{"id":232059,"date":"2026-04-15T00:54:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T00:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/232059\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T00:54:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T00:54:11","slug":"russell-goldberg-partner-in-charge-withum-orlando-caa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/232059\/","title":{"rendered":"Russell Goldberg, Partner-in-Charge, Withum \u2013 Orlando – caa"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"RussellApril 2026 \u2014 Over the past year, Withum has navigated shifting market conditions, growing demand for advisory services, and the rapidly expanding influence of AI in professional services. Russell Goldberg, Partner-in-Charge of Withum<\/a>\u2019s Orlando office, spoke with Invest: about the firm\u2019s strategic response to economic headwinds, a planned leadership transition, and the challenges and opportunities AI presents for talent development and training. \u201cWe are starting to see some headwinds from a slowing economy, which means we need to go to market harder, faster, and better to make sure we continue to grow the firm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the past year, what major milestones or changes have had the most impact on Withum\u2019s Orlando office?<\/p>\n

We are navigating some headwinds from a slowing economy by focusing on our go-to-market strategy and making sure we are focused on sustainable growth. The rapid evolution of AI has been a disruptor that we are seeing across the industry. We are proactively monitoring the latest developments, evaluating how AI will impact our clients, and positioning ourselves to adapt.<\/p>\n

Withum recently announced a nationwide leadership transition. How do you see this momentum driving service innovation and geographic expansion in the Orlando market?<\/p>\n

Our leadership transition reflects a long-standing, governance-driven approach where any partner who reaches age 65 will retire. It creates opportunities for the next generation of leaders to grow the firm and is a planned transition based on age, not on any other reason.<\/p>\n

In the last year, we have also seen the advent of private equity reshape the accounting industry. PE has come in and bought out a large percentage of our competition. Withum remains committed to staying independent and maintaining shareholder ownership.<\/p>\n

How would you describe the landscape for accounting, advisory, and consulting services in Orlando, and what market trends are shaping demand?<\/p>\n

While we\u2019ve seen modest economic headwinds, the Orlando and broader Florida markets remain resilient as we continue to be more strategic in how we serve our clients. We continue to see growth across our industries and service lines and client demand has been steady. When I read what\u2019s going on nationally, Florida has maintained strong business activity and it does not seem like we are experiencing the same challenges as other regions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How has the Orlando office responded to inbound business relocations and state-level tax or regulatory shifts?<\/p>\n

We see more relocation activity in South Florida than Orlando, but part of our strategy is to actively identify and build relationships with companies moving to our market. Most of them already work with national firms, so not everyone is ready to change, but we focus on demonstrating the breadth of Withum\u2019s services and the long-term value that we provide.<\/p>\n

Beyond audit and tax, we offer a full suite of advisory services, including cybersecurity, valuation, litigation support and consulting, allowing us to support clients as their needs grow and evolve.<\/p>\n

How has the Orlando practice adjusted its service mix with new AI tools?<\/p>\n

From a professional services point of view, we have embraced AI as a great tool that adds value but does not replace the decisions and valuable insight that our teams provide.<\/p>\n

The larger shift has been in talent development and upskilling people coming out of college. In the past, we all learned by doing the same tasks over and over \u2014 the tasks AI now performs. That is how we became good advisers. Now graduates will not be doing that entry-level work, so we are not sure how we will train them.<\/p>\n

Accounting has become a more attractive profession for college graduates because they no longer have to do repetitive tasks, but we need to figure out how to upskill them faster. We are pushing more work down to the lower levels and challenging them with tasks that previously would have been done by someone with five years of experience. Now, a second-year person may be doing that work, so they are moving up the skill set faster.<\/p>\n

Talent acquisition and retention remain challenging. What is most important for attracting and keeping high-performing accountants today?<\/p>\n

Early exposure and collaboration with clients is critical. We are introducing our team members to clients sooner and emphasizing relationship-building and client interactions earlier in their careers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I do think the next generation is not as social as prior generations, so we have to challenge them to come into the office, meet people, and collaborate. This is a collaboration profession. The only way to succeed is to collaborate.<\/p>\n

We are also actively coaching our teams to develop their soft skills, improve their networking abilities and build strong networks early in their careers.\u00a0 At the end of the day, people still want to do business with people they know and have built a relationship with, not with computers.<\/p>\n

What industry niches are you prioritizing for growth?<\/p>\n

In Florida, we continue to be very bullish on real estate and construction. Financial services in South Florida would be our third major growth area. We have also expanded our focus on the industrial and consumer products industry, focusing on businesses across manufacturing, distribution and consumer products.<\/p>\n

How are you assessing clients\u2019 readiness for macroeconomic headwinds?<\/p>\n

We are helping our clients understand tax legislation and how it may affect them. There are some advantages that will help in certain areas. We have also been doing a lot of tariff consulting for clients with imports, helping them understand how tariffs can affect their business.<\/p>\n

Overall, we are staying close to clients, helping them navigate any issues. We have not seen many challenges among our clients and staying proactive and informed allows us to help them plan effectively.<\/p>\n

The accounting industry is generally a lagging indicator. Accountants are often the last to feel economic headwinds. We are needed whether times are good or bad. So we tell our teams to maintain good client relationships so clients continue to see the value we bring and do not look for lower-cost providers.<\/p>\n

How is Withum\u2019s Orlando office prioritizing existing client relationships while attracting new clients?<\/p>\n

We have always maintained a strong boots-on-the-ground presence in Florida, continuing to meet with clients even throughout periods of disruption like Covid.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, we are being more strategic and intentional about when we are meeting with clients, particularly during traditionally slower periods like November and December. This is the first time in three years we have not had a hurricane delaying the tax filing deadline, which previously pushed October filings into February or April. That limited our time to have strategic meetings.<\/p>\n

After experiencing several years of exceptional growth, the market has shifted from us being order-takers \u2014 when the phone was ringing with new clients \u2014 to having to go back to the basics: spending time in the market, developing and strengthening relationships, and actively pursuing new opportunities rather than relying on inbound demand.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What community engagement efforts is Withum focusing on in Orlando?<\/p>\n

Community involvement is a core part of our culture. Through initiatives like our annual Week of Caring, where team members across all our offices volunteer at local organizations, and encouraging board and committee involvement at causes that our team members hold near and dear, we empower them to give back in meaningful ways.<\/p>\n

We believe our people come first, our clients second, and our community third. We give back in many ways. We work with many nonprofits and sponsor events that place us high on the list of charitable contributors.<\/p>\n

This year, we also began working with Cristo Rey High School, a Catholic school for underprivileged students. They opened this year, and we committed to employing four of their ninth-grade students.. Their work earns them high school tuition credits. We are helping them see opportunities they never knew existed, and we hope the program will be as successful in Orlando as it has been elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, what is your vision for Withum in Orlando, and what goals are you tracking over the next two to three years?<\/p>\n

For Orlando specifically, we would like to see a growth rate over the next five years that exceeds our 6% to 8% goal \u2014 ideally closer to 10%. We have invested in new partners and are continuing to grow the firm.<\/p>\n

We want to increase our market share in Central Florida by continuing to go to market with additional services \u2014 not only our traditional services, but also focusing on advisory services that help clients with issues we have not previously supported and position Withum as a trusted, long-term partner for their business.<\/p>\n

Want more? Read the Invest: Greater Orlando<\/a> report.<\/p>\n

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