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Leadership Personalities shaping growth
Welcome to IAB's September 2026 issue where the themes of transformation, resilience and opportunity run strongly through our conversations with business leaders, advisors and firms operating across borders.
At International Forum and Awards held in June in London, I reflected on IAB and The Accountant's enduring role in connecting the global profession into a community, and on why, in the age of AI, it is more important than ever to showcase the personalities driving businesses forward.
Beyond titles and technology, I stated that it is the experiences, judgement and career journeys of professionals that shape organisations; a theme we will explore more deeply across our Q&A and commentary from Q4.
We begin with our cover interview, where Alex Curran, CEO of Aptitude Software, shares the career experiences, instincts and market insight that have shaped her journey to the top. In the C-Suite Q&A, Curran looks at the future of scalable finance-ERP and the investment decisions businesses need to make in an increasingly AI-driven environment. Her message is a timely one, that technology can unlock enormous possibilities, but human judgement and experience still matter enormously.
That balance between technology and people leads neatly into Joe David, founder and CEO of Nephos Group, who explores why accountancy firms need to prepare now for the arrival of Stablecoins on the balance sheet. In Stablecoins are coming to the balance sheet - is your firm ready?, David argues that the window for preparation is narrowing, with stablecoin authorisation applications opening on 30th September 2026. For firms, understanding the implications now could prove far easier than playing catch- up later.
Growth also brings responsibility, as highlighted by Florence Cazemajou-Flint, CFO of Safeguard Global, whose organisation’s research finds that noncompliance and geopolitical disruption are making CFOs more cautious about global hiring and expansion. It is a reminder that ambition needs to be matched by robust systems, knowledge and oversight.
For overseas businesses, CCTA’s progress report examines its powers to challenge inaccurate filings, reinforcing the importance of getting international reporting right. Alongside this, the HLB Global Advisory - Tax - Audit Conference 2026 brings together the wider professional perspective, considering how firms can respond to an evolving international business environment.
And while large organisations navigate global complexity, SMEs are feeling the pressure too with our feature examining how businesses are reacting to Tax Bill pressures. Their experiences bring the discussion back to a fundamental question, how can firms remain competitive while adapting to rising costs and changing obligations?
Do visit IAB’s rankings tables this month covering Brazil, Panama, Chile and Columbia. There is also the usual news round-up.
The rankings reports continue these themes from two very different perspectives. In Brazil, tax reform is creating both challenges and opportunities for local firms, while Panama's regional ambitions are helping position the country, as an increasingly important economic hub.
From ERP and AI to stablecoins, compliance, tax and international expansion, this issue is ultimately about navigating change with confidence and making sure technology, expertise and sound judgement continue to work hand in hand.
Zoya Malik
editor-in-chief