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In this episode, Rob Brown and IPA’s Chelsea Summers go under the hood of the 2025 Firm Administration Report—based on 339 North American firms and 15 years of benchmarking. We explore how firms are structuring leadership and equity (including a rise in the prevalence of equity for administrative leaders), how often partner agreements are updated and where succession planning stands—especially in firms above $30 million. 

Staffing pressure continues to shape strategy. Many firms plan to add headcount next year, internships remain a reliable entry path and larger firms are more likely to invest in dedicated recruiters. On the client side, more firms are formalizing acceptance criteria and segmenting portfolios, while nearly half conduct an annual “pruning” to free capacity for higher-value work. We also look at business development maturity—who tracks a pipeline, who has a BD lead, and how incentives are structured. 

Finally, we tackle transparency. Only a small share of firms operate truly open-book, and most limit profitability data to equity partners. What does that mean for the next generation of leaders who expect more visibility and context? Chelsea connects the dots between the data and practical steps firms can take now to improve retention, growth and trust. 

If you lead, manage, or aspire to shape a CPA firm, this episode distills the numbers into actions you can use.