Accounting and advisory company BDO USA has revealed that its CEO, Wayne Berson, intends to retire in June 2026.
The firm has initiated its CEO succession process, identifying Matthew Becker, national managing principal of tax, as the candidate to succeed Berson.
Over the coming weeks, Berson and Becker will conduct meetings with the firm’s principals before a principal-wide ratification vote expected in July.
Once a successor is agreed upon by a majority vote, the board of directors will announce the next CEO, with the new term commencing on 1 July 2026.
Berson has held the position of CEO since 2012.
In a statement, BDO USA said: “Under his [Berson’s] leadership, the firm has grown nearly 400%, to annual revenues of approximately $3bn.”
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By GlobalDataBerson has been credited with guiding BDO USA’s evolution from a partnership structure to a corporate entity and subsequently an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) company, allowing all qualifying employees to benefit from the firm’s success and growth.
Berson will continue serving on the BDO USA board of directors and as chair of the global board of directors for BDO International until his retirement.
Becker, the potential CEO candidate, is responsible for the strategy and operations of the company’s tax practice and has been a longstanding member of the executive leadership team.
BDO USA said: “Becker’s impressive accomplishments and unwavering character position him to sustain BDO’s growth trajectory while managing the complexities of a rapidly changing industry.”
Recently, BDO USA launched an artificial intelligence (AI) strategy to empower its people and clients strategically.
It includes implementing an AI governance framework and an AI learning curriculum.
BDO USA is backing its AI strategy with a global investment exceeding $1bn over five years.
To spearhead this effort, the firm named Mike Gerhard as its chief data and AI officer in 2024.
Gerhard is tasked with leading data and AI initiatives, fostering business insights and innovation, and creating proprietary AI tools to improve service delivery at BDO USA.
