Accounting and advisory firm BDO USA, announced today the appointment of Partner and Executive Team Member Christopher Tower as the company’s first ESG Strategy and Services Leader.
In addition to the new appointment, BDO also announced the launch of its new ESG Center of Excellence. Led by Tower, the center will provide access to ESG technical subject matter knowledge and solutions.
In his new role, Tower will be responsible for overseeing BDO USA’s ESG strategy, and the integration of sustainable business practices into the firm’s culture and operations, while also curating a range of service offerings and solutions to help clients advance their ESG journeys.
Wayne Berson, CEO of BDO USA, said:
“Christopher Tower’s assurance experience and background, combined with his personal passion for environmental and social causes, makes him the ideal leader to oversee our firm’s ESG efforts and initiatives. As trusted advisors to the middle market, we can have a significant impact in our communities by not only further integrating ESG into our own culture and operations but at the same time helping our clients build long-term resilience by integrating ESG into their own business models.”
Tower joined BDO USA in 1998 as a Line Audit Partner, and has since then held several positions within the company. Most recently, he served as National Managing Partner for Audit Quality and the Professional Practice. Prior to that, he also served as Western Regional Assurance Managing Partner.
Tower, said:
“As we work to advance BDO’s ESG journey, prioritizing ESG as a key component of the firm’s strategic vision for the future is the right thing to do in order to promote purposeful, sustainable and agile business for BDO and our clients. We are committed to making ESG synonymous with BDO, ensuring that sustainable business practices are integrated into everything we do to make sure the firm acts as a force of change for good.”
According to the firm, the two announcements mark a milestone for BDO’s commitment to ESG as a business strategy. To further advance its ESG strategy, BDO stated that is has established several new roles, appointing Partner Karen Baum as ESG Solutions Leader, Senior Director Cara Mooses as Corporate ESG Strategy Leader, and James Fountain, who recently joined BDO as Senior Director of ESG solutions.
