RSM Australia steps up its commitment to developing leadership pipeline with new appointments

Professional services firm RSM Australia has further bolstered its leadership ranks elevating nine internal staff to the position of Principal, including four in regional Australia to manage the growth being experienced.

RSM’s first round of new leadership appointments for the 2023 new year (see list below) will bring its total contingent of Principals to 66. Principal positions are a steppingstone to Partner. RSM Partner numbers remain steady at 131, following a range of lateral/external appointments during 2022.

Six of the nine new Principal appointments are in business advisory, which represents 45 percent of RSM’s total client services.

A further two appointments are in assurance and advisory and one in corporate finance – areas of growth for the award-winning mid-tier firm.

RSM Australia Chief Executive Partner Jamie O’Rourke said RSM had a range of programs and incentives in place to build its internal leadership pipeline including its highly successful Principal Development Program.

“This program unearths leadership ambition and builds capability with nominated aspirants requiring majority Partner approval to take part in the two-year program,’’ he said.

“Talent is at a premium in the current skills squeeze and will likely remain an ongoing challenge with accounting identified among the top 20 occupations projected to record the highest employment growth in the five years to November 2026’’* In 2023, RSM Australia will recommence its formal secondment program for auditors .

Mr O’Rourke said RSM’s human capital had been pivotal in lifting the company’s net revenue by 16 percent in the 2021-22 financial year to $278 million.

“This is up 29 percent from 2019-20 (pre-pandemic) and 54 percent since 2016-17. This puts us on track to deliver our 2024 goal of $337 million in net revenue.”

In 2023, RSM Australia will recommence its formal secondment program for auditors with 28 audit and risk staff set to spend four months at RSM’s global partner offices in the UK and USA.

This year RSM Australia hosted 38 auditors through the reporting season from its overseas offices including Singapore, Hong Kong, Philippines, South Africa and the UK.