Share
Darren, you've just stepped into the CEO role at AccountsIQ! Can you take us on a journey through your incredible 12-year rise within the company?
Before joining AccountsIQ 12 years ago, I qualified as an accountant and held various roles in the industry. At the time, cloud finance systems were in their infancy, but I saw the potential of AccountsIQ’s mission.
When I joined, the company was very small, with fewer than ten people. My initial role was heading up professional services, focusing on onboarding and customer operations. But as a small company, roles naturally overlapped and I found myself involved in pre-sales and sales activities too.
In 2016-17, we opened our UK office, a pivotal moment as we shifted from working primarily with accounting partners to a direct-to-market approach. At that time, I relocated to the UK to set up our commercial operations, onboard more staff and make the UK the centre of our growth strategy. During this time, I served as Managing Director for the UK business while continuing to oversee customer operations.
Later, we secured funding from Finch Capital and expanded our senior leadership team, including the appointment of a CRO. My role evolved into that of COO, with a strategic focus on overseeing finance and customer operations. Now, as CEO, I’m excited to build on this foundation and lead the next phase of growth.
The big question: what’s your vision for the first 12 months? What are your top priorities as you take on this new challenge?
The top priority internally is building out the senior leadership team and functions to scale effectively. We’ve already appointed a CMO with deep industry knowledge and a CFO to strengthen our capacity.
Another critical focus has been creating our 12-month execution plan. We’ve identified three horizons of growth, and the first is centered on implementing cross-functional growth accelerators. I believe in leveraging diverse skill sets to collaboratively solve problems, define opportunities and build strategies.
In your previous role as COO, you achieved an impressive 97%+ customer satisfaction rate. How do you plan to build on that success and elevate it even further as CEO?
I’ll continue doubling down on what makes us successful: really listening to our customers and what they need, and investing in our product so we can meet those needs. While many companies using ERPs only leverage 30% of the system’s functionality, at AccountsIQ, we integrate with best-in-class platforms to ensure that every feature delivers maximum value and the best possible experience for our customers.
Our technology is designed to give finance teams more time to focus on what matters most, equipping them with the tools they need to excel. This perspective shapes how we hone and improve our product: giving our customers the features they need to work smarter, achieve more and ultimately, to live better.
Our ‘polish, prune, and innovate’ strategy ensures that every update either enhances existing features, removes inefficiencies, or introduces new innovations that directly address customer needs. Ultimately, the features and service we deliver serves to elevate finance teams beyond mundane tasks and empower them to focus on strategic, high-value work and make a better and bigger impact on the success of their organisations. By really listening to our customers, we refine and enhance our product to make sure it is giving them what they require to succeed. As a result, we receive great satisfaction scores and I’m committed, as is the whole team, to sustaining and improving these even further.
Let’s talk product! What exciting developments can we expect on the AccountsIQ roadmap?
While I can’t reveal all the specifics just yet, our 2025 roadmap is boldly focused on helping ambitious businesses to unlock their potential with best-in-class features that save them time and streamline how they operate. In particular, our ambition is to redefine the role and elevate the office of the modern finance function. Moving away from manual processes and helping to position them as strategic finance partners throughout the business.
We aim to bridge the gap between legacy systems and high-cost ERP solutions. Some surveys estimate that only 30% of ERP functionality is actually used by users. Our strategy is to provide best-in-class core finance functionality that seamlessly integrates with the market’s best-in-breed technology: core functionalities and real-time insights, all delivered at speed and with ease.
As well as additional features to equip the office of the CFO with better tools, we also strive to make the implementation process as quick and stress-free as we can. We know that many of our potential customers have been burned by poor, mis-sold or cumbersome implementations in the past, and we are determined to show people that it can be done smoother, faster, and with minimal disruption to the business or individuals. We get customers live up to five times faster than our competitors, without any of the drawn-out and complex implementations associated with full-fat ERP systems.
Looking ahead, what major milestones are you targeting over the next 3 years and beyond? What are the key achievements you’re aiming for?
Our primary goal is to become the go-to partner for ambitious mid-market businesses who want to achieve more and perform better. This may be through growth and expansion, or simply in terms of refining processes and eliminating risk and wasteful processes. Again, it’s all about listening: each of our customers have different goals and ambitions, and different challenges as well. Our job is to hear them loud and clear and work with them to tailor solutions that will help them improve and succeed in whichever ways they need to.
The finance sector is evolving fast – what tech innovation are you most excited to see? Any game-changing trends you’re hoping will become a reality?
The finance sector is at an exciting crossroads, where technology and societal trends are converging to redefine how businesses operate. One area with immense potential is addressing the under-investment in the mid-market. While entry-level solutions have created robust ecosystems for smaller businesses, and larger systems tackle complex problems at scale, the mid-market has often been left behind. This gap represents a significant opportunity for innovation, particularly as businesses look to modernise.
The transition to cloud infrastructure is foundational here. To fully harness the power of artificial intelligence, businesses must first ensure their data is organised and accessible in a cloud-based environment. AI isn't just a buzzword; it represents a seismic shift. Businesses know they need to act, and fast.
Companies that fail to embrace AI for their operations, supply chains, and customer offerings will simply struggle to remain competitive in a landscape increasingly defined by automation and efficiency.
Alongside AI, ESG factors are another game-changing trend reshaping the industry. Businesses that aren't sustainable in their practices are likely to face a natural ‘end of life’ as consumer and investor expectations evolve. Sustainability isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a must-have for longevity.
Every leader has that one question they get asked all the time. What’s yours, and how do you typically answer it?
The most frequent question I get is, ‘What are your plans for next year?’ or for the next quarter? My answer is always to have a clear and communicated strategy, we achieve this by staying intentionally close to our customers and the technology landscape. By focusing on their needs and investing in our product and service, we aim to deliver value and win in the marketplace.
Finally, what’s your secret sauce for success? What do you credit most for your achievements throughout your career?
For me, continuing to learn is key. Continuous learning, whether through structured education, reading, or listening, is essential. Listening: to the market, customers and the people within the business, is one of the most powerful forms of learning.
Focus is equally important. Success often lies in what you choose to leave out, knowing where to direct your energy and resources ultimately creates the conditions for success.