Brandon Rucker Named Chair for a Second Term and Four New Members Selected for RSM US LLP Board of Directors

CHICAGO – (December 2, 2024) – RSM US LLP (“RSM”) – the leading provider of assurance, tax and consulting services for the middle market – recently announced that Brandon Rucker will serve a second one-year term as chair of the RSM US LLP Board of Directors effective Dec. 1, 2024. Rucker has served as chair since Dec. 1, 2023. In addition, three new board members – Jason Alexander, Karen Galivan and Susan Martinelli – have been elected to serve four-year terms, beginning December 1, 2024, and Jerry Martin has been elected to the board for a three-year term to fill the late Tony Wood’s seat.

“We are proud to announce that Brandon will continue to lead our Board of Directors for another year,” said Brian Becker, managing partner & CEO with RSM US LLP. “Brandon has been instrumental as we have guided RSM through a period of significant transformation, and we are fortunate for his ongoing leadership as we continue to adapt to the growing needs of our clients. We are also excited to welcome Jason, Karen and Susan as new members of the board, and we are grateful to our returning board member and former board chair, Jerry Martin. This outstanding group of dynamic professionals will help us navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead, and I am confident in all that we will achieve together.”

Rucker was selected for his second term by a vote of the members of the RSM US LLP Board of Directors. The new board members were selected by a vote of the firm’s partners and principals.

“I am honored to continue to serve as board chair for the RSM US LLP Board of Directors at such an exciting time for our firm,” said Brandon Rucker, chair of RSM US LLP’s Board of Directors.  “Jason, Karen, Susan and Jerry bring significant experience that will undoubtedly strengthen our board. Together with our other board members, we will navigate the evolving business landscape as we continue to position RSM as the global first choice advisor to our people, clients and communities.”

Returning board chair

Brandon Rucker is the national assurance operations leader at RSM US. In his role, he leads overall operations for the practice, including financial strategy and performance, performance measurement and alignment of assurance operations to firm and practice strategy. As an enterprise leader, Rucker works closely with the chief operating officer and lines of business to ensure alignment and operation optimization across the enterprise. He is a current member of the assurance leadership team and has served as a member of the firm’s board of directors since December 2021. Rucker has more than 28 years of experience in public accounting. As an assurance partner since 2006, he has held many leadership roles, including Southeast regional audit leader. He is a certified public accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants. He earned his Bachelor of Science in accounting from Western Kentucky University. He also graduated in the first cohort of the RSM US Enterprise Leadership Academy. In July 2022, he received directorship certification from the National Association of Corporate Directors.

New board members

Jason Alexander is a risk consulting principal who currently serves as the enterprise industry leader for industrials at RSM US LLP. He has more than 20 years of experience advising clients in risk management, mergers and acquisitions, process design and improvement, and IT system implementation. His diverse background and experience with global services provide a holistic perspective that benefits RSM’s clients. During his tenure, Alexander has played a pivotal role in shaping the firm's industry-focused market approach. As an inaugural member of the Industry Eminence Program (IEP), he helped establish data-driven perspectives to understand and communicate trends shaping the industries RSM serves. In 2021, Alexander was appointed to lead RSM’s manufacturing sector, where he set and executed strategies across consulting, tax and assurance lines of business. In August 2023, he was named RSM’s industrials leader, continuing his passion for helping clients succeed and positively impacting the careers of his colleagues. As RSM’s African American and Canadian Excellence (AACE) employee network group leader, a member of the board of directors for Junior Achievement of Greater Miami and former board member of the RSM US Foundation, Alexander is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion at RSM.

Karen Galivan is a tax partner, currently serving as the consumer products tax industry lead and a private equity portfolio company industry champion at RSM US LLP. With more than 25 years of experience, Galivan has delivered tax services to midsize businesses and closely held corporations in the consumer products, industrials and private equity industries. Galivan specializes in providing tax and accounting services, as well as mentoring and coaching RSM’s people. As a former member of RSM’s Industry Eminence Program, she helped forecast and communicate economic, business and technology trends shaping the industries RSM serves. Galivan 's commitment to RSM's values is evident through her active contributions to the firm's strategic priorities as a leader, career advisor, partner coach and mentor. She leads the tax inclusion committee and makes decisions based on experience supported by her values, guiding the firm's long-term strategy. In addition to her professional achievements, Galivan is a member of the board of directors for Junior Achievement of Chicago and the local leader for the women’s employee network group, STAR, which fosters a culture that sponsors and advances women at all stages of their careers.

Susan Martinelli is an SEC assurance partner and currently serves as the Hartford office leader for RSM US LLP. Martinelli has experience working with highly regulated clients, SEC reporting and internal controls over financial reporting. She has a strong background in serving a diversified client base across industries focused on the middle market globally, particularly in financial services, including financial institutions, specialty finance companies, business development companies and broker-dealers. As the Hartford office leader, Martinelli is responsible for leading talent development, client service and RSM strategic initiatives. She also serves as the leader of the assurance inclusion committee and as a mentor, career advisor and role model for colleagues across the firm. Martinelli is a member of several of RSM’s employee network groups (ENGs), including the Family First ENG and STAR ENG, and she is the Connecticut executive sponsor of the local Multicultural ENG. Martinelli engages employees in volunteering in the community and actively participates on various boards and in charity events for the profession and the betterment of students, families and children.

Jerry Martin leads the international tax (ITAX) service line and global tax strategy at RSM US LLP. He rejoins the board after a four-year term from 2018-2022, including two years as chair. Martin's passion for the firm, colleagues, clients and communities is evident through his dedication to mentorship, community outreach and fostering a collaborative environment. As a tax leader at RSM, he specializes in advising global businesses and plays a key role on the firm’s tax global strategy and tax leadership teams. Since rejoining RSM in 2003, Martin has focused on international tax services for globally active businesses, working with leadership to expand RSM’s global capabilities and harness technology to enhance the talent experience and client service. He previously served as the chair of the board’s mergers and acquisitions and finance committees. Martin leverages his network to understand the issues and concerns of RSM clients and colleagues, using his deep knowledge of firm strategy to help clients make informed business decisions.