With over 12 years’ experience across audit, tax, cloud accounting and management accounting, Chris Barnard, FCCA, BA (Hons.), is passionate about cutting through the jargon and helping fast-growing businesses and accountancy practices understand and optimise their finances and operations.

Chris is the Director and Founder of Collective Concepts Group and Acenteus Accounting, showcasing at Stand D16. Having worked across both traditional Top 20 accountancy firms and leading online accounting practices, he combines technical expertise with a practical, commercially focused approach to helping practices scale efficiently.

At Acenteus Accounting, Chris works closely with practice owners to help them scale through specialist expertise, technology and automation. By taking on operational workloads, Acenteus enables practices to focus on what matters most — their clients, compliance and growth.

In 2015, Chris was recognised as one of Accountancy Age’s 35 Under 35, and in 2016 he was awarded New Practitioner of the Year at the British Accountancy Awards.

As a speaker, Chris shares practical insights into scalable outsourced accounting solutions and AI-powered automation, helping UK accountancy practices expand capacity, reduce operational costs and streamline key services including Bookkeeping & VAT, Audit, Accounts Production, Tax Filings and Payroll.