Oct. 27 – The Leading Edge Alliance (LEA), of which Dezan Shira & Associates is a member, has just concluded their annual managing partners meeting in Miami celebrating the group’s tenth anniversary and third successive year of combined total billings in excess of US$2 billion.
LEA is an international professional association of independently-owned accounting and consulting firms that include firms from more than ninety countries around the world. Member firms are typically the largest non-Big Four practices in their respective locations. Dezan Shira & Associates has been a member of the association since 2004.
Gary Shamus, the alliance’s founder, states:“The essence of The Leading Edge Alliance is our visionary leadership. Our members anticipate the challenges ahead, developing and implementing strategies to position their firms for success. With the increased use of teams, rapid speed of globalization and the continuous search for talent, The Leading Edge Alliance takes the necessary steps to forge strong networks.”
He added: “We have a propensity to recognize and retain talent, a sixth-sense when it comes to anticipating our members’ needs, and a relentless pursuit to improve business in important ways.”
Chris Devonshire-Ellis, Dezan Shira & Associates’ founding partner, told 2point6billion: “Having a viable alternative to the Big Four means being able to interlink globally and maintain a high degree of professional aptitude, integrity and client satisfaction among all firms. With Leading Edge we are able to plug into a global network of over 17,000 professionals. ”
“The quality impact that has on member firms is extraordinary and gives us a distinct advantage over smaller practices that lack such infrastructure and knowledge sharing capabilities,” he says.
This year, the Alliance recorded its third successive year of combined total billings being in excess of US$2 billion. Devonshire-Ellis said: “The fact that global revenues have remained strong is indicative of the positive nature our clients view their relationships with our alliance and with the respective member firms. ”
“These figures are particularly impressive given the current global climate and are a testimony to the manner in which our firms are viewed, and by the excellent level of client service and professionalism member firms have been able to deliver.”
LEA members are stringently audited prior to membership. The total billings of the network now exceed those of Grant Thornton or BDO Seidmann. This makes the Leading Edge Alliance, if it were to consolidate as one entity as opposed to individual firms, the fifth largest accounting practice in the world.
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A great example of what networking can do. Congratulations!
Thank you Observer – this isn’t networking however. This is an organisation: http://www.leadingedgealliance.com
The photo incidentally shows several alliance members including Dezan Shira’s Hank Bourg (far right) and Seema Rani Bhende to his left, based in Shanghai and Mumbai respectively.
Very well done people. I’m sure thats raised a few eyebrows, but I’m not altogether surprised your firm is a success, I have met several of your partners and staff. Congratulations.
Again, thank you Peter. We’ve worked hard to get where we are, and we’re very happy to be able to contribute to and be part of such a prestigious group as the Leading Edge Alliance.