Inside Accountex Canada's 2026 session lineup

We are less than a week away from Accountex Canada 2026! Thirty-one sessions. Four keynotes. Two days built to challenge how you think about your practice, your firm, and your future. Accountex Canada 2026 heads to The International Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada 3-4 November 2026.

As Director of Education, I reviewed hundreds of submissions, surveyed finance professionals, and analyzed evaluation data from our previous events to make sure every session we bring to the stage this year could answer one question: will this change how someone works on Monday morning?

Tuesday Sets The Stage

Day one starts with our Economic Update keynote from David-Alexandre Brassard of CPA Canada, unpacking inflation, monetary policy, tariffs, and housing, and connecting each factor to the decisions in front of Canadian firms and finance teams this year. I felt it was an important way to open the conference, and it sets the tone for a program built around real-world application rather than theory.

From there, the day turns practical fast. Sessions dig into AI foundations built around Microsoft Copilot, vendor-agnostic tech stack decisions, cybersecurity for firms handling client data, and CRA compliance. Attendees also get a first look at the newly launched Sage 50 Cloud, plus sessions on branding, marketing, and onboarding workflows for growing firms.

One session worth circling: Michelle Arnason of Arnason Accounting & Co. and Build The Firm Co. tackles what she calls the first ninety days, the stretch between a client's first call and full onboarding where, in her words, firms are built or broken. Expect a real workflow breakdown, an honest look at why the proposal stage matters more than most firms think, and one concrete change you can make right away.

Tuesday closes with a name our U.K. friends should recognize. Alexis Kingsbury of Ukoru has spoken at Accountex London, and we are flying him over after he spent a stretch handing over every role of an accounting firm to AI and, in the end, deciding he does not recommend it. Alexis had me hooked in our first conversation. His session shares the funniest and most useful lessons from that experiment: where AI genuinely helps, where it struggles, and how leaders drive change without losing their people along the way.

Wednesday Goes Deeper

Day two opens with a keynote from Kim Moody of Kim G C Moody Professional Corporation on tax reform, why Canada needs it, what it could look like, and what history teaches us about getting it right. Few speakers command a room on this topic the way Kim does, and this session alone is worth clearing your morning for.

The rest of the day builds out advisory and technical skill. Expect sessions on trusts and estates, value pricing for bookkeepers, FP&A reporting, and month-end close, each aimed at moving practitioners from technician to advisor and giving finance teams sharper tools for the year ahead.

Bookkeepers in particular should watch for Nadine Niba of BDO Canada, who leads a session on building client confidence and stronger relationships. Her focus: how today's most successful bookkeepers operate as trusted advisors rather than compliance processors, backed by real leadership experience and strategies you can put to work the same week.

Wednesday closes with our final keynote, Garth Sheriff of Sheriff Consulting, guiding attendees through the ethical side of AI adoption. Expect real cases and a framework for assessing where your organization stands on AI accountability, alignment, and escalation. It is a fitting way to close two days built around one idea: technology only matters if people know how to use it responsibly.

Why The Lineup Matters

Every session on this list earns its spot for the same reason: it gives you something to act on, not just something to think about. Whether you are a partner rethinking your onboarding process, a bookkeeper positioning yourself as an advisor, or a controller trying to make sense of where AI actually fits, there is a session built for you.

This year we made the call to record every session. With concurrent tracks, no one can be in two rooms at once, and I wanted attendees to walk away with everything they came for. Attendees earn up to 24 verifiable CPD hours across the two days, reportable for CPAs, National Payroll Institute, and CPB Canada members, and a certificate of attendance is provided to every verified attendee.

Mark your calendar for 3-4 November 2026 at The International Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada. Full session details and registration are available at accountex.ca.

Brady Peever is director of education at Accountex Canada.