Sustaining Performance Through Change: Best of the Best with Sean Taylor

IPA Podcast | Season 2 | Episode 23 Smith + Howard has appeared on IPA’s Best of the Best list for 17 consecutive years. CEO Sean Taylor explains how the firm has adapted as it grows. INSIDE Public Accounting Executive Director Chelsea Summers speaks with Sean about building a leadership team, navigating private equity partnerships and sustaining client service and employee development. Sean explains why the firm developed its Vision 2030 plan before seeking an investor. He also describes testing an acquired firm’s process alongside its own and choosing the acquired firm’s approach. In this episode, they discuss: • Moving from a traditional partnership model to a full C-suite • Investing in future leaders alongside AI and technology • Choosing private equity partners who support and challenge the firm’s plan • Deciding which practices to adopt when integrating an acquisition • Trusting other leaders to make decisions differently • Giving people time to understand major changes Sean closes with his starting point for stronger performance: retaining clients and employees so leaders have more time to improve the business. Listen to Sean’s podcast, The Worst Advice I Ever Got: https://www.smith-howard.com/worst-ad... Earn free CPE with Earmark. Listen, take the quiz and download your certificate. Find the IPA channel in the Earmark app: https://www.earmark.app/channels/c571... 👇 Follow INSIDE Public Accounting for more conversations with accounting firm leaders and innovators. 🌐 Visit our website: https://insidepublicaccounting.com Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Sean Taylor’s leadership journey 01:22 How the leadership model changed with growth 03:09 What Best of the Best recognition means 06:01 Sustaining investment in people 07:38 AI investment and the next generation of leaders 08:42 The strategy behind the first private equity partnership 11:46 Bringing a defined plan to investors 13:02 Lessons from choosing an investment partner 15:55 Learning from an acquired firm’s approach 18:51 Delegating decisions as the firm grows 22:04 A leadership decision Sean would handle differently 24:53 Transparency and giving people time to ask questions 26:54 Where aspiring Best of the Best firms should start 28:40 Closing takeaways 👍 Like the video 💬 Tell us in the comments: Which decisions does your firm’s next stage of growth require you to hand over? 🔄 Share this conversation with your partner group 🔔 Subscribe for the Best of the Best series #CPAFirms #BestOfTheBest #FirmGrowth #AccountingLeadership