A day after Grant Thornton announced its next occupant of the corner office, Moss Adams sent out a release on Sept. 16 saying who its next corner office dweller will be.
The new boss of Moss starting next April is Eric Miles, a partner who currently leads the firm’s consulting practice and has spent his entire 23-year career at Moss Adams.
Moss Adams, one of the largest accounting, consulting and wealth management firms in the nation, announced the selection of Eric Miles as its next chairman and chief executive officer, effective April 1, 2022.
Chris Schmidt, the firm’s current chairman and CEO, will transition from his role over the next six months, working closely with firm leaders to transfer his responsibilities.
Miles joined Moss Adams in 1998 [as a staff!] and currently leads the firm’s Consulting Services, overseeing more than 50 distinct service lines. Throughout his career, Miles’ experience has covered a wide variety of practice areas, including operations, compliance, accounting, information technology and fraud prevention. He is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and previously led the firm’s Technology, Communications & Media and Life Sciences Practices.
“I’m honored by the opportunity to serve as the new CEO of Moss Adams,” said Miles. “Chris skillfully led Moss Adams through a time of incredible disruption, evolution and growth during his tenure as CEO. His intense focus on our clients and our people, combined with his unwavering commitment and energy, have positioned us well to execute on the firm’s 2025 strategic plan and beyond.”
Schmidt, who is retiring on March 31, 2022, joined Moss Adams in 1986 as an assurance professional, went on to become office managing partner at the firm’s location in Orange County, CA, and took over as president and COO in 2004. He was elected chairman and CEO of Moss Adams in 2012.
Moss PR noted that under Schmidt’s leadership, the firm has grown from 1,800 professionals to more than 3,400—and more than doubled its revenue.
It also should be noted that during the coronavirus panic of April 2020, Moss Adams slashed employee pay between 5% and 20% and furloughed 370 employees, 103 of whom weren’t invited back. Schmidt and the others on the firm’s leadership team did restore employee pay in late June 2020.
