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, currently scaling to $13M AUD in annualized revenues across 5 Australian cities.

In the past 18 months, John has also emerged as a leading voice in AI implementation for accounting firms, helping practices systematically integrate AI tools through structured approaches like scalable prompt libraries and team training programs. He teaches what he's actually implemented, not just theoretical possibilities. 

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. 

Experienced CPA with over 16 years of hands-on expertise in the accounting trenches. 

Nick Bradley is a highly skilled accounting professional specialising in business services and taxation for small to medium-sized enterprises. With 8 years as a sole practitioner and practice owner, Nick brings real-world insights into what it takes to build and systemise a successful accounting practice. 

His areas of expertise include primary production, compliance, cash flow budgeting, and tax planning—the very services that form the foundation of most accounting practices. Nick specialises in simplifying complex accounting matters for clients while implementing systems that allow practices to scale efficiently. 

Qualifications: Bachelor of Accounting, CPA (since March 2003), and Associate of the Tax Institute (ATI). Nick's combination of technical expertise and practical business ownership experience makes him uniquely qualified to share strategies that work in real-world practice environments, not just in theory. 

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.​