Knowledge Hub – Finance Recruitment & Accountancy Insights

Businesses face widening finance skills gaps as roles now demand strategic thinking, digital capability and data insight alongside technical skills. Employers struggle to train teams due to time, cost and limited resources, requiring joint action from organisations and government to build a modern, resilient talent pipeline.

Accountants are tackling evolving cyber security risks through stronger internal controls, staff training, multi-factor authentication, client education and cloud-based systems. With rising attacks and misplaced client confidence, firms stress continuous monitoring, secure processes and proactive measures to prevent breaches beyond basic compliance.

Forty-one percent of UK business owners say they would consider moving overseas if the Autumn Budget brings further tax rises. S&W’s survey highlights widespread concern over potential changes to wealth, capital gains and inheritance taxes, prompting fears of relocation and reduced investment.

Finance leaders succeed by seeing beyond the quarter. Their calm, strategic thinking builds lasting value through discipline, foresight, and patience. True leadership in finance isn’t about reacting fast — it’s about shaping resilient businesses that thrive over decades, not months.

Artificial intelligence is reshaping finance, promising autonomous closes, real-time dashboards, and the end of repetitive tasks. At SuiteWorld, NetSuite showcased AI-driven automation that could drastically shorten close times, enhance agility, and boost data quality—transforming how finance leaders analyse, report, and make strategic decisions.

Grant Thornton’s Leadership Academy with Raise the Bar marks a shift in accounting leadership, treating leadership as a strategic necessity rather than an end-career privilege. It signals the profession’s move from technical training to capability-building, embedding leadership early to address succession and adaptability gaps.