partner succession: it’s all about client transition and retention

by gary adamson, cpa
adamson advisory

cpa firms are wrestling their way through partner retirements and the accompanying succession issues in numbers that the profession has never seen before. it’s the baby boomer bubble, up close and personal.

our succession planning should focus on replacing that retiring partner’s contribution on several fronts. depending on the role of the retiring partner in the firm we will experience varying levels of pain surrounding things like replacing significant knowledge or technical expertise, back-filling a block of hours to get the work done and shoring up voids left in firm leadership. these are all significant issues and deserve a plan of their own.

but the biggie  is the transition of client relationships.