REDW LLC, one of the Southwest’s 10 largest accounting firms, has elected Steve Cogan as managing principal, succeeding 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,” Cogan said in a statement. “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.”
The managing principal transition follows a coordinated succession planning process. REDW’s governance structure calls for the election of the managing principal every three years. Cogan was elected in late 2015. He will assume his new responsibilities May 1, 2016. Rivera previously announced his plan to retire within three to five years.
Cogan joined REDW in 1992 and became a principal in 2000. He plans to continue to work closely with Rivera over the next few months to ensure the smooth and seamless transition of responsibilities and continuity in the firm’s operations and strategic direction. Rivera will remain active full-time at REDW but plans to 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, Rivera 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 Albuquerque, N.M.-based firm became one of the largest CPA firms in the Southwest. REDW ranked 6th on Accounting Today’s 2016 Regional Leaders list of the Top 100 Firms in the Southwest, with $27.89 million in annual revenue.
“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,” Rivera stated. “The firm’s footprint expansion, combined with a strong value-oriented culture, makes 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. 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. The timing is ideal and will best serve the firm and our clients as we look to the next decade and beyond.”
Cogan plans to use the experience he gained 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,” said Cogan. “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.”
