Tower
Chicago-based IPA 100 firm BDO USA (FY21 net revenue of $2 billion) has launched a new ESG Center of Excellence and has appointed partner and executive team member Christopher Tower as the firm’s first ESG strategy and services leader.
The new ESG Center of Excellence and the formation of an ESG leadership team looks to bring together BDO’s ESG-related service offerings under one umbrella. In his new role, Tower – who most recently served as the national MP for audit quality and the professional practice – will oversee the firm’s ESG strategy, integrating sustainable business practices into the firm’s culture and operations, while also curating a range of service offerings and solutions to help clients advance their own ESG efforts. In addition to Tower, partner Karen Baum has been named ESG solutions leader and will spearhead the firm’s ESG client service offerings, senior director Cara Mooses has been named corporate ESG strategy leader and will oversee the integration of ESG into BDO’s business strategy and operations, and James Fountain recently joined the firm as senior director of ESG solutions to provide strategic and technical guidance to clients and BDO professionals on ESG-related client projects.
“Christopher Tower’s assurance experience and background, combined with his personal passion for environmental and social causes, makes him the ideal leader to oversee our firm’s ESG efforts and initiatives,” says BDO USA CEO Wayne Berson. “As trusted advisors to the middle market, we can have a significant impact in our communities by not only further integrating ESG into our own culture and operations but at the same time helping our clients build long-term resilience by integrating ESG into their own business models.”
