Wolters Kluwer executive, Cathy Rowe, delivers address at AICPA ENGAGE highlighting AI-driven transformation of the accounting profession

Wolters Kluwer advances agent-enabled solutions that are reshaping tax, audit, and advisory workflows

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting executive Cathy Rowe delivered an address at AICPA^® ENGAGE 2026, one of the profession’s largest annual events, attracting thousands of attendees nationwide, highlighting how artificial intelligence is transforming the accounting profession and accelerating the shift toward intelligent, autonomous workflows.

Industry at an Inflection Point
In her remarks, Rowe emphasized that the industry is at a pivotal inflection point, driven by rapid AI advancement, increasing regulatory complexity, ongoing talent shortages, and rising client expectations. She noted that the profession is moving beyond traditional automation toward AI-powered systems capable of managing end-to-end workflows.

“The accounting profession is undergoing a fundamental shift from task-based automation to agent-enabled workflows that can manage complexity, scale expertise, and deliver insights in real time,” said Rowe, EVP and Segment Leader, U.S. Professional Market. “This is about empowering professionals to remain in control while leveraging digital teams that enhance productivity, improve quality, and unlock growth.”

The Rise of AI Agents and Digital Teams
Rowe outlined the evolution of AI within the profession, from task-specific tools to embedded AI assistants and, increasingly, to collaborative agent ecosystems. These systems operate across platforms and workflows, enabling coordination across tax, audit, and advisory functions and delivering contextual insights when they matter most.

This shift is redefining how firms operate. AI agents are emerging as practical solutions to persistent industry challenges, including compressed timelines, workforce constraints, and the need to deliver higher-value client services. By managing not just tasks but entire workflows, these technologies enable firms to scale operations without proportionally increasing headcount.

Wolters Kluwer Innovation and Solutions
Wolters Kluwer is actively leading this transformation through its portfolio of AI-enabled solutions, including its cloud-native CCH Axcess platform where tax and accounting work gets done. These platforms, powered by Expert AI, integrate firm data, advanced automation, generative AI capabilities, and emerging agent-based functionality to streamline processes such as document intake, classification, reconciliation, tax preparation, and audit workflows.

The company’s innovation roadmap includes continued development of agent-enabled capabilities that connect workflows across applications, enabling firms to operate in more unified, data-driven environments. At the same time, Wolters Kluwer is accelerating how innovation is delivered, bringing new capabilities to market faster and driving more immediate value for customers across tax, audit, and advisory services.

Human-Centered AI and Advisory Growth
A key differentiator in Wolters Kluwer’s approach is its focus on human-centered Expert AI embedded directly into workflows. Rowe emphasized the importance of maintaining an expert-in-the-loop model, ensuring that professionals retain control, apply judgment, and uphold compliance standards while benefiting from increased efficiency and insight.

She also highlighted the growing opportunity for firms to expand into advisory services. With AI surfacing insights from across systems and datasets, firms can move beyond compliance-driven work to deliver more strategic, value-added guidance to clients.

Accelerating Adoption and Future Outlook
Industry adoption is expected to accelerate rapidly. Rowe noted that AI agents are no longer a future concept but an immediate and scalable capability that will continue to expand across core systems in the near term.

As adoption grows, firms that embrace these technologies will be better positioned to attract talent, improve client outcomes, and differentiate in a competitive market.

Wolters Kluwer continues to invest in scalable, secure, and trusted Expert AI solutions that align with the needs of modern accounting professionals. By combining deep domain expertise with advanced technology, the company is helping firms navigate a period of significant change.

Rowe concluded by underscoring that firms that act now will be best positioned to lead in the next era of the profession, where intelligent automation and human expertise work together to drive growth and innovation.

About Wolters Kluwer
Wolters Kluwer (EURONEXT: WKL) is a global leader in information solutions, software and services for professionals in healthcare; tax and accounting; financial and corporate compliance; legal and regulatory; corporate performance and ESG. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with technology and services.

Wolters Kluwer reported 2025 annual revenues of €6.1 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 21,100 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands.

Wolters Kluwer shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX, Euro Stoxx 50, and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY).

For more information, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.