November 2017. The Alliance Group, then known as Alliance Executive Search, was DC’s premier provider of direct-hire search functions for mid to large sized companies looking to hire public accounting professionals for corporate roles.
While we had an Interim Staffing division, our clients, kept asking us if we knew of any former Big Four Seniors and Managers to work on project-based work. At that time, ASC 606 was a large ask. We also were asked for assistance in SEC Reporting, M&A Integration, pre-IPO work, and Technical Accounting. Of course, these individuals were not available on the traditional interim market. We tried to provide people with more years of experience, without a Big 4 background, without the polish of those that come from some of the best companies in the world. Our clients ask, requested, and demanded more of what they were used to us providing on the direct-hire side.
Enter: Pat Fry, CPA. Alliance Client Advisory’s Employee #1. Knowing that he hated assurance in public accounting, but not knowing what he wanted to do long-term, Pat wanted to get exposure to multiple areas of accounting, while working less hours. Alliance saw an opportunity to pilot an Advisory Practice.
Four and a half years later, we now have over 30 on our Client Advisory Team. We are competing and winning against Big Four Advisory practices. Our employee engagement is in the top 1% of similarly situated firms, and our reputation is unmatched in the market. Our retention rate over 4.5 years hovers at 95% (not per year, but in the entirety of the practice!). Simply put, when those with a public background have a chance to experience Alliance, they do not leave.
The future of Alliance Client Advisory is bright, but we cannot look forward to the future, without recognizing those who helped us start the practice. Thank you to the clients that pushed us to open the practice, and thank you to those who believed in Alliance Client Advisory before it even had a name.
As we come up on our 10 year anniversary as a company and 5 years with Alliance Client Advisory, check out our website and reach out to learn more about Alliance Client Advisory and how you be a part of the growth!