Leeds-headquartered Northern Accountants has announced significant investment in its AI strategy, as the fast growth practice pushes for even stronger service excellence in 2026.
Long-standing director Ben Muncaster has moved into the role of director of operations and AI, as the business prepares a £250k budget for process transformation, advanced automation and new AI toolchains, over the next 12 months alone. Having led Northern Accountants’ operations since 2018, this is a logical evolution of Ben’s change management responsibilities.
He is joined by AI advisor, author and futurist Ant Morse – founder of digital innovation consultancy Adventa – who will provide external guidance throughout this next transformation phase. Formerly head of digital solutions, data, AI & innovation at Virgin Media O2, Ant brings extensive experience in leading large-scale and complex change. He has supported public, private, and global organisations, with a particular focus on AI, innovation, governance and shaping the cultural future of work.
Northern Accountants has recently been extremely vocal about its ambitions to move from a top 300 to a top 100 firm by 2030. But alongside bold revenue expansion targets, the organisation is also prioritising the retention and growth of its existing customer base, as well as the development of talent.
“While there’s so much conversation around advanced AI technologies and how they’re changing the face of what’s possible for businesses and clients alike, our AI planning actually began with people,” explained Ben. “It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon and become technology focused, especially when AI is promising some huge capabilities. But we’ve tackled things differently.
“I believe the real wins come from focusing on colleagues, and the daily processes and workflows they undertake to deliver a great service to our clients. If we can gradually remove the more burdensome, non-value adding parts of their roles, we drive up business productivity, team fulfilment, and a more humanised approach to supporting clients. We’ve therefore built a roadmap of use cases that we’ve triaged and are testing slowly, in a controlled manner, with a focus on ROI at every step.”
Earlier this summer, an MIT report revealed that 95% of generative AI pilots deliver zero return on investment.
“We don’t want to become another statistic,” explained Ben. “Nor do we want our commitment to AI to be perceived as a priority over people. It’s actually quite the opposite.
“For example, with the help of AI-powered automation, we recently consolidated a process to save 300 admin hours per year. That’s one process alone. The possibilities are endless, but everything we do will align with our business goals, with a sharp eye on security and governance throughout.”
Ant added: “I think Northern Accountants is atypical for a business of this size. They’re proactive, early adopters, moving forward cautiously but with innovative intent. They know that a humanised service is the differentiator in a crowded industry, so they’re investing in AI – and continuous improvement – to empower their people to fly.
“Our first priority has been to ensure AI readiness, alongside the right security and governance. We’ve run Kaizen workshops to engage colleagues early and draw out their ideas. Ultimately, our goal is simple – to enable accountants to focus on being accountants. It’s no surprise that our people have really embraced that.”
In early September, Northern Accountants launched a new apprenticeship programme to mark the company’s pledge to continually invest in young talent. A number of tailored in-house academies also continue to be rolled out for more experienced staff, with particular current emphasis on finance director services and leadership excellence.
Already a £3.3m firm, Northern Accountants is aiming to hit £7.8m revenue by 2030. The business was established in 2008, and has over 700 clients serviced by colleagues in Leeds, Hull and multiple remote locations.
