Heather Smith is a globally recognised expert in accounting technology and AI in accounting, named the 2024 Accounting Thought Leader of the Year and listed by Accounting Today (USA) as one of 21 influential figures shaping the future of the profession. With three decades in the profession and authorship of 11 books, including the Xero for Dummies series (now in its 6th edition), Heather sits at the intersection of accounting and technology. She has delivered talks across four continents and over a thousand webinars, translating complex tech into practical insights for accountants, bookkeepers, and small business owners. Heather creates and curates accounting technology content through:

• Accounting Apps Mastermind Community, the online group for AccounTech knowledge sharing
• Accounting Apps Newsletter, read by thousands globally
• Accounting Apps Podcast, interviewing leaders shaping AccounTech
• Columns in Acuity Magazine, Accountants Daily, and Karbon Magazine

She holds key community leadership roles, Council Member of CA ANZ (QLD), Member of QLD Regional Council, Member of Trans Tasman Public Practice Advisory Committee with CA ANZ and is the past Chair of the ACCA Global Forum for SMEs, and Member of the ACCA Global Forum for Technology. Heather is known for blending storytelling, education, and dry humour to make accounting technology engaging, practical, and genuinely useful. She does her best work with a hot pot of tea and Chester the Border Collie at her feet.