M&A Diaries - S2EP6 - Alan Whitman - How Baker Tilly Grew from $500M to $1.5B - Watch Here

About the Guest:

Alan Whitman, former CEO of Baker Tilly, is what you get when discipline meets vision. Under his leadership, the firm expanded nationally and internationally, navigated cultural integration with nuance, and doubled down on values while tripling in size. Post-retirement, he advises CEOs, writes, and shares his “strategy-first” philosophy—soon to be published in book form.

Summary:

When Alan Whitman took the reins as CEO of Baker Tilly, he didn’t just grow a firm—he rewired it for scale. In this rich and revealing episode of M&A Diaries, host James explores how Whitman led Baker Tilly through a decade-long transformation, tripling its revenue from $500 million to $1.5 billion, executing over 20 acquisitions, and redefining what leadership looks like in professional services. If you’ve ever wondered what real strategic execution sounds like—this is it.

The conversation balances big-picture strategic thinking with ground-level execution tactics, offering rare behind-the-scenes insights into the cultural, operational, and leadership challenges of rapid M&A growth. Whether you're scaling a firm, acquiring one, or just trying to keep the culture intact while everything changes—this one’s worth your full attention.]

Key Takeaways:

1. Organic growth was the holy grail – Whitman believed the truest test of a firm's value was its ability to grow organically. Acquisitions were tools, not the endgame.

2. Discipline enabled freedom – Drawing on Jocko Willink’s mantra “Discipline Equals Freedom,” Whitman systematized operations to unlock innovation.

3. Strategy was the trunk of the tree – Everything—culture, integration, innovation—was rooted in a clearly articulated, relentlessly executed strategy.

4. Cultural integration > systems integration – Baker Tilly embedded trusted partners post-acquisition to act as culture carriers, not just process enforcers.

5. Leadership was about plucking talent – Whitman routinely pulled people from traditional roles to give them non-linear growth opportunities, strengthening internal innovation.

6. PE money is not the villain – Institutional capital, when paired with clear strategy and accountability, can actually de-risk growth—not derail it.

7. “Good enough” is the enemy – The biggest barrier to transformation in partner-led firms? Complacency masked as culture.

8. Small deals can be harder than big ones – Smaller firms often have more emotional barriers to M&A, requiring deeper relationship-building upfront.

Article:

The Architect of Scale: How Alan Whitman Tripled Baker Tilly and Built a Culture That Didn't Break

They say growth kills culture. Alan Whitman disagrees—and he has the numbers to back it up.

In this insightful episode of M&A Diaries, host James sits down with the former CEO of Baker Tilly to dissect how the firm scaled from $500 million to $1.5 billion in revenue, executed 20+ acquisitions, and came out stronger—not fractured—on the other side. The episode is a masterclass in operational leadership, culture integration, and strategic clarity.

From the outset, Whitman challenges a popular myth in professional services: that scale requires sacrificing soul. “Our culture actually got stronger as we grew,” he says, citing not just retention and performance, but a groundswell of internal innovation that came from empowering people—not stifling them.

That empowerment didn’t come from chaos. It came from discipline.

“Discipline equals freedom,” Whitman quotes, borrowing from Navy SEAL-turned-author Jocko Willink. By standardizing systems, freeing partners from tactical ambiguity, and relentlessly aligning on strategy (“the trunk of the tree”), Baker Tilly created a platform where new ideas could flourish.

Acquisitions were not opportunistic land grabs—they were strategic chess moves. The firm embedded legacy Baker Tilly partners into newly acquired offices to spread not just process, but values. These “culture carriers” didn’t just onboard systems—they translated the firm’s DNA.

Whitman also lifts the curtain on his leadership style: he didn’t just promote the obvious candidates. He plucked talent sideways—sometimes against the grain—to unlock potential and spark innovation. One example? Moving a high-performing managing partner into the role of Head of People, much to the initial horror of traditionalists. “People are the start, middle, and end of everything,” Whitman insists. “Why wouldn’t we pay that role like it matters?”

The episode also touches on the role of private equity and external sponsors. While some fear the loss of autonomy, Whitman argues that external governance often pushes firms to perform better. “It’s like having a trainer at the gym,” he explains. “You push harder with accountability.”

And that, perhaps, is Whitman’s biggest lesson. Strategy isn’t just about what you say—it’s how you behave. How you build systems. How you choose leaders. How you embed culture into every corner of a growing business.

For any founder, partner, or investor navigating M&A, this episode is a blueprint for scaling without losing what matters most.

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