Grant Thornton names Janet Malzone as incoming head of audit services
Grant Thornton LLP, the US member firm of Grant Thornton International, has named Janet Malzone as the incoming leader of its audit services business. Malzone, an 18-year veteran of the firm, will take over the role on August 1, 2021.
Malzone succeeds Jeff Burgess, who will retire at the end of the fiscal year (July 31, 2021). Burgess has been with Grant Thornton since 2002, and previously served as national managing partner of professional standards and head of the Greensboro, NC office. Before joining Grant Thornton he spent 18 years at Arthur Andersen, where he was an audit partner.
Malzone brings nearly 30 years of public accounting and audit experience to the role. She joined Grant Thornton in 2002, became an audit partner in 2005, and was named head of the audit practice in Grant Thornton’s Chicago office in 2011. Malzone has served as audit practice leader for the Midwest region since 2012, and was named a partnership board member in 2018.
Malzone has an MS in accounting from the University of Central Florida and a BS in accounting from Florida State University, and is a certified public accountant in Illinois and Florida. In 2017 she named one of the “Most Influential Women Accountants in Chicago” by Crain’s Chicago Business.
“Janet will not only help our clients navigate a complex and challenging business environment, she will also drive our audit capabilities into the future by harnessing technology and innovation,” said Brad Preber, CEO of Grant Thornton. “She is the ideal leader to build on Jeff’s track record of creating a dynamic audit practice that keeps quality at the core of its operations and client services.”
Grant Thornton’s audit practice provides services in public and private company audit, accounting advisory, employee benefit plan audit, and digital assets. The practice is increasingly using new technology such as data analytics, robotic process automation, and AI to streamline audits and provide new insights to clients.
Grant Thornton LLP posted revenues of $1.92 billion in FY2020, and operates more than 50 US offices delivering audit, tax, and advisory services. It is the largest member firm of Grant Thornton International, which has $5.45 billion in annual revenues and 53,000 professionals in 135+ countries.
The firm recently named seven new leaders in its longstanding industry practice, which encompasses Grant Thornton’s full range of audit, tax, and advisory services.
