Vaco Talent Pulse Report

“AI and its impact on the future of work is causing a whirlwind of emotions across the professional sector, especially within accounting—there is confusion and fear but also excitement. Included within the prevailing uncertainty, there is a notable level of positivity emerging: the finance and accounting professions are evolving at a remarkable pace. We are starting to see software companies, for example, transform their finance and accounting functions, and it is ushering in a refreshing blend of both innovation and opportunity for the professionals who occupy these spaces.

One fascinating development we are observing is the rise of the "product manager" within accounting. These roles are no longer confined to traditional development-type roles, but rather bridge the important gap between business needs and technology solutions. Utilizing the expertise of accounting and finance professionals, in collaboration with development teams, these "product managers" translate business requirements into cutting-edge products for the business.

What’s even more thrilling are that these positions offer not only the chance to collaborate across business functions internally but they’re also client facing, giving opportunity to professionals who are great technically at what they do but who also have strong communication and presentation skills as well as emotional intelligence.

This is an exciting shift in the finance and accounting profession, especially as more mundane tasks become automated. We expect to see this trend continue to pick up in popularity as organizations define how they will apply AI within their own nuanced environments. The professionals who embrace this change will find themselves at the forefront of a revolution of a lifetime, and it is ripe with opportunities for those who are ready to accept the challenges and adapt.”