CrossCountry Consulting hires Daragh Watson to lead new Chicago office
CrossCountry Consulting, a McLean, VA-headquartered management consulting firm, has launched a new Chicago location that will be led by office managing partner Daragh Watson.
The Chicago expansion is a response to “greater market demand,” the firm said in a press release, and continues the company’s nationwide growth.
CrossCountry was founded in 2011 and has grown to more than 700 professionals across offices in McLean, New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Seattle – with additional international talent located in Ireland, South Africa, and the Philippines.
The consultancy was acquired by Investcorp last year, with RLH Equity Partners exiting its majority stake but remaining a minority shareholder.
CrossCountry says it has been adding team members and clients in the Chicago area for the past several years.
“We are excited to expand our nationwide presence with the forming of the Chicago office,” said Erik Linn, CrossCountry Consulting’s co-founder and managing partner. “We are confident that under Daragh’s leadership, our team in Chicago will continue to deliver the exceptional service, better experience, and solutions that our clients expect from us.”
Watson brings more than 20 years of audit and advisory experience to CrossCountry, where he will direct Chicago market strategy and operations, as well as support client needs.
He joins from KPMG, where he spent over 20 years. He most recently served as a partner in the Chicago office, where he was deputy leader of the Midwest region asset management practice. Watson has audit experience across real estate, professional services, and investment management, and advisory experience supporting companies with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) conversion and convergence.
Before joining KPMG US in 2007, he spent six years at KPMG Ireland, where he was latterly a manager.
Watson has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Galway, Ireland, and is a certified public accountant in Illinois and a fellow chartered accountant in Ireland.
“I’m really proud to join CrossCountry in this growth phase and, specifically, to have the opportunity to lead the newly formed Chicago office,” said Watson. “The expansion into this market is another milestone in the firm’s tremendous growth story and highlights the continued investment in its people and supporting the needs of clients through tailored integrated solutions.”
CrossCountry has offerings in accounting advisory, business transformation, corporate transactions, risk and compliance, technology, cybersecurity, and data and analytics. The firm works with clients in financial services, health and life sciences, hospitality, real estate, and TMT.