Spotlight On: John Bly, South Atlantic Regional Leader, Aprio

Key points:

• • Aprio is seeing rising demand for outsourced accounting, M&A advisory, and tariff consulting services.
• • John Bly says Charlotte’s growth, talent base, and business climate continue attracting investment and expansion.
• • AI and automation are helping Aprio improve efficiency while reshaping how clients plan for the future.

May 2026 — Invest: spoke with John Bly, South Atlantic regional leader at Aprio, to discuss how market expansion, shifting tax and trade landscapes, and technology adoption are shaping client needs across the region. “Outsourced accounting continues to grow at a rapid pace,” said Bly.

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Over the past year, what have been some of the most notable achievements for Aprio in the South Atlantic region and in Charlotte specifically?

In Charlotte, one of the most significant achievements has been our continued ability to recruit, retain, and attract talent from other cities. That momentum has been incredible and reinforces the strength of this market. Regionally, we’ve also moved into premium office space in several of our key geographies, including San Antonio and Nashville. Positioning our offices in areas where 20-somethings want to live and work has become an important driver of both retention and culture.

We’re focused on staying competitive in how we show up for our teams, and aligning our workplace strategy with the expectations of young professionals is a big part of that. Those efforts, combined with our broader approach to regional growth, remain central to our strategy.

What makes Charlotte a particularly strategic region for Aprio’s growth compared to other markets where you operate?

Charlotte has benefited from decades of intentional planning. Business leaders in the 1980s laid the foundation by investing in infrastructure, public transportation, and the airport. That long-term vision attracted major companies to relocate their headquarters here, creating demand for professional services, restaurants, hospitality, and retail. I’ve been in Charlotte for 23 years, and the change has been extraordinary.

It’s also a uniquely positioned city — a few hours from both the mountains and the beach, a major airport with strong connectivity, stable weather, and no major natural disasters. Those strengths make it an appealing market for both companies and talent. Our focus in Charlotte is centered on deepening client retention, supporting people growth, and building on the momentum of a region that continues to attract investment and opportunity.

How has client demand shifted across your service lines? Are you seeing more focus on advisory, compliance, or specialized support?

Mergers and acquisitions have been a major area of activity over the last year. Services such as quality-of-earnings reviews, financial diligence, and post-merger integration are all in high demand because private equity and other capital sources are continuing to pursue growth and liquidity opportunities. We’ve also seen increased demand driven by federal law changes, including tariff updates and new tax provisions.

Those shifts have expanded opportunities for tariff consulting, where we’ve built deep expertise, particularly for manufacturing and distribution clients. And the major tax law enacted in early July 2025 created a wave of new tax compliance and consulting needs. Clients are looking closely at how to navigate these changes and where they can capture savings, which has driven considerable activity across our teams.

What services are clients seeking out the most right now, and how is Aprio evolving to meet that demand?

Outsourced accounting continues to grow at a rapid pace, especially given the nationwide shortage of accountants. Many companies with small internal accounting teams find turnover too costly and disruptive, making outsourcing the full function a practical solution. We’re glad to be a partner that can provide stability, technical depth, and scalability for those clients. On the advisory side, our merger and acquisition work remains on a strong trajectory, driven by ongoing private capital activity and robust deal flow.

Financial modeling, transaction advisory, and quality-of-earnings work have expanded significantly since late 2020. Tariff consulting has also emerged as a major growth area, especially as companies adjust supply chains or explore reshoring due to shifting federal policies. Many organizations simply don’t have this expertise in-house, so our teams are stepping in to support them through increasingly complex regulatory environments.

How are macroeconomic conditions, from inflation to labor costs to global uncertainty, affecting your clients’ decision-making?

It has been an interesting year. In the months leading up to the election, we saw many clients pause large decisions as they waited for clarity on future policy directions. It wasn’t a concern about economic decline as much as uncertainty about the specific rules they would need to plan against. The major tax bill passed in July 2025 provided some stability because many provisions became permanent, allowing clients to feel more confident making long-term decisions.

