10 Questions to Ask Before Booking an Accounting Keynote Speaker
Situation: Not All “Tech Speakers” Understand Accounting
In 2026, AI and digital transformation will be unavoidable topics at accounting conferences. Yet many “tech keynote speakers” speak in generalities. They don’t understand your procure-to-pay realities, monthly close pressures, segregation-of-duties controls, or PCAOB scrutiny. The result? Sessions that excite the room but leave CPAs, CFOs, controllers, and finance leaders without practical, compliant next steps. If you’re planning a 2026 finance event, the right accounting keynote speaker must bridge AI vision with accounting workflows, controls, and measurable outcomes. That’s why event planners increasingly rely on structured accounting keynote speaker questions 2026 to vet for fit.
Opportunity: Ask the Right Questions to Find a Perfect Fit
When you ask targeted questions, you uncover whether a speaker can translate AI to debits, credits, audit evidence, and regulatory risk—and do it in a way that empowers your audience. The opportunity is to select a futurist who can align technology with your business model, ERP stack, and industry-specific compliance landscape, and who understands the realities of closing the books, reducing DSO, and defending audit trails.
Action: Use This 10-Question Vetting Process
Use the following accounting keynote speaker questions 2026 to vet potential speakers. You’ll quickly see who can articulate real accounting value, navigate AI governance, and deliver a session that your audience will act on Monday morning.
Result: A Speaker Who Truly Gets Your Accounting Audience
With a disciplined vetting process, you’ll book a speaker who respects accounting’s rigor, elevates finance strategy, and equips your audience with the frameworks, tools, and proofs to move forward—responsibly, securely, and at speed.
Question 1: Do You Understand Accounting Workflows?
Ask how the speaker maps AI and automation to record-to-report, order-to-cash, and procure-to-pay. Listen for specifics like invoice capture and three-way match, bank reconciliation, intercompany eliminations, consolidation, ASC 606 revenue recognition, ASC 842 leases, and audit readiness. Example: a strong speaker can show how AI anomaly detection reduces exceptions in AP matching and how explainable models flag control breaches without violating SOX segregation-of-duties.
Question 2: Can You Speak to CPAs, CFOs, and Controllers?
Your audience isn’t tech-first; they’re risk-first. A qualified speaker adapts the narrative for different roles:
- CPAs: audit evidence, sampling vs. continuous testing, documentation.
- Controllers: month-end speed, policy adherence, reconciliations.
- CFOs: cash conversion cycle, forecasting accuracy, and transformation ROI.
Ask for examples of how the session lands with each persona.
Question 3: What’s Your Take on AI in Accounting?
In 2026, AI is embedded in ERP platforms, audit analytics, and close orchestration. Ask about model risk management, EU AI Act implications, explainability, and immutable audit trails. A credible answer includes: governance guardrails, human-in-the-loop approvals, prompt libraries for consistent outputs, and KPIs like days-to-close and error rates. Beware anyone claiming “AI replaces accountants.” In finance, AI augments judgment but never replaces accountability.
Question 4: How Do You Align AI with Regulations and Controls?
Ask how the speaker aligns AI with SOX, GAAP/IFRS, PCAOB guidance, and sector-specific mandates (public sector grants, healthcare revenue integrity, ESG reporting). Look for concrete practices: role-based access, least privilege for AI agents, control catalogs mapped to workflows, and audit logging that stands up in external reviews.
Question 5: Can You Tailor to Industry Contexts?
Accounting isn’t monolithic. Manufacturing, financial services, public sector, and nonprofit have different risk and data landscapes. Request examples:
- Manufacturing: AI-assisted inventory valuation and cost accounting.
- Financial services: model governance, anti-fraud, and regulatory reporting.
- Public sector: grant compliance, e-invoicing mandates, and vendor integrity.
- Nonprofit: donor restrictions, fund accounting, and transparency.
Question 6: What Case Studies Show Measurable Outcomes by 2026?
Insist on outcomes, not anecdotes. Examples to look for:
- Reduced days-to-close from 7 to 3 via automated reconciliations and exception routing.
- 25% faster audit preparation with AI-generated evidence packs and standardized narratives.
- 15% reduction in DSO via AI-enabled invoice dispute resolution and collections prioritization.
A top speaker will provide a before/after baseline, governance controls, and lessons learned.
