2020 Outlook: Becoming the Most Valuable Advisor

Staying independent? Be bold.

It amazes me that there are still firms out there unaware of the industry disruption and changes going on in the marketplace.

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I am envisioning a scenario in which we will see major changes in associations, alliances, and networks from how we know them today.

Posted on January 5, 2020

Allan D. Koltin

About the Author

Allan D. Koltin, CPA, CEO of the Koltin Consulting Group, is a nationally recognized speaker and industry analyst, he has appeared on the CNN, WGN and Fox Television networks and has been quoted frequently in such media as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, USA Today and New York Post, as well as Bloomberg News, BBC World Service, Business Week, Forbes and Reuters. He has also spoken nationally and internationally at hundreds of conferences including those held by the AICPA, international CPA associations, and state CPA societies. For fifteen consecutive years, Allan has been named by Accounting Today as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the accounting profession. In 2010, he was the only consultant among the top 10 vote-getters, which include such notables as President Barack Obama, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, SEC Chair Mary Schapiro, IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman and AICPA President Barry Melancon. Koltin was also voted one of the 10 Most Recommended Consultants for the tenth straight year in the "Annual Survey of Firms" conducted by INSIDE Public Accounting. In 2012 through 2014, Allan was named by CPA Practice Advisor as one of the Top 25 Thought Leaders in the profession. He was one of the first inducted into the Accounting Marketing Hall of Fame by the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM). He has also been a recipient of the NACVA Instructor of the Year Award and winner of the Journal of Accountancy Literacy Award. Previously he was recognized by the Illinois CPA Society with the Distinguished Service Award for outstanding service and commitment to the profession. Koltin is the author-editor of three books for professional services firms: CPA Firm Merger Strategies That Work, CPAs That Sell and the AICPA's Marketing a Consulting Niche. He serves or has served on the editorial advisory boards of CPA Practice Management Forum, the Journal of Accountancy, Accounting Today, Public Accounting Report and Law Firm Management. He is a founding member of The Advisory Board, a think tank for the accounting profession, and has served on various advisory boards, including Outsource Partners International (OPI), the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM), the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA) and H&R Block (HRB Business Services). Previously, Allan was the President and CEO of PDI, Global, Inc. which was the largest publisher of marketing newsletters for professional services firms, prior to its sale to Thomson Reuters in January of 2011. Prior to that, Allan was a Senior Partner in the Chicago-based accounting and consulting firm of FERS, where he served as the leader of the Investment Banking Group, as well as the Law Firm Consulting Group. At age 27, Allan had the distinction of being named the youngest partner in the history of the firm and was also a member of the firm's Executive Committee. FERS was acquired by H&R Block in 1998.

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