Developing our people into leaders is a lot like gardening: We must carefully and patiently place rising talent in the best position to advance, providing ongoing resources and support to assist in their professional growth. Leading like a gardener is essential to the culture of cultivating homegrown talent at Moss Adams, and the results of that framework are most evident in the efforts of our business resource groups (BRG).

“We call them business resource groups for a reason,” Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) board member Rob McGhee said. “High turnover is expensive because you’re constantly replacing talent. BRGs create community, which supports retention and impacts firm revenue.”

Moss Adams has committed to meaningful action toward being an anti-racist firm, and BRG programming is critical to fostering an inclusive culture—but these efforts are not without cost. As co-executive sponsor of the Black BRG, Rob has seen the fatigue and frustration affecting team members who balance BRG leadership with client responsibilities, especially during busy seasons.

“This is hard work,” Rob said, “and it’s important that the firm is intentional in recognizing and supporting the champions of our I&D efforts, or this whole thing will collapse.”

The inaugural BRG Leadership Summit, an in-person event held in late August, was launched with that intention in mind.

Removing Barriers

The two-day Leadership Summit, hosted by the I&D board, gathered BRG leaders and executive sponsors for two days of inspiration, leadership development, and meaningful connection. Outside facilitators held sessions on balancing passion with impact, connecting BRG strategy with firm strategy, and problem-solving to reduce burnout and disenchantment.

The agenda was timely, as many BRG leaders arrived with concerns about the state of engagement, both within their BRGs and among others at the firm who haven’t yet understood the value of BRG work.

“Some people think our time is better spent working with our clients,” Pride BRG learning officer Jana Wright said. “They still misunderstand or don’t believe in what we’re doing.”

Jana proudly promotes belonging in the firm’s Irvine location and beyond. She hoped to find new inspiration at the summit and bring home new tools to advocate for a more inclusive firm culture.

Jana wasn’t surprised when the summit began with BRG leaders lamenting their frustrations, but within a few hours, the onsite sentiments began to change.

“Everyone was getting energized and feeding off each other’s ideas,” Jana said. “The more we opened up, the more excited we became. If there were a volume meter, it would have swung like wild.”

Sessions that offered a transparent roadmap of responsibilities and strategies resonated with Ben Sappington, senior business development executive and co-growth officer of the Veterans BRG, but he was awed by one of the facilitator’s comments about the firm’s financial commitment.

“She told us that Moss Adams is unique compared to other organizations our size or bigger,” Ben said. “We’re sending people to conferences, hosting leadership trainings, and bringing in speakers. I didn’t realize the magnitude of our I&D investment, and it was cool to learn about the opportunities other BRGs are creating with it.”

Tending to Talent

The firm’s investment was clear to Ben onsite as he observed the leaders participating in the summit. Many partners across the firm’s footprint who attended, such as Jana and Rob, are active in BRG leadership. Additionally, Kinman Tong provided the opening remarks with CEO Eric Miles.

“It’s not something the firm is just throwing money at,” Ben said. “We’ve got leaders at the highest level committing their time and voices to this effort. Seeing leaders like Eric and Jen Wyne lean in for both days is important.”

Rob says the I&D board is aware of the backlash against diversity initiatives across the corporate landscape, but despite external pressures, Moss Adams remains fully committed to incorporating I&D initiatives into the firm's foundation. Reinforcing BRG support can only improve opportunities to cultivate homegrown leaders.

“BRG leadership is an accelerator program,” said Rob. “Leaders are tracking budgets, setting tactics that align with firm strategy, and navigating a matrix organization with varying power structures to organize a community. We’ve grown talent like Aurora Varela due to her work with the BRGs. When we shift our frame of reference to see what we’ve built, it’s clear that people can learn to be leaders at the firm by leading BRGs.”

Bloom Season

Since the summit, attendees have been carefully focused on the future of I&D strategy at Moss Adams. The I&D board is considering opportunities to provide meaningful support and recognition for BRG leaders, and BRG leaders are cultivating impactful programming for 2025 within their circle of influence to better engage team members across the firm.

Jana explained, “The summit occurred right before we set our budgets for the next year. Now, we’re considering how to use our budgets to achieve what we want. Our focus is shifting, and I think that’ll have a positive impact on the BRGs and the firm as a whole.”

“We want more people involved,” Ben added. “I shared what we learned with the full team of the Veterans BRG, and we’re excited to try new things to reach people. I think some of the BRGs are collaborating and I hope that energy keeps up.”

That’s something Jana also hopes to see. “We sometimes feel like we’re doing it all alone, but the summit helped leaders form a bond. Now, we have people to reach out to even if we just need to vent. This kind of work keeps me dedicated to our firm and its mission. Making our workplace comfortable for everyone is part of what keeps me going.”