Partnering with Accounting Firm Leaders to Achieve Success

I have been working with Carl George for a few years now as my personal coach. As a new managing partner, I was looking for someone who knew what it was like to manage and motivate people. He has incredible experience as a managing partner himself and has already dealt with the same issues I am working through, from partner compensation to evaluating merger candidates to aligning everyone’s goals for a common purpose. He has been an invaluable part of our team and success because he truly cares and wants to see you be successful.

Our firm first engaged Carl George Advisory in 2016 to assist with our vision and strategic plan process. To date, the outcomes remain as core tenets of the firm. CGA has taken the time to understand who we are and what our goals are which has allowed CGA to aid us in updating our compensation structure, facilitating our annual shareholder meeting, leading our shareholder evaluation process, providing us with industry updates, and supporting our next generation of leaders. Over the course of the last five years CGA has become a close strategic partner to the firm, and its owners.

Carl brings just the right balance of experience, empathy, understanding and counsel to 1) help firms identify where they want to go and 2) walk with them on the path to get there. His knowledge of and insight into the profession is rare and is based on decades of experience in leadership and management of an accounting firm. His experiences have taught him approaches that work – and more importantly those that don’t – so firms he advises can accelerate their journey towards success while avoiding the many landmines along the way.

Clifton Gunderson did over 50 mergers during Carl’s tenure in management of the firm. Carl’s caring and approachable nature and ability to read between the lines and quickly grasp a firm’s important concerns were key reasons so many of our discussions resulted in successful transactions. He has the processes perfected in managing the complicated issues involved in bringing organizations together. As Carl’s successor as CEO of Clifton Gunderson, Carl is an incredible mentor to me and to so many others in the profession. He listens intently, asks great questions and has an uncanny sense for what you’re thinking but not saying aloud. Having already lived most any situation that arises, he relays experience that help steer you in the right direct, many times without giving any direct advice.

I have worked with Carl George for several years and thoroughly enjoy our working relationship. Carl makes difficult issues easy to understand and solve because he listens and advises in a sensible, logical way utilizing his vast knowledge and experience. Carl is the consummate professional and I highly recommend other CPAs work with him on CPA practice management issues.

Carl George is unquestionably one of the top consultants in the profession. He has a unique ability to relate to his clients based on his extensive experience leading a large firm. When it comes to practice management, he has been there, seen it, and navigating it, most likely. Carl has always been a big supporter of Rainmaker and of me and always acts as an advocate for his clients. He is knowledgeable and firm but also very relatable. I always enjoy working with Carl. Anyone working with him will certainly benefit from his expertise and approach.

Carl is an amazing consultant, coach, industry expert and friend. He has helped our firm transform from a small practice into one of the top locally-owned firms in Northeast Ohio. He has helped us in many areas including strategy, leadership, financial performance, succession planning and partner compensation, and has performed above expectations in every case. I suspect he will be a valued part of our organization for many years to come.

As we have grown organically and merged with other firms we needed help from a practical stand point. Carl was exactly what we needed. We have been working with Carl over the past 3 years. He is one of our most valuable resources. The advice he has given us has been invaluable.

We at Mueller have used Carl for over seven years with facilitating our partner retreats. As he was the CEO of Clifton Gunderson for many years, he had such a great insight and respect of all of my partners. He assisted us in preparing our strategic business plans and action steps in addition to our 5-year visions. Our firm is better due his involvement with us over the years.

Our firm has worked with Carl since 2016. He assisted us in developing our strategic plan and guided us through the process of changing our compensation model. His expertise and guidance was paramount to the successful transition from a formula based compensation model to a goals based model that is driving firm growth. Carl brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from the public accounting firm world that earned the trust and confidence of all of my partners from the very first meeting. He has been there every step of the way as a sounding-board, and we could not have done this without his assistance. I highly recommend Carl to any firm leader looking for real world expertise and experience to guide them through important and sometimes difficult decisions impacting firm operations and strategy.