Baker Tilly US CEO Alan Whitman new chair of Baker Tilly International
Alan Whitman, the CEO of Baker Tilly in the US, has been named chairman of global network Baker Tilly International.
As chairman of Baker Tilly International, Whitman will oversee a network of independent accounting and consulting firms that span 148 territories and 37,000 employees. Baker Tilly has annual global revenues of $4.04 billion.
Whitman will begin his four-year term as chairman in October, succeeding Tim Christen, who has served in the role since 2017.
“It is an honor to work with Baker Tilly International’s leadership and our members in this extraordinary time,” Whitman said. “Our collective purpose makes our network more than just a collection of firms. We are united in our commitment to our clients who fuel our economies and enrich our communities throughout the world.”
Whitman was in January elected to his third three-year term as CEO of Baker Tilly US, the largest member firm of Baker Tilly International. Since becoming CEO in 2016, Whitman has doubled the firm’s annual revenue and expanded its presence in Texas and California.
He has been at Baker Tilly US since 2003, and previously served as founder and head of the international services practice, as well as Detroit market leader.
“As CEO of Baker Tilly US, Alan brings a unique perspective to the role,” said Ted Verkade, CEO of Baker Tilly International. “He has his pulse on the needs of our members and their clients, and a strong vision for our accelerated evolution as a network.”
The Baker Tilly network is governed by the international board of directors, which has a minimum of 15 elected members, and sets the procedures of the network and oversees the global office team. Board members are drawn from current or former senior partners from each of Baker Tilly’s regions.
The global office, headed by CEO Ted Verkade, is based in London and recommends policies and regulations to manage the network, as well as ensure alignment in execution of global strategy.
In December of 2018, the Baker Tilly member firms decided to rebrand to Baker Tilly in a bid to improve brand cohesion – having previously retained their legacy names. For example, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause switched to Baker Tilly US, while Canadian member firm Collins Barrow switched to Baker Tilly Canada.