While inflation is still a factor, we’re not seeing widespread concern from our clients, and talent challenges have eased compared to 2022 and 2023. Recruiting and retention are more manageable today. Still, clients remain cautious due to global risks — economic instability in Europe, geopolitical dynamics in Asia, and questions about global supply chain resilience. They generally feel positive but are avoiding overly aggressive moves as they plan ahead.

In what specific industries are high capital costs or policy changes having a significant impact?

Distribution and trucking have been among the most affected. Many distributors rely on product lines sourced from abroad, and new tariff structures have led to significant cost changes for goods coming from countries like China and India. That has forced companies to reshore, rework supplier relationships, and absorb shifts in profitability. Trucking operations are navigating similar pressures across the Southeast. More broadly, clients across industries are increasingly focused on artificial intelligence. Some are exploring how AI can enhance operations, while others are asking deeper questions about whether parts of their business might be fundamentally disrupted within a few years. They’re evaluating how to invest, when to pivot, and where to build resilience as technology evolves.

How is Aprio using AI and automation to improve client outcomes and create efficiencies for your teams?

We’re adopting AI at multiple levels of our work. On client calls, for example, we use Microsoft Teams and Copilot to record and transcribe conversations, then share digital notes with clients so neither side has to focus on note-taking. For audit engagements, we use these tools to document interviews, including internal control discussions, and convert transcripts into memos.

We’re also testing integrations between AI and general ledger or accounting systems to streamline data entry into tax software and audited financials. And on the research side, we’re using specialized audit and tax AI tools that include deep technical content, helping our teams find answers faster and improve accuracy. These applications create efficiency while freeing our professionals to spend more time on complex, judgment-based work.

What are you seeing in the talent market in Charlotte, and how is Aprio positioning itself to remain a top workplace?

The talent landscape looks very different today than it did two to four years ago. Accounting program enrollment is growing again, in part because technology and finance roles have been more challenging recently, leading more students to shift into accounting. That’s a positive development for the profession and for firms like ours. On the lateral hiring side, we know we must continue to excel. We can’t rely on past achievements. We need to keep investing in technology, supporting hybrid work, offering opportunities for advancement, and enabling team members to build wealth through competitive compensation and incentives. Our goal is to attract the best talent and create an environment where they want to stay and build long-term careers.

How is Aprio engaging with local universities, nonprofits, and business groups to support workforce development and regional economic growth?

We’re very involved with universities within a three-hour radius of Charlotte, including UNC Charlotte, App State, and the University of South Carolina, among others. Our teams spend time on campus giving presentations, mentoring students, conducting mock interviews, and hiring interns. Even when we’re not hiring those individuals, we believe strong university pipelines benefit the regional economy and our clients. We also invest heavily in nonprofit engagement. Every November, we host a national giving week where teams across all our markets volunteer in their communities. Supporting causes our people care about strengthens both workforce development and community vitality.

Looking ahead, what is your outlook for Charlotte and what are your top priorities for Aprio over the next two to three years?

I’m super bullish on Charlotte. There are many great cities in the United States, but not all of them offer strong economic prospects for young professionals. Charlotte does. It’s a thriving, evolving city with significant career potential in the decade ahead, whether someone is joining Aprio or any number of other major employers.

For Aprio, our priorities include expanding our footprint in Charlotte, South Florida, and Texas. In Texas, we have offices in Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin, and we’ll be growing significantly in Dallas and continuing to expand in San Antonio. Houston is next on our roadmap. In South Florida, the market is large and highly dynamic, so we need a greater presence to meet clients where they are.

In Charlotte, we remain committed to serving small and mid-sized businesses, startups, and nonprofits. Unlike many firms our size, we’re not focused on pursuing public company work or large global accounts. We concentrate on the clients who form the backbone of our communities — and that’s where we believe we make the greatest impact.

Want more? Read the Invest: Charlotte report.