Gino Scapillati co-authored an opinion column in the Globe and Mail on the onrushing tide of change that’s sweeping through professional services—and how professionals can move with the tide, not against it. Gino and Susan McCracken look at how:

• Technology will mean less time spent in traditional roles but potentially richer, more satisfying careers, as professionals are relieved from many of the mundane, repetitive tasks better done by technology and algorithms.
• There will be an expansion of career opportunities related to technology, its applications and proliferation inside professional firms.
• Technical competencies are still absolutely essential for a successful career—but to distinguish yourself as a professional, you need to maximize the human skills that no machine can perform—the softer skills—of communication, critical thinking, judgment, emotional intelligence and creativity.
• The tide of change will place enormous pressure on leaders of professional firms, as they manage the co-existence and inter-relationship of professional skills and supportive technology inside organizations.
• Educators have to respond—to give future accountants and other aspiring professionals the tools to succeed and prosper in a disruptive environment.

Gino co-wrote this column with Susan McCracken, associate dean, academic, and associate professor, accounting and financial management services, at the DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University.