This episode is brought to you by Poe Group Advisors.

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Welcome to INSIDE the IPA 500, our new series exploring the data, trends and firms shaping the accounting profession.

Chelsea Summers and Rob Brown kick off the series by breaking down the newly released 2026 IPA 500 rankings, highlighting the year's biggest climbers, new IPA 100 entrants, notable acquisitions and the trends reshaping the profession.

Among the biggest takeaways:

• Thirty-five firms from last year's IPA 500 were acquired.
• Every new IPA 100 entrant is backed by private equity.
• Nine of the 10 fastest-growing firms are private equity-backed.
• Organic growth slowed while acquisition-driven growth accelerated.

Whether your firm made the rankings, is working toward them or simply wants to understand where the profession is headed, this episode provides the context behind this year's biggest moves.

View the complete 2026 IPA 500 rankings and learn more about IPA’s benchmarking and analysis at insidepublicaccounting.com.