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PE Deal Tracker Update: Alan Whitman Plants a Flag in the Private Equity Landscape
Tracker surges into 2026 with more than 200 transactions.
In January alone, dozens of private-equity-backed deals surfaced — more than a quarter of all 12 months last year. And it hasn’t slowed down yet.
By CPA Trendlines Research
Cornerstone Reports
Former Baker Tilly CEO Alan Whitman is returning to the center of accounting’s private equity vortex with a new mandate and a new sponsor, taking the helm of a newly capitalized triple-threat CPA firm, insurance agency, and transaction consultancy.
MORE Alan Whitman: Breaking the Mold with PE Backing | Holistic Guide | Whitman: Build Culture on ‘Progress,’ Not Change |Moss Adams-Baker Tilly Merger: Bigger Isn’t Better. Better Is Better. | Rory Henry and The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management | Cornerstone Reports | Private Equity
In the new edition of the CPA Trendlines PE Deal Tracker™, Madison Dearborn Partners, the Chicago-based private equity firm, founded in 1992 and managing more than $28 billion in assets, is backing the combination of Nichols Cauley, a Georgia-based CPA firm, with Partners Risk Services and JGH Consulting in a three-entity formation designed not as a tuck-in acquisition but as an integrated advisory foundation from inception.
At Nichols, an eight-office regional leader, Whitman may be inventing more than the next generation of CPA firms. It could be a new breed. “It’s going to be a lot of fun scaling a new product,” Whitman tells CPA Trendlines’ Rory Henry in the latest episode of The Holitic Guide to Wealth Management. “It’s kind of a new category in the space.”
The CPA PE Playbook: Private Equity 2026 Outlook & Strategy Guide
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The Definitive Guide to Private Equity’s Transformation of the CPA Profession
Exclusively for PRO Members Only, here
Not yet a PRO Member? Go PRO here
By CPA Trendlines Research
The accounting profession is changing faster than at any time in its modern history—and private equity is driving the shift. More than $30 billion in new capital has entered CPA firms since 2020, igniting a powerful wave of consolidation, modernization, and strategic reinvention. Firms that once relied on incremental growth and traditional partnership structures are now operating as high-performance platforms built for scale, technology adoption, and national reach.
The CPA PE Playbook is the most comprehensive analysis available today on this historic transformation.
If you want to know where the profession is heading, how PE-backed firms are competing, and what it will take to thrive in the next decade, this is the report you need.
Exclusively for PRO Members Only
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Bissett Bullet: Not All Business Owners are Created the Same
Today’s Bissett Bullet: “Every business owner you meet will have a unique set of goals, both business and personal, but they will fall under one of three motivations.”
By Martin Bissett
Do they have a desire to retire – are they looking for the fastest way to get out?
Do they have a desire to inspire – are they an empire builder wanting to expand fast and create something special?
Or, do they have a desire to perspire – are they in survival mode with their back against the wall and in need of your help?
Understanding your audience and their desires will help you to identify the best solution for them and tailor your message to suit.
Today’s To-Do:
Look at your prospect meetings for the next couple of weeks. From what you know of them so far from your initial contact, which of the above do they fall under? How does that help you to prepare for your meeting?
See more Bissett Bullets here
Joe Pine: The Transformation Economy Comes for Public Accounting | Gear Up for Growth
As AI automates compliance, value shifts to measurable outcomes and client aspirations.
This is a preview. The complete episode is first available exclusively to PRO Members | Go PRO here
Sponsored by The Balanced Millionaire: The Advisor Edition by Dr. Jackie Meyer | See Today’s Special Offer
Subscribe to CPA Trendlines podcasts anywhere: Apple, Google/YouTube, Spotify, iHeart, Deezer, Amazon Music, Audible, Player FM, Audacy, RSS.
Gear Up for Growth
With Jean Caragher
For CPA Trendlines
Author and strategist B. Joseph Pine II urges accounting firm leaders to confront a fundamental question: What business are you really in?
MORE Jean Caragher here | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | MORE Gear Up for Growth | MORE CPA Trendlines videos and podcasts here
According to Pine, the profession is approaching a critical inflection point as the global economy moves beyond goods, services, and even experiences, into what he calls the transformation economy.
“You use experiences as a raw material to guide people to change, to help them achieve their aspirations,” Pine tells Gear Up for Growth host Jean Caragher, president of Capstone Marketing. This shift, he explains, requires firms to move beyond simply delivering accounting work efficiently to helping clients achieve meaningful, measurable change.
It’s Time to Think about Your Exit Strategy
It’s never too early to consider your legacy.
By Jackie Meyer
The Balanced Millionaire: Advisor Edition
Building a successful advisory practice is a significant achievement. But have you considered what happens next once you’ve reached your current goals? It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day operations and growth of your firm without thinking long-term. However, true freedom and peace of mind come from knowing you have a plan for the future of your business and the impact you’ll leave behind.
MORE by Jackie Meyer
Exclusively for PRO Members. Log in here or upgrade to PRO today.
This article delves into the critical topics of exit strategy and legacy. We’ll explore why it’s essential to plan for the future even in the early stages of building your firm, discuss various options for eventually selling or transitioning your business, and get you thinking deeply about the legacy you want to create. Planning your exit isn’t about wanting to quit – it’s about building a business that’s a valuable asset and ensuring your hard work carries on according to your wishes.
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Where to Focus Marketing for Your Consulting Practice
There are three types. Where have your efforts been?
By August Aquila
MAX: Maximize Productivity, Profitability and Client Retention
There is no silver bullet when it comes to marketing. That does not mean that having a focused marketing plan is not of critical importance to the success of your consulting practice. At last count, there were more than 15 different marketing tools that you can use to support your sales efforts, to generate leads and to get prospects to select your firm.
MORE by August J. Aquila
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The first question that comes to mind is, “Which of the marketing tools should my firm use?” Only you can answer that question, but here are some other things to consider in reaching your decision:
- What do I or my consultants like to do when it comes to marketing?
- What are we trying to accomplish? Do you need leads, name recognition, publicity, promotional material, online presence, etc.?
Be Open to Unexpected Opportunities
Good things can happen in surprising ways.
By Ed Mendlowitz
Call Me Before You Do Anything: The Art of Accounting
My friend Al is a sole practitioner with seven staff members and a thriving audit practice, besides the typical tax and small business tax clients.
MORE by Ed Mendlowitz
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He is getting older, and while he has no plans to retire and is actively trying to grow his practice, he periodically meets with larger firms to see if there is an interest in acquiring his practice when that day comes. By doing this he stumbled on a fantastic business development formula.
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