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Bob Lewis

The Visionary Group
President
blewis@thinkvisionary.com
(800) 995-9186

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Bob is one of Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting. His focus is to build the Enterprise Value of CPA Firms using a process of mergers and acquisitions, succession planning, and refinement of a firm’s organic growth decisions. He has been exclusively supporting the CPA profession for 25-plus years and collaborates with firms of any size including a few of the largest firms in the country.

For firms looking to explore M&A, his team has a search process to identify tuck-ins or platform locations to build upon. Candidates can be CPA firms and non-accounting businesses such as tech companies, specialty management consultants, VARs, or other businesses. Bob and his team identify practices not up for sale or merger yet and manage the deal cycle from start through negotiations and closure.

Organic growth and firm succession are two areas Bob helps firms navigate. Organically, Bob acts as the Chief Growth or Advisory Officer for CPA firms. In these roles, he collaborates with leadership to shape the firm’s vision to refine their future organic growth, expand advisory capabilities, and use M&A as a focused growth catalyst. He helps firms analyze underperforming clients and instills a focused growth process. From a succession perspective, many firms want to preserve their legacy. Bob designs partnership buy-ins, compensation structures, and multi-layered incentive goals, and trains newer partners.

Bob is a frequent speaker nationally, at local events, and in individual firms. He was an accountant and has a Bachelor of Science in Finance and an MBA, both from DePaul University in Chicago, IL. 

About Us: Visionary Marketing helps to drive innovative thinking for CPA firms by implementing the activities that build firm value. Visionary Marketing is actively involved in the entire deal process and starts conversations with firms and non-accounting businesses looking at their exit strategy or opening a merger or sale. Examples are VARs, CRM/ERP providers, or other specialty companies. It provides industry-leading advice that builds the enterprise value of a CPA firm. Visionary works with leadership to focus on key metrics that make an impact and help firms adapt and transform as the CPA profession changes. Visionary's Advisory Officer role helps firms refine whom to add as a client, advisory capabilities, pricing strategies, client mining, referral partner development, partnership agreements, and every aspect of a firm’s profitability.

 

Archived Webinars

DISRUPTION AND OPPORTUNITY IN ACCOUNTING FIRM MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
Recorded Date June 6, 2024  Cost Free Presentation Length 1.0 hour  CPE: Not available (archived webinars do not offer CPE credits)  Subject Area Finance  Course Level Basic      Who Should Attend CFO / Controller, CPA - small firm, CPA - medium firm, CPA - large firm     
HOW TO INCREASE AN ACCOUNTING FIRM'S CAPACITY
Recorded Date April 4, 2024  Cost Free Presentation Length 1.0 hour  CPE: Not available (archived webinars do not offer CPE credits)  Subject Area Business Management and Organization  Course Level Basic      Who Should Attend CPA - small firm, CPA - medium firm, CPA - large firm     
ACCOUNTING FIRM SUCCESSION: WILL YOU HAVE TO SELL OR MERGE?
Recorded Date February 7, 2024  Cost Free Presentation Length 1.0 hour  CPE: Not available (archived webinars do not offer CPE credits)  Subject Area Business Management and Organization  Course Level Basic      Who Should Attend Bookkeeper, CFO / Controller, CPA - small firm, CPA - medium firm, CPA - large firm     
STATE OF THE CPA PROFESSION
Recorded Date December 15, 2023  Cost Free Presentation Length 1.0 hour  CPE: Not available (archived webinars do not offer CPE credits)  Subject Area Business Management and Organization  Course Level Basic      Who Should Attend CFO / Controller, CPA - small firm, CPA - medium firm, CPA - large firm     
EXPAND YOUR CPA FIRM'S CAPACITY TO ACCELERATE GROWTH: BREAKING DOWN 5 METHODS
Recorded Date June 14, 2023  Cost Free Presentation Length 1.0 hour  CPE: Not available (archived webinars do not offer CPE credits)  Subject Area Business Management and Organization  Course Level Basic      Who Should Attend Bookkeeper, CPA - small firm, CPA - medium firm