Christian James

C.O.O.
Xcentric, LLC
Bozeman, MT
www.xcentric.com

Q&A:

Aside from the accounting websites, which blog/website do you consider a must-read?

As an avid baseball fan, I’m consistently staying on top of several Texas Rangers blogs.

In what ways have you contributed to your firm/company to make it better?

I have the pleasure of having the task of “making our firm better” as a key part of my job description. Over the years, we have collectively implemented dramatic improvements, not only in how we manage technology but also in how we serve our clients. One of the items I’m most proud of is our implementation of a recommendation from a long-time client and friend. She gave us the idea of creating dedicated account teams. Her suggestion led to us being able to make our services much more human. We’ve been able to create and foster several meaningful relationships with our clients in a way that may not have been possible otherwise. Thanks Ginny!

In what ways do you participate in the professional community to change/improve the accounting profession?

At Xcentric, we strive as an organization to connect our client base with other cloud users in similar firms. Our annual Cloud Conference is dedicated to this idea. The time we spend facilitating roundtable discussions between these multiple CPA firms is invaluable.

In what ways do you participate in your local community to help others?

My family and I are very active at our church. We are blessed to have a tightknit group of families to live life with.

What changes do you foresee in the accounting profession of the near future (3-5 years)?

I see the technology landscape changing drastically over the next 3-5 years. We are already seeing several new software vendors come into the space offering niche applications. As more vendors and applications become widely used, the industry will be faced with dealing with increased complexity around ensuring that everything talks and plays well together. For example, if a firm subscribes to a tool for managing business development opportunities (such as SalesForce), somehow that has to sync back up with their practice management application.

How do you see yourself participating in shaping the future of the accounting profession?

I may be biased on this, but I believe technology advancements will continue to have a huge impact on the industry. As a result, I foresee an opportunity to come alongside firms to help with these various technological advancements and changes.

What is your career philosophy?

I wholeheartedly believe in the idea of always working towards replacing myself. I’ve had the privilege of hiring and promoting people to fulfill my current role many times over my last 15 years at Xcentric. It excites me to see someone take what I have been doing and improve upon it with their own unique skills.

Describe one person who has been an important mentor to you and how that person helped change your life.

I’m blessed to have the privilege of working very closely with my brother, Trey James. As business partners, we team up to do the best we can to carry out the legacy that our parents imparted upon us. While we are far from perfect, I take great pleasure in pursuing their foundational values: to be honest, do what’s right regardless of the cost, and hard work is good for you. I am very thankful to be on this adventure with such an inspiring leader.

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