AI & Professional Services: Navigating the shift to value-driven AI adoption

Date: Friday, 23rd January 2026

Location: In-person - Macildowie Recruitment and Retention35 Station Street #6th Floor, Nottingham, NG2 3DQ

Format: Executive Brunch & Briefing

Why attend?

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, suggests that the professional services sector is facing a moment of structural "churn."  It precicts that by 2030, 44% of workers' core skills will need to be updated as technology evolves.

For accountancy, legal, and advisory firms, this is not a story of replacement, but of radical augmentation. The trajectory is clear: administrative and procedural tasks are being rapidly absorbed by AI, whilst the premium on complex problem-solving and strategic reasoning is rising.

For the mid-market leader, the challenge for 2026 is not just adopting new software, it is preparing your business model and your people for a fundamentally different way of working.

What you will learn

This is not a technical workshop. It is a strategic briefing designed to give leadership teams a framework for the next five years. We will explore:

1. The "Safety First" Roadmap How to construct an Acceptable Use Policy that protects client privilege without stifling innovation. We will look at the governance required for tools like Microsoft Copilot versus public Large Language Models.

2. The Commercial Pivot Learning from market shifts (including the Bain & Co. trajectory), we will discuss how firms are repackaging "time" into "products" and "outcomes" to ensure that efficiency gains translate into higher margins, not lower fees.

3. The Workforce of 2030 Aligned with WEF predictions, we will look at the new skills matrix for professional services. How do you attract high-calibre talent who expect AI-enabled workflows, and how do you upskill existing teams to become "AI-Augmented Advisors"?

The Agenda

10:00–10:20 | Arrival, Coffee & Pastries

10:20–10:30 | Market Pulse: The 2030 Outlook

10:30–11:15 | Core Briefing: Governance, Growth & Risk

11:15–11:45 | Facilitated Peer Discussion Chatham House Rules discussion on overcoming internal resistance and managing the cultural change required at the Partnership level.

11:45–12:00 | The 90-Day Action Plan & Close

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This session is for Partners, Directors, and Senior Leaders in:

• Accountancy & Tax Practices
• Legal Services
• Wealth Management & IFAs
• Management Consultancies