Atlas
Back to Accounting Roll-Ups
Investment Banker·Accounting Roll-Ups

Alan Whitman

Chief Executive Officer at Nichols Cauley

Peachtree Corners, GA

AW
LinkedIn
Why they matter

He's the operator currently running the accounting-roll-up playbook live — fresh off tripling Baker Tilly via 20+ M&A deals, now CEO of an MDP-backed multi-service platform from day one.

Background

Alan Whitman is a CPA and former Chairman and CEO of Baker Tilly US (2016–2023), where he tripled the firm's revenue from roughly $500M to $1.5B through more than 20 mergers, including the landmark 2020 combination with California-based Squar Milner that gave the firm coast-to-coast reach. After an abrupt departure from Baker Tilly in 2023 and time running his own advisory shop, he was named CEO in January 2026 of a newly formed, Madison Dearborn Partners-backed platform combining Nichols Cauley, Partners Risk Services, and JGH Consulting.

Notable deals

  • 2020
    Led Baker Tilly's combination with Squar Milner, LLP, creating a coast-to-coast advisory CPA firm and pushing Baker Tilly into the top 10 U.S. accounting firms
  • 2025
    Appointed Chairman of the Board at HKA, a global expert services and consulting firm
  • 2026
    Named CEO of a new PE-backed platform merging Nichols Cauley, Partners Risk Services, and JGH Consulting, sponsored by Madison Dearborn Partners

Call-prep brief

Background

  • CPA, CITP, CGMA; nearly a decade as Chairman & CEO of Baker Tilly US (2016–2023)
  • Tripled Baker Tilly revenue ($500M → $1.5B) via 20+ mergers, including the 2020 Squar Milner combination that gave the firm national reach
  • Departed Baker Tilly abruptly in March 2023 over disagreements with the board on execution; ran independent advisory firm ADW Advisory afterward
  • Chairman of the Board at HKA (global expert services/consulting firm) since July 2025

Current focus

  • Named CEO in January 2026 of a newly formed platform combining Nichols Cauley (accounting), Partners Risk Services (insurance brokerage), and JGH Consulting (transaction advisory), backed by Madison Dearborn Partners
  • Platform launches with ~$59M identifiable revenue and ~200 CPA employees, targeting small/midsize and family-owned businesses across the Southeast

What he cares about

  • Deliberate, engineered growth over rapid tuck-in accumulation — building multi-disciplinary services (accounting + insurance + transaction advisory) from inception rather than bolting them on later
  • Institutional-grade governance and sponsor-backed infrastructure, likely a reaction to the friction he hit at Baker Tilly

Sensitivities

  • His Baker Tilly exit was contentious and abrupt — approach with care, don't lead with it
  • Very new in the CEO seat (deal closing Q1 2026) — may be guarded on platform specifics until integration matures

Questions to ask

  1. What did the Baker Tilly board disagreement teach you about structuring governance at the new platform?
  2. How is Madison Dearborn's mandate shaping the near-term M&A pipeline versus organic integration priorities?
  3. Why combine accounting, insurance, and transaction advisory from day one rather than the traditional tuck-in model?

Outreach draft

Subject
Your accounting roll-up playbook, post-Baker Tilly
Alan, Congrats on the new role — leading a Madison Dearborn-backed platform that pairs accounting, insurance, and transaction advisory from day one is a notably different model from the tuck-in roll-ups we typically see in this space, and your Baker Tilly track record (20+ mergers, 3x revenue growth) makes you a rare voice on how to execute it well. We're doing diligence on the accounting/professional-services roll-up landscape and would value 20–30 minutes to hear your read on where sponsor-backed platforms succeed or stumble operationally, particularly around governance and integration pacing. Would you have time in the next couple of weeks? Best, [Placeholder Name]

Sources