Most firms start succession planning too late. The sooner you start, the more options you have.
Our succession planning process helps independent CPA firms become more profitable now, develop their future leaders, and secure the client relationships that protect partner retirement payouts.
of firms with $5M–$10M in revenue have a formal succession plan for their top leadership role, compared with 55% of firms overall.Source: Inside Public Accounting, 2026 IPA Insights
Next-generation leadership is a top-five issue for every firm size except solo and small practices, and most acute at firms of 31–100 professionals.Source: AICPA PCPS CPA Firm Top Issues Survey, 2026
before a key leader’s exit is when major succession planning should begin, with the plan refined every year.
Across the profession, partner retirements are being delayed. These are the three reasons we hear most often.
The technical skills are there, but the people next in line haven’t been prepared to lead the firm, its people or its clients.
High performers see the partner role as all pressure and no appeal, so the obvious successors opt out.
Without alignment on timing, valuation and whether to sell, merge or transition internally, every decision stalls.
A senior partner announces retirement and no one is ready to step in, forcing decisions on someone else’s timeline.
Clients who trust only the senior partner start looking elsewhere when they can’t see who will take over their account.
People are promoted into leadership without the training or support to succeed, and the firm feels it.
With no strategy in place, firms are pushed into selling, merging or private equity deals that don’t serve their long-term vision.
Critical expertise and client relationships walk out the door with retiring partners.
Mergers without proper integration create a chaotic culture and put team retention at risk.
Our mission is to help mid-market and small independent CPA firms stay independent and carry on their legacy. For firms that want to remain independent, a clear succession plan and a strong leadership pipeline are critical.
We work closely with your team throughout the process. You don’t get a plan and then get left on your own. Whether you are preparing years in advance or handling an immediate retirement, and whether you plan to sell, merge or pass the firm on internally, the first steps are the same, and we help you take them now so you have real choices later.
Facilitated sessions that align the partner group on timing, exit strategy and the leadership roles the firm will need.
Leadership development that prepares the next generation to step in with confidence, and makes the partner role one they want.
Streamlined workflows that free up the capacity your team needs to train, transition clients and take on new responsibilities.
Major planning should begin five to seven years before a key leader plans to exit, and firms should discuss their exit strategies and refine the plan every year. Most firms start too late, which is what leads to rushed transitions and lost clients.
A strong plan covers who will lead the firm and how they will be prepared, how client relationships will transition, the timeline for each partner’s exit, and the firm’s long-term ownership strategy, whether that is an internal transition, a merger or a sale.
Yes, but it takes a plan. Firms that build a strong leadership pipeline and a documented succession plan protect their client relationships and revenue, grow firm value and keep the option to remain independent.
No. Whether you are preparing years ahead or handling an immediate retirement, the first steps are the same. Starting now gives the firm more options than waiting.
We work closely with your team throughout the process instead of handing over a plan and leaving you on your own, and we connect succession to the leadership, pipeline and process work that makes it possible.
Book a complimentary, 75-minute Succession Readiness Diagnostic to find out where your biggest opportunities are and what to prioritize first.
