The more things change the more they stay the same, especially when it comes to operational excellence and business longevity.
As he enters his new post at the helm of Meaden & Moore, a premier CPA and business advisory firm, Jim Rollins sees both challenge and opportunity for this venerable 106-year-old company.
Rollins, who assumed the title of CEO and managing partner of Meaden & Moore earlier this year, succeeded Jim Carulas, who ended a distinguished 17-year career leading the firm.
But Carulas hasn’t exactly left the building. He is staying on, transitioning to the role of senior partner, where he will provide strategic counsel, nurture client relationships and mentor the next generation of company leaders. Inter-generational leadership is the company’s key to over a century of business success.
“After serving five terms and leading the firm for 17 years, it’s time for a new generation of leadership to take the helm,” says Carulas.
“I have known Jim [Carulas] for a very long time. And we have grown significantly under his leadership,” says Rollins.
It’s an interesting time to be in accounting, he adds. In the face of ever-increasing competition, a lot of firms are merging, while others are creating totally new environments. There is the advent of using new technology and balancing outsourcing against the need to build an educated culture from within.
“The workforce is changing and that does present a challenge for the industry,” says Rollins. “But our workforce is not a challenge as much as it’s an asset, because all our people are exceptional. My challenge is to bring these exceptional people out, front and center.”
And that’s already happening.
Sarah Lynch has been named partner in charge of Assurances Service Group. Keith Hughes is the newly appointed partner of the Tax Service Group, while Andy Clark is president of the company’s Investigative Accounting Group.
“Sarah is good with clients and great with our staff,” says Rollins. “I need Andy, who is in charge of our forensic practice, and Keith Hughes, who is focused on our tax side.
“Our goals for the firm remain centered on growth that enhances our ability to serve clients, supports our team and positions us for long-term success,” adds Rollins. “Over the past several years, we’ve undertaken a number of initiatives to expand our footprint and improve our service capabilities.”
This includes opening new offices in key markets such as Denver and San Francisco, expanding the company’s presence in Los Angeles and recasting its London operations to better serve insurance industry clients. The company has also built a global support structure by hiring staff in India to provide flexibility and moderation in workloads for the assurance and tax teams.
“Domestically, we’ve added specialized talent, including tax and data analytics professionals in Northeast Ohio and across the U.S., to enhance our technical expertise and technological capabilities,” says Rollins. “We’ve also placed a strong emphasis on internal development, expanding our training and learning programs to equip our team with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in a rapidly changing environment.
“In wealth management, we’ve continued to grow our team and deepen the alignment between our wealth professionals and personal tax advisory group.”
Being a part of the Cleveland business community and its history is a motivator, adds Rollins.
“We want to be involved with and play an active role in helping businesses not only in Northeast Ohio, but around the country,” he says.
