From a GEP to a CEO: Find out how a global leader took on these HUGE roles at one of the Big 4 accounting firms! [Fridays: Mindfulness by Miles]
Miles Everson’s Business Builder Daily speaks to the heart of what great marketers, business leaders, and other professionals need to succeed in advertising, communications, managing their investments, career strategy, and more.
A Note from Miles Everson:
As some of you know, I worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for over 20 years before joining MBO Partners. From being PwC’s Principal for Global Risk Management Solutions in 1998, I worked my way up and became the firm’s Global Advisory and Consulting CEO in 2016.
My experiences at PwC have been helpful to me. The lessons I learned from my two-decade tenure at the auditing firm helped me improve in my career and become an effective leader in my current job.
That’s why when the Harvard Business School published a 2009 case study about my work at PwC, I felt humbled. It’s great to see a publication highlight my contributions and write recommendations to help me perform better in my field of expertise.
You may avail a copy of Harvard’s case study about my PwC journey here: Miles Everson at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
For today’s article, I’ll share some insights from the case study to give you an idea on what it’s all about. I hope you find today’s topic insightful.
Miles Everson
CEO, MBO Partners
Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute
Mindfulness by Miles
Managing and leading a large firm is not an easy task. It entails lots of responsibilities on the part of the leader and the firm’s constituents, and requires careful thinking, strategic planning, and wise decision-making.
Let’s say you’re appointed as the new CEO of a global corporation.
Would you gladly and readily accept that leadership position along with the responsibilities and challenges it brings?
Or…
Would you decline the offer and request that the position be given to another potential candidate instead?
In today’s article, let’s take a look at how Miles Everson, CEO of MBO Partners, previously took a HUGE leadership role in one of the Big Four accounting firms in the world.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is a multinational professional services company. It ranks as the second-largest professional services network in the world and is one of the Big Four accounting firms, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young, and KPMG.
Today, the company operates in 157 countries and employs around 284,000 people.
According to Everson, working at PwC for 20+ years prior to joining MBO Partners is a rewarding experience. Moving from a lower position to a higher position enabled him to develop the right skills necessary to thrive in the business world.
So, when the Harvard Business School published a case study titled, “Miles Everson at PricewaterhouseCoopers” in 2009, he felt extremely grateful. This motivated him to keep up the good work and do his best in every opportunity.
The Harvard case study talks about Everson’s Global Engagement Partner (GEP) role and contributions at PwC.
GEPs have responsibility for PwC’s largest and most important clients. They manage a vast external network of clients and an equally vast internal network of the firm’s employees.
Aside from that, GEPs need to have a deep understanding of clients and their industries to identify opportunities where PwC’s resources can be used to address their needs.
… and as someone who was given this critical role at the company, Everson’s tasks and responsibilities were to:
- Be viewed as a trustworthy advisor in the eyes of clients.
- Build a strong network of relationships with clients who consider the GEP as their peer and a part of their inner circle.
- Act as a major integrator for the firm around major business problems.
- Lead a team that focuses on creating constant value for clients.
- Ensure PwC’s communications with clients occur throughout the entire line of command―from partners to staff.
- Establish constant communication and notify PwC about the team’s efforts to add value to the firm.
- Stay on top of various business issues at all times.
- Serve as the GEP for both C2 (non-audit) and C1 (audit) clients.
How effective was Everson as PwC’s GEP?
According to information provided by PwC to the Harvard Business School, Everson performed his role well and provided insights into the attitudes, skills, and subject matter expertise necessary to be successful in the GEP role.
What else?
Since Everson has sufficient knowledge and experience in Governance, Risk, and Compliance, he also contributed substantial internal management responsibilities for PwC.
No wonder he became one of the Top 25 Consultants in 2006 by Consulting Magazine!
Wait! That’s not all…
PwC also mentioned a few more instances where Everson showcased his effectiveness as the GEP, particularly in his works for banking company BestBank. These included:
- Installing a Client Relationship Executive (CRE) to facilitate and establish relationships with BestBank.
- Focusing on the depth and breadth of PwC’s relationship with BestBank ahead of monetary goals.
- Helping BestBank increase its annual billings from USD 200,000 to over USD 5 million in just a span of 5 years.
- Serving as a central source of review for all the work carried out at BestBank.
Everson says he’s grateful for the opportunity to be featured at the Harvard case study. For him, it’s nice to look back at this published work every once in a while because it reminds him of his good old days working at PwC.
He also thanks the accounting firm for trusting him to handle huge roles excellently. Through these experiences, he was able to grow in his career, develop his personality and skills, and prepare for an even greater role at MBO Partners.
The lessons he likes to impart to his readers today?
It is in looking back that you will see how far you’ve come and how much you’ve contributed to the industry you’re in.
According to Everson, having these realizations is important because it will inspire you to move forward and aim for greater things in both your personal life and career life.
The second lesson?
Being a leader is no easy task. It requires a strong sense of responsibility and commitment. The best companies are those that have great leaders inspiring every area of the business to do their work excellently.
We hope Everson’s Harvard case study inspires you to also do your best in your career!
Whether it’s about consulting, marketing, the independent workforce, or others, his many years of experience will motivate you to aim higher and see your journey in a positive light.
(This article is from The Business Builder Daily, a newsletter by The I Institute in collaboration with MBO Partners.)
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Fridays: Mindfulness by Miles”
High-performance businesses are run by people who think and act differently.
In other words, these are people who are high-performing individuals.
Companies and individuals of this kind have found ways to escape the grind of commoditization and competition by focusing on the RIGHT goals.
High-performing businesses and individuals are also “return driven” businesses and “career driven” individuals. They conscientiously develop unique capabilities and resources that allow them to deliver offerings in ways no other firm or individual can.
Every Friday, we’ll publish tips and insights from MBO Partners and The I Institute’s “The Business Builder Daily” newsletter.
These will help you gain knowledge on the things that Miles Everson, the CEO of MBO Partners, often talks about regarding the future of the workforce.
We’ll also highlight other mindfulness advice on how you can be a high-performing individual both in your career and personal life.
Hope you’ve found this week’s insight interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Friday’s “Mindfulness by Miles!”
Cheers,
Kyle Yu
Head of Marketing
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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