Top 10 Firm CliftonLarsonAllen LLP announced that Jen Leary will become chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1, 2021.
Leary succeeds Denny Schleper, who will become CEO emeritus. She has been with the firm for 11 years in a number of firm-wide roles. Most recently, she served as chief strategy officer.
“Jen has the experience and extensive knowledge of the industry to continue to build our brand and global reach. The collaborative transition process between leaders across the firm over the past year has me excited for the future,” said Schleper, in a statement. “It has been an honor to serve the CLA family for over 30 years in many roles, across multiple geographies and service lines.”
The transition completes a year-long succession process. “CLA operates very intentionally,” Leary said in a statement. “Our leaders are actively involved before, during, and after any transition. We stand on the shoulders of giants – the many leaders who came before us to create our CLA legacy. I’m proud to lead within a firm where succession is evident at every level.”
CLA also announced the appointment of five members of Leary’s leadership team:
- Nancy Brown, as chief culture and engagement officer;
- Cathy Clarke, as chief quality officer;
- Scott Engelbrecht, as chief geographic officer;
- Yassir Karam, as chief solutions officer; and,
- John Langan, as chief industry officer.
“CLA’s immediate focus in 2021 is helping our clients navigate to the other side of this pandemic and uncover opportunities in the process,” Leary said. “We look forward to building on our commitment to positioning our clients, our people and our communities to build a stronger future.”
