Northern Accountants strengthen AI leadership team

Leeds-based accountancy firm Northern Accountants has strengthened its innovation strategy with two senior appointments focused on accelerating its use of artificial intelligence.

Director Ben Muncaster has moved into a new role as director of operations and AI, leading a £250,000 programme of process transformation, automation and new AI toolchains over the next year. 

Ben has overseen the firm’s operations since 2018, making the shift a natural extension of his change management responsibilities.

He said: “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. 

“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.

“We don’t want to become another statistic. 

“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.”

Ben is joined by AI specialist and futurist Ant Morse, founder of digital consultancy Adventa, who will advise on Northern Accountants’ next phase of innovation. 

Ant brings extensive experience in digital transformation, having previously led data, AI and innovation functions at Virgin Media O2.

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.”

The duo’s appointments support Northern Accountants’ long-term ambition to scale significantly by 2030 while continuing to invest in its clients and developing talent across its growing team.

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