Six accounting firms that started as sole practitioners are now AFR Top 100 firms. John Peterson coached them from day one.

Since 2001, John has worked inside 2,000+ accounting practices across Australia and New Zealand, not as a theorist, but as a coach, M&A advisor, and firm owner himself. He's navigated over 150 buy-sell-merger transactions, built a national recruitment division that's placed thousands of accountants, and owns equity in his own accounting firm brand.

When John teaches systemisation, advisory transformation, or succession planning, he's teaching what he's actually done, and what works in today's market. If you're a sole practitioner dreaming of building something significant, or a multi-partner firm trying to break through to the next level, John's been making it happen for people just like you for over 25 years. Repeatedly.

Nicole Rosen calls her first accounting firm acquisition "the worst business decision of my life." She bought 50% equity in what looked like a solid practice, good revenue, established clients, and an experienced partner. Her next acquisition was better, but still not what she really wanted. She inherited incompatible systems, a dysfunctional culture, and clients expecting premium service at discount pricing. The transformation was costly and exhausting. 

Then she did it right. With proper M&A guidance, Nicole successfully sold her own practice and made a strategic equity investment in a firm where she actually belonged.  

Today, as Director at CP Partners in Melbourne, she's living the growth strategy of her dreams, cultural alignment, compatible clients, systems that work, and a team she genuinely wants to lead. 

Nicole brings 20+ years in Australia's accounting sector and hard-won expertise in what actually works when you're trying to scale, systematise, and build advisory services. She will share her expensive mistakes, so you don't have to. 

Ned Appleton solves the cash flow problem that keeps accounting firm owners awake at night: you've done the work, but the money's trapped in WIP and aged debtors while your ATO bill is due next week. 

As Head of Sales at Apxium, with over 25 years of experience across the UK and Australian markets, Ned has pioneered funding solutions that many accountants are not even aware of. Immediate funding against work-in-progress and outstanding debtors, plus specialised funding to clear ATO payment plan debts that traditional lenders won't touch.

But Ned's not just a funding specialist. He's lived through every major technology wave in accounting: DOS to Windows, desktop to cloud, AI and machine learning. Which means he knows what works when firms try to scale and what fails expensively. He's watching AI make the same promises cloud computing made 15 years ago. Some delivered. Many didn't. 

If you're trying to unlock cash trapped in your business, implement technology that actually improves profitability, or figure out which AI tools deserve your budget versus which ones are expensive distractions, Ned brings both the innovative solutions and the battle-tested skepticism you need for 2026. 

Robert Coorey is a business leader and marketing expert with a proven history of scaling businesses. As the owner of Proactive Business Services, he combines entrepreneurial drive with financial expertise to support Australian businesses. Rob is an associate member of CPA Australia.​ 

Expertise: He specialises in business advisory, financial management, tax planning, and technology integration. His background in marketing, technology, and sales enables him to deliver innovative, practical solutions for high-growth companies.​ 

Experience & Education: Robert holds a Bachelor of Computer Science (scholarship recipient) and an MBA. He co-founded Archistar, a multi-million-dollar software company, and founded Nagaris, an Accounting CRM platform. Additionally, he authored Feed a Starving Crowd and The Subscription Playbook. His entrepreneurial experience complements his CPA membership and dedication to accounting excellence.​