Question 7: How Do You Address Talent, Change, and the CPA Pipeline?
2026 will intensify talent shortages. Ask for an upskilling roadmap: AI literacy for staff accountants, prompts for policy compliance, controller-centric transformation leadership, and a 90-day change plan. Strong answers include a “skill matrix” and micro-learning aligned with real workflows (close tasks, reconciliations, audit requests).
Question 8: Can You Demonstrate Practical Tools Without Vendor Spin?
Ask whether the keynote includes “neutral demos” of workflows—AI reconciliations, anomaly detection, policy enforcement, and explainability dashboards—without product selling. Real examples should show how to evaluate tools, establish data quality baselines, and enforce prompts and approvals that protect financial integrity.
Question 9: How Do You Handle Cybersecurity, Fraud, and Data Governance?
Finance leaders worry about deepfakes, vendor fraud, and sensitive data leakage. Expect discussion of: zero-trust architectures, data classification, encryption, synthetic data for testing, and AI risk controls. Look for vendor onboarding checklists, procurement guardrails, and continuous monitoring of access anomalies—especially as AI agents touch ERP data.
Question 10: What Future-Readiness Framework Will You Leave Behind?
Your audience needs a playbook. Ask for a structured framework that includes:
- A 90-day roadmap to pilot AI in one workflow (AP matching or bank recs).
- Governance artifacts: policy templates, RACI for approvals, and audit trail requirements.
- KPIs and thresholds: error rate, cycle time, exceptions, and evidence completeness.
- Scale strategy: expanding from one workflow to record-to-report, with change management baked in.
Why Ian Khan Passes the Accounting Speaker Test
As a futurist focused on responsible AI and future readiness, I speak directly to accounting realities—controls, compliance, and measurable outcomes. My approach balances vision with execution:
- Accounting-first framing: I map AI to record-to-report, order-to-cash, and procure-to-pay, showing exactly where AI adds value without breaking SOX or audit expectations.
- Governance at the core: I provide model risk management guidance, EU AI Act considerations for 2026, and practical guardrails: role-based approvals, immutable logs, and explainability.
- Industry-specific relevance: I tailor examples for manufacturing cost accounting, banking compliance, public sector grants, and nonprofit fund accounting—so every audience member sees themselves in the story.
- Evidence-driven results: I highlight case studies where finance teams achieved faster closes, fewer exceptions, and cleaner audits through cautious, well-governed pilots—then scaled responsibly.
- Actionable deliverables: Audiences leave with a future readiness checklist, a 90-day pilot plan, governance templates, and the accounting keynote speaker questions 2026 so they can continue vetting partners and tools with confidence.
- 2026 trend fluency: From e-invoicing mandates and continuous audit to AI copilots embedded in ERP, autonomous finance, and ESG reporting integrity, I translate next-year trends into today’s steps.
Event planners want a keynote that energizes the room and equips attendees to act on Monday morning. My promise: a session grounded in accounting workflows, fortified by governance, and focused on tangible, compliant results—so your 2026 event delivers clarity, confidence, and momentum.
About Ian Khan
Ian Khan is a globally recognized futurist, innovation expert, and keynote speaker on emerging technologies and future readiness. As the creator of the Future Readiness Score™ and author of the best-selling book *Undisrupted: Thriving in the Age of Technological Change*, Ian helps organizations worldwide navigate disruption and build future-ready strategies.
With over 20 years of experience, Ian has advised Fortune 500 companies, governments, and associations on AI, digital transformation, emerging technologies, and leadership in times of change. His work has been featured on major media outlets including BBC, CNN, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal.
Ian’s keynote presentations combine deep technological insight with practical, actionable frameworks that empower audiences to embrace change confidently. He delivers customized keynotes for conferences, corporate events, and executive briefings across industries including technology, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and professional services.
Book Ian Khan for Your Event
Ready to bring a future-focused keynote to your 2026 event? Ian Khan delivers powerful, customized presentations that transform how organizations think about and prepare for the future.
Contact Information:
- Website: [iankhan.com](https://iankhan.com)
- Email: hello@iankhan.com
- Speaking Inquiries: [Request Ian Khan](https://iankhan.com/contact)
- Follow on LinkedIn: [Ian Khan](https://linkedin.com/in/iankhan)
Book Ian Khan today to inspire your audience, align your organization around future readiness, and drive meaningful action in 2026 and beyond.
