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John Toon
Technology Strategy Lead
Hey, I’m John and I look after all things technology for our firm and our clients. I head up a team that have data analytics, BI reporting, software development, automation, and systems advisory skills. We provide the firm and our clients advice on the latest technology trends, how to make use of them effectively, whilst understanding potential risks, with the goal to maintain competitive advantage, modernise and be an attractive place to work.
The nitty-gritty
Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA)
Fellow Member of Association of Accounting Technicians (FMAAT)
My story
I started my career in accountancy back in 2002(!) before which I had spent 3 years as a water sports instructor. I joined the firm in 2015, originally in audit, and quickly went about telling anyone that would listen how terrible our tech was and what we should do to improve it… I helped to create our systems advisory and digital transformation services for clients. Our team can provide advice on how to modernise systems and processes (usually starting with finance), taking advantage of technology to remove boring, repetitive tasks from business owners and employees.
My profile now means I often get asked to talk about technology trends at industry conferences or webinars, collaborate with technology vendors and contribute to the technology strategy of HLB International, the network through which we provide international advisory services.
I do this too…
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given my background, I love to get out into the outdoors, particularly the mountains of France or Italy, to walk, cycle or via ferrata. My real passion is skiing and one of the great sports to share with family and friends. Despite getting top marks in my tax exams, I’ve never worked in tax because January is for skiing not tax returns…
I also present a fortnightly podcast covering technology for accountants, run a series of networking events alongside accounting conferences and help to run a network of systems advisory specialists from across the globe.