Mazars USA names Brian Clouse audit services leader

Mazars USA has appointed partner Brian Clouse to the new role of national audit service line leader, unifying the accounting and consulting firm’s attest practice across all regions in the US.

The firm has expanded its attest services in recent times due to demand from a growing number of international firms seeking to do business in the US. “Attest” refers to independent reviews, audits, and compilations.

“We are mindful that technology is altering the landscape of the audit profession and enabling innovation to drive an even faster pace of change,” said Victor Wahba, chairman and CEO of Mazars USA. “To capture the opportunities, we are proactively building a dynamic national and global platform to service our clients across our key sectors including Manufacturing & Distribution, Financial Services, Real Estate and Healthcare industries. Brian has a change management mindset and is well positioned to lead the growth of our National Audit Service Line."

Clouse has more than 23 years of financial, auditing, managing, and consulting experience with insurance and reinsurance companies. He has spent the last 15 years at Mazars USA, most recently serving as insurance sector lead and executive board member. Before that, he was leader of the firm’s insurance audit practice.

Prior to joining Mazars, Clouse was director of strategic planning and budgeting at PMA Capital and assistant director of financial analysis at CIGNA. He started his career at Arthur Andersen, where he was an audit manager. He holds a BS in accounting from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

"As the firm continues to expand on its national expansion strategy, it made sense to unify the audit practice under a more central leadership to ensure we continuously adapt to needs of the market, and we continue providing top-quality service for our clients,” Clouse said. “I'm excited to help build a singular audit practice that works cohesively to serve clients effectively, efficiently and support the expansion of our firm."

Mazars USA reported revenue growth of 12.1% in North America in fiscal year 2019. Audit remains the core offering at the Mazars international network, comprising 64% of its $2 billion annual revenue.

Earlier this year, the US member firm expanded its executive board from five to seven members, amid its national growth.