What Private Equity Really Changes Inside an Accounting Firm wiith Devin Mathews

What really happens after private equity buys your CPA firm? ParkerGale partner Devin Mathews joins Blake to unpack why partners cheer while staff chafe, how PE drives returns (bill rates, utilization, acquisitions), and what managers should demand: a clear value‑creation plan and a path to upside. They also dig into AI’s true impact—raising the ceiling, squeezing entry‑level work—and why this might be your cue to start an AI‑first firm.

Chapters

(00:00) - Private Equity Meets AI

(02:04) - Survey Shock Partners vs Staff

(04:18) - How PE Boosts Profits

(06:17) - Culture Clash and KPIs

(09:29) - The New Owner Speech

(23:15) - Lessons From Vets and Dentists

(25:50) - Pricing Power and Workload

(26:39) - How Firms Decide to Sell

(27:12) - Deal Tensions Surface

(27:25) - LOI And Data Deep Dive