Jeffery Olender, Central Florida Market Leader, Cherry Bekaert

April 2026 —Invest: spoke with Jeffery Olender, Central Florida market leader of accounting firm Cherry Bekaert, about how it is expanding its services, using technology to improve efficiency, and supporting business growth across Florida. “Strong regional economies need strong local accountants, lawyers, bankers, and advisors. You need all of those ingredients for the business community to thrive,” Olender said.

What changes over the past year have had the biggest impact on Cherry Bekaert, and in what ways?

The firm has continued to grow significantly over the past year. We have expanded into a number of markets, completed acquisitions across the country, and continued evolving into a truly national firm, while also sharpening our focus on the needs of middle-market CFOs. At the same time, accounting and advisory needs remain at the forefront for businesses, and that has pushed us to keep broadening our service offerings so we can do more for our clients.

We’ve invested heavily in advisory and digital services that help finance leaders modernize how work gets done.

Numbers touch everything. They are the output we use to understand the past, and they are also the input that helps businesses set goals and plan for the future. That makes the way companies manage, interpret, and use data absolutely critical. As a result, our work is increasingly tied not only to traditional compliance and accounting needs, but also to helping clients think more strategically about how they use information across their organizations.

What impact are those developments having on client operations, particularly in the Tampa Bay market?

Many companies in the market are trying to determine how to operate more efficiently. One of the biggest pressures they continue to face is talent. Good talent is still difficult to find, and many businesses need people they simply cannot hire fast enough. When that happens, it creates a necessity to innovate.

What we are seeing is a growing emphasis on changing processes and using technology to fill gaps where talent is limited. In many cases, that means rethinking workflows, tightening up processes, and using technology to handle tasks that previously required additional employees, especially in back-office operations and financial processes. All of this helps improve speed and accuracy across finance operations, giving CFOs clearer insight into the business.  

How are you approaching talent attraction and workforce development in a competitive market?

We invest heavily at the university level. A big part of our effort is volunteering, raising awareness, and educating students about what an accounting career can offer. Accounting remains one of the most stable professions available, and it is also one of the most transferable skill sets a person can develop. There is usually a clear path for advancement, whether someone stays in public accounting or eventually moves into another part of the business world.

Public accounting gives young professionals a breadth of experience that is difficult to match elsewhere. They get exposure to multiple industries, different types and sizes of companies, and a range of challenges that help them develop technical ability, client service skills, and strong interpersonal judgment. Those experiences prepare people not just for a role in our field, but for long-term careers across the broader economy.

That is why we focus so much on university recruiting. Building a pipeline of young professionals is essential to supporting our growth plans. We supplement that with outside hires when needed, but our main emphasis is on supporting educational programs and encouraging students to see accounting as a strong and rewarding career path.

How do you view the impact of AI on accounting and advisory work?

There is a lot of discussion right now about AI disrupting industries, and accounting is certainly part of that conversation. While technology will absolutely change the profession, I believe the transition will be more gradual in some areas than people expect because of the amount of judgment involved in what we do.

Software can handle parts of the processing work, and it will continue to improve in that area. But many decisions still require human interaction, critical thinking, and the ability to weigh multiple variables at once. That is much harder to replicate. Eventually, technology may be able to handle more of those functions, but for now and for the foreseeable future, there will still be a need for people making those decisions.

We’re a relationship business. The way we help clients and create value is through trust. Clients are looking not just for a service provider, but for someone who understands their goals and is looking out for their interests. If that relationship is reduced to a screen telling them what to do, the level of trust may not be the same. Technology will have an important role, but personal interaction and trusted advice will remain a critical part of the equation.

What trends are you seeing in the accounting and advisory space?

We are using far more data analysis tools than ever before, and that is affecting tax, advisory, and audit work alike. We are also using AI-enabled tools that can help score risk in transactions, flag areas for auditors to review, improve workflow management, and summarize large contracts so our teams can focus their time more effectively. These tools help improve speed and efficiency, but they still require professional oversight and judgment to verify that what the technology identifies is actually correct and relevant.

On the client side, the impact varies significantly by industry. In technology and software development, AI is already having a major effect on how quickly products can be built. In more physical industries, the impact may be slower because technology cannot easily replace hands-on work. Even so, across nearly every industry, companies are using new systems and tools to streamline back-office operations and improve efficiency.

How does Cherry Bekaert engage with the local business community in Tampa Bay?

We have been deeply involved in the business community for many years. I personally have been with the firm for more than 20 years, and throughout that time we have maintained strong ties to local leadership programs and organizations that bring business leaders together. Programs such as Tampa Connection and Leadership Tampa have had a meaningful impact on many professionals in this region, including members of our own team.

We also stay engaged with a broad range of ecosystem partners, including organizations tied to innovation, entrepreneurship, and business development, such as the Florida Venture Forum, Embark Collective and the Tampa Bay Wave. What is exciting is seeing how many people want to invest their time and energy in this market. You can feel that momentum.

When you look at Florida more broadly, and at the number of people and companies relocating here, it is clear the state and this region continue to attract attention. New headquarters announcements seem to happen constantly. That reflects the work business leaders, government officials, and community stakeholders have done to promote the market, and it positions Tampa Bay well for continued growth.

How does the accounting and advisory sector contribute to the growth and competitiveness of the regional economy?

We help enable that growth. Companies need sound financial management, whether they handle that internally or rely on external advisors like us. They need audits, tax work, consulting, and risk advisory services to make sure they are operating effectively and managing challenges appropriately. Those are foundational needs for growing businesses.

What matters is that firms like ours can provide those services locally while also bringing in the resources and expertise of a large national platform when needed. Strong regional economies need strong local accountants, lawyers, bankers, and advisors. You need all of those ingredients for the business community to thrive.

What are your key priorities for the next two to three years?

From a market perspective, we want to continue investing in Tampa and in Florida more broadly. It is important that the business community knows we are here, that we are engaged, and that we are committed to supporting growth in the region. Visibility matters, but so does making sure we are providing the services clients need as their businesses evolve.

We also want to continue hiring from local universities and strengthening that pipeline of young professionals. At the same time, we are focused on expanding key service areas such as digital transformation, because those are the areas clients are increasingly asking for. The goal is to stay current with the needs of the market and continue building the capabilities that will help businesses move forward.