As a Lancashire schoolboy, Adam Kusnierek CA had no grand career ambitions – and becoming an accountant was certainly never part of the plan. He enjoyed drawing architectural plans in his graphic design class, and considered following his dad into construction.

Two ‘sliding door’ moments pushed his career in a different direction, however. The first came when he tried to do business studies at A level. “I couldn’t get on the course because it was oversubscribed,” he says. “I was sitting in the college hall wondering what to do when a chap opposite me suggested accountancy. It turned out I absolutely loved it.”

Yet even then, Kusnierek looked set to take an apprenticeship as an electrician or a builder. “University definitely wasn’t on the cards for me,” he says. “But a family friend encouraged me to consider it.” That led to an open day at Lancaster University, where information was being offered about the EY degree programme. “I had no idea what it was but, by chance, stumbled into the room and found out more.”

The prospect of working at EY while studying for his ICAS exams was attractive. “But the catch for me was that they required three A grades at A level,” says Kusnierek. “Up to that point, I’d been more of a B/C student.”

Nonetheless, Kusnierek attended the assessment day at EY’s London office. “It was pretty intense and a real eye-opener for someone who hadn’t travelled much beyond Lancashire,” he says. “But I did well at the interviews and was offered a place subject to my exam results. Then I worked really hard and got the grades I needed. I joined the EY degree programme and my life’s trajectory changed dramatically… It’s strange how I ended up where I am. I really stumbled into my career through a series of unlikely steps”

After qualifying, Kusnierek continued working with EY, meeting his wife, Emma Thomas CA, on the same EY programme and settling down outside London. “Emma’s from Hereford, and I fell in love with the area as soon as I visited here – it’s a gorgeous part of the world.”

In 2017, Kusnierek started working for the Hutchinson Partnership, a local practice specialising in farming clients. “Moving from a Big Four firm to a smaller practice showed me the importance of client service,” he says. “You can make a much more positive impact helping smaller businesses, and I find that a lot more fulfilling. Also, the two partners were incredible. I learnt so much from them, and even today I reflect on how they operated and how I can adopt a similar approach in what I’m doing now.”

Transformation

Three years later, Kusnierek was looking for opportunities to run his own practice when he noticed another Hereford accountancy firm, Hawkins Priday, was recruiting. Successful discussions followed and the husband and wife co-directors, Kelvin and Ruth Alexander, brought him onboard in 2020. His mission was to drive a comprehensive refresh of the practice, which was founded in 1968 and operates as a limited company.

“Many firms I’d encountered were resistant to change,” says Kusnierek. “However, Kelvin and Ruth were already very keen on new systems and innovation. We clicked personally and started working together to transform the firm. They were incredibly generous in trusting me with their pride and joy, and have been a huge support for me personally throughout this whole journey. We created a roadmap, reviewing every part of the business. We started with easier changes, such as paperless working, then moved on to bigger changes such as subscription pricing and launching a finance director service.

“Work is planned quarterly and team members manage their own portfolios. It’s a more grown-up way of working, with minimal micro-management”

“The biggest obstacle was probably overthinking the impact of each change on the team and our clients, but we were so transparent in explaining what we were doing, everyone could see the benefits. The experience has been a great testament to the culture of the business and the nature of our clients.”

One of the most significant changes was the introduction of Rowe (results-only work environment). “It’s a model where people are measured on output rather than time,” says Kusnierek. “Instead of tracking timesheets, we focus on completed work such as accounts, tax returns and VAT returns. Work is planned quarterly and team members manage their own portfolios. It’s a more grown-up way of working, with minimal micro-management.”

Kusnierek offers the analogy of a factory worker attaching legs to chairs: “If my job is nine to five, it doesn’t make any difference to me how many chairs I finish, so maybe I’ll get 40 done in a day. But if my employer says they want 50 chairs a day, and I can leave when I’ve done that, you can bet that those 50 chairs will be assembled faster and I’ll be home by three o’clock. That’s just human nature.

“As an employer in this scenario, it means I can reward my team’s efficiency and innovation with a greater level of flexibility. I’m happy for them to leave at three, or come in later after the school run, as my concern is their 50 chairs being finished, not how many hours they spend here.”

Combining these new working processes with the extensive introduction of streamlining technology and a reduction in headcount from 11 to seven, the firm has enjoyed an astonishing productivity increase per head of 268% since 2021, Kusnierek calculates.

Yet there’s more in the pipeline. “We’re working on a project to create an internal ‘AI brain’, integrating all client transcripts, emails and documents,” says Kusnierek. “The team will be able to ask questions and receive accurate information quickly to gain deeper levels of client insight. We’re very keen on making sure we understand the bigger picture for our clients. For instance, what are they thinking in terms of the family dynamic or retirement plans? And how can we make sure that the advice and support we give helps them to achieve their goals?”

Kusnierek, who was recognised as a Changemaker in CA Rising Stars 2025, is now Managing Director of Hawkins Priday, with the Alexanders in the process of exiting. The next step for the business is to open a second office elsewhere in Herefordshire.

But he and his wife have been busy on the home front too, bringing up three young children. “Emma and I relish spending as much time with them as possible before we become ‘not cool’,” laughs Kusnierek. “A typical weekend for us includes local walks and maybe a Friday night takeaway. I’m also a keen golfer and love taking my older two children out for nine holes.”

But when he’s not working on his golf swing, does Kusnierek have any advice for other accountancy practices? “Firstly, if you haven’t already, join a peer network,” he says. “Being able to bounce ideas around with people that operate in the same industry and have the same challenges as you is invaluable. And crucially, dedicate time to working on your own practice. Someone once said to me that your most important client is your own business. If you dedicate a couple of hours a week to that, both you and your clients will benefit because you’ll be able to provide a more efficient and higher-quality service.”

hawkinspriday.co.uk