REDW LLC, one of the Southwest’s 10 largest certified public accounting and business consulting firms, is pleased to announce that Steve Cogan has been elected managing principal. Steve will succeed Ron Rivera, who has served as firm-wide managing principal for the past 15 years.
“I am both humbled and honored to be chosen by our principal group to lead REDW,†Steve commented. “Following Ron and continuing to honor the legacy of Sanford Rogoff will be a challenging task, but I am looking forward to the opportunity to lead the Firm as we grow together, work together and serve together.â€
The managing principal transition follows a well-coordinated succession planning process. REDW’s governance structure calls for the election of the managing principal every three years. Steve was elected in late 2015; he will assume responsibilities effective May 1, 2016. Ron had previously announced his plan to retire within three to five years.
Steve, who joined REDW in 1992 and became a principal of the Firm in 2000, will continue to work closely with Ron over the next few months to ensure the smooth and seamless transition of responsibilities and continuity in the Firm’s operations and strategic direction. Ron will remain active full-time in the Firm but will devote more time to serving clients, mentoring team members, growing the commercial practice by overseeing the consulting, outsourcing and accounting services, and participating in community service efforts.
During his tenure as managing principal, Ron guided REDW to significant growth, tripling its size by revenues, CPA headcount and total headcount. Under his leadership, the Firm maintained its Southwestern roots while establishing a national profile and opening an office in the Phoenix market. During this stretch, the Firm also became the 115th largest CPA firm by revenue in the nation, and one of the largest in the Southwest. Additionally, REDW was named among the 10 Fastest Growing CPA Firms in the nation in 2010 and 2014, according to Inside Public Accounting (2010) and AccountingToday.com (2014).
“We’ve seen unprecedented change in our profession over the past two decades. Despite some exceptional challenges and volatility in our economy, we were able to remain true to our core values and strategic direction,†Ron stated. “The Firm’s footprint expansion, combined with a strong value-oriented culture, make REDW an increasingly attractive destination for professionals and clients who seek a more efficient, yet sophisticated platform of delivering accounting, audit, tax and a wide range of financial and consulting services, including outsourcing,†Ron continued.
“REDW is a growing, dynamic firm and Steve is poised to continue to carry out our strategic vision and maintain our strong financial and operational position,†Ron added. “The timing is ideal and will best serve the Firm and our clients as we look to the next decade and beyond.â€
Steve will leverage the experience gained through his service as a member of the Firm’s Board of Directors, a senior member of the Audit & Consulting practice, head of the Firm’s Healthcare Industry and Internal Audit practices, and his leadership on a variety of local social service, cultural, industry and economic development boards.
“Ron has done a terrific job, and thanks to his leadership and business acumen, the Firm has grown to a market-leading position, offering diverse, integrated services to organizations and individuals,†Steve said. “It’s an exciting time to begin serving REDW in this new capacity, and I plan to build on Ron’s accomplishments and continue the Firm’s commitment to building trusting relationships based on integrity, accountability and shared values, and by helping our clients and each other succeed.â€
