unified data layer ties it all together.
The gender pensions gap: The hidden retirement crisis for women in the UK
Time: 1.20pm–2pm
Speaker: Samantha Gould, now:pensions
To retire with the same pension as a man, a woman has to start saving at three years of age simply because the system is broken. Drawing on data, this session pulls apart how inequality compounds over time across pay, work, and care, asking the uncomfortable question: why is it still accepted?
It's 2026, but your Excel skills are in 1993
Time: 1.20pm–2pm
Speakers:
Tracey Leavold, First Intuition
Louisa Matheson, First Intuition
Katie Scott, First Intuition
Mark Proctor, Excel Off The Grid
Excel has gained powerful features over the last few decades that can turn hours of work into seconds, but most finance professionals are still relying on VLOOKUP and PivotTables. This session will show you what you've been missing and why outdated skills are costing your team time every single day.
How to get the important things done: The procrastination matrix + time-brain model
Time: 1.20pm–2pm
Speaker: Vikki Yaffe, Time Hackers Ltd
Traditional time management doesn't work for accountants juggling clients, deadlines, and constant interruptions. This session reveals why some tasks get done instantly while others sit on your list for weeks (and what to do about it). You'll discover the Time Hacker Model and the Procrastination Matrix: practical tools to stop stalling on high-value work and start making real progress.
See you at Accountex London 2026
The Accountex London agenda is one of the busiest of the year. Use this list to start building out your plan, remembering to leave room to network and say hello to the Karbon team at booth #930
This is your crystal ball for the next decade in accounting, based on 14 predictions from 34 of the profession’s most forward-thinking leaders and innovators.
Time: 10.20am–11am
Speakers:
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