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On June 1, 2022, FORVIS was created by the merger of equals of BKD, LLP and Dixon Hughes Goodman, LLP (DHG). Host Damien Martin sits down with FORVIS CEO Tom Watson and FORVIS Governing Board Chair Matt Snow to discuss why and what it means for those inside and outside of the newly created firm, which ranks among the nation’s top 10 public accounting firms. Here’s what they cover:
Get to Know Matt & Tom
- What they set out to study when they entered college—and how that changed
- Favorite ways to recharge
- Book recommendations
The Forward Vision that Led to FORVIS
- Background on BKD and DHG leading up to June 1, 2022
- Why BKD and DHG agreed to merge
- The most important things to get right in a merger
- Surprises so far
- What’s in a name?
- The vision for the first 100 days (and beyond) of FORVIS
- Why Tom and Matt are excited about FORVIS
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR OUR GUESTS
Tom Watson serves as the CEO of FORVIS, a top 10 public accounting firm. Tom is responsible for the leadership and strategic direction of the firm’s more than 5,500 dedicated professionals who serve clients in all 50 states as well as across the globe.
Before he was named CEO, Tom served as legacy BKD’s South Region managing partner with oversight of four states: Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. Prior to becoming regional managing partner, he served as the managing partner of legacy BKD’s Dallas/Fort Worth/Waco practice and was responsible for the administration, planning, personnel, and operations of that business unit’s partners and professionals. He also has previously served as legacy BKD’s South Region health care industry leader and provided audit and advisory services to some of legacy BKD’s most complex clients, with an emphasis on health care organizations.
Tom earned one of the highest scores ever achieved on the CPA exam in Arkansas and received the Elijah Watt Sells Award for outstanding performance on the exam. He is a Fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (FHFMA) and a member of the President’s Council at Harding University.
He is active in the community through involvement in numerous organizations. He serves as chair-elect for Dallas Summer Musicals and also serves as a board member for the Dallas chapters of The First Tee, American Heart Association, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Matt Snow serves as the Governing Board Chair of FORVIS. In his 30-plus-year career, Matt has had the opportunity to work with clients ranging from start-ups to large national organizations. This experience has enabled him to connect with a variety of clients and build a passion for excellent client service. His keen understanding of how clients should be served drives this priority for FORVIS.
Prior to becoming CEO of legacy firm DHG, Matt was the Regional Managing Partner for the firm’s Charlotte region, where he led and managed rapid growth in that market and helped extend the firm’s Advisory Practice across the firm’s footprint. Matt has also carried key client service roles, serving as the lead audit partner on a number of the firm’s largest public company audit clients. He has advised on assurance, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and financial reporting matters, primarily in the financial services industry.
Before joining DHG, Matt served as an audit partner at an international firm where he spent more than 20 years working with public companies in the financial services, manufacturing, and restaurant industries. While a partner, Matt served a rotation in that firm’s national Department of Professional Practice, and he was later named an SEC partner through which he served in a technical review role on public company audit engagements.
Matt currently serves on the Board of Directors of the AICPA and was previously the Chairman of the Major Firms Group of the AICPA. He was also previously on the Board of Directors of the United Way of the Central Carolinas, where he served as the Chairman of the Finance Committee.
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