RSM Announces First CEO Innovation Funds for Employee-Led Initiatives

CHICAGO – (February 26, 2019) – RSM US LLP (“RSM”) – the nation’s leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services focused on the middle market – recently announced that four innovative, employee-generated ideas will receive funding from the firm’s CEO Innovation Fund. These four initiatives are designed to enhance the firm’s ability to serve its middle market clients and represent the first projects to receive funding under this new program.  

The RSM CEO Innovation Fund is open to all of RSM’s nearly 10,000 employees nationwide and those in Canada. Each applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000 to fund the development of internally generated, organic ideas that have the potential to become big innovations for the firm and its clients.

“We established the RSM CEO Innovation Fund in December 2018 to encourage our people to think creatively, and to help transform their ideas into solutions that benefit our clients, our firm and our communities,” said Joe Adams, managing partner and CEO with RSM US LLP. “We believe that everyone at RSM has a role to play in driving innovation, and this program provides the opportunity for our people to bring their unique concepts to life.”  

RSM is proud to congratulate Megan Hostick, a senior associate in Dallas; and teams led by Christi Mack, a partner in Minneapolis; Dean Sengstock, a partner in Minneapolis; and David McLaughlin, a director in Madison, WI, and Marco Carvalho, a manager in New York - both from our Dynamics 365 team.

These individuals and teams received funding from the CEO Innovation Fund to implement their innovative ideas, which range from using an app to streamline and automate inventory observations to further developing a blockchain traceability solution called CLEARthru that provides suppliers and consumers with total food supply chain transparency.

“The individuals and groups who received funding during this initial round of CEO Innovation Fund grants are just a few examples of the many creative ideas we received,” said Jeff Johannesen, chief strategy and innovation officer with RSM US LLP. “We’re excited to get these initiatives underway and are continuing to evaluate other ideas and encourage more employees to participate in our submission process. Innovation is part of our DNA at RSM, and the CEO Innovation Fund is one way we’re continuing to build on that heritage while supporting the creativity of all of our talented people.”