Danny Jackson, Florida Market Leader, RSM US LLP

July 2026 — Invest: sat down with Danny Jackson, Florida market leader of RSM US, to discuss how AI, advisory demand and Tampa Bay’s business climate are reshaping the accounting profession. “We have been in Tampa since 2015, and we have grown from essentially three people at launch to about 375 today,” Jackson said.

How have external changes over the past year impacted RSM and your clients in Tampa Bay?

For our clients, one of the most significant shifts has been the rapid advancement and adoption of technology, especially artificial intelligence. Like many firms in our space, we have long utilized offshore resources to enhance efficiency. Today, AI is being layered on top of those capabilities, fundamentally transforming how work is executed. This evolution is reshaping how we serve clients, how we go to market, the speed at which we deliver, and the cost structure behind service delivery. The cumulative impact has been substantial.

Another major dynamic has been the influx of private equity capital into the professional services sector. We are seeing increasing activity from accounting firms pursuing private equity funding or IPOs, which is redefining the competitive landscape. RSM remains independent, so it has not changed how we serve our clients, but it has certainly changed the market around us and the way firms position themselves.

What recent initiatives or internal developments are helping RSM respond to those changes?

Our vision is to be compelling, digital, and global. Everything starts with the client. Being compelling means leading with a proactive mindset and consistently identifying new ways to deliver value. As middle-market companies increasingly operate on a global scale, or plan to, our model must evolve to support that reality.

We focus on the middle market, but specifically on growing companies that need a broad set of services. To serve those clients effectively, we have to operate the way they do, agile, digitally enabled, and increasingly powered by AI. That has led to a combination of internal investments and strategic partnerships with best-in-class technology providers to enhance our capabilities and scale.

At the same time, AI is fundamentally reshaping the business model for our profession. Historically, firms like ours have relied on time-and-billing structures. Now, if technology can reduce a task from an hour to a matter of minutes, it raises a bigger question: How do you price that work? Clients still want value, insight, and speed, but the old model does not always translate neatly. As an industry, we are navigating this shift in real time, working alongside our clients to better understand how they define value and how they expect to pay for it.

How is RSM approaching talent attraction and development as demand grows for digital and advisory skill sets?

Tampa is a highly attractive market for talent, and we benefit from strong universities and educational institutions across the region and the state of Florida. That provides a solid pipeline of high-quality candidates entering the workforce.

I think talent is attracted to firms that are ahead of the curve on technology and that have a strong culture. Younger professionals are used to immediacy in almost every part of life, and they want to work for organizations that embrace modern tools and allow them to move quickly. Our continued investment in digital capabilities and AI-enabled tools helps position us as an employer of choice.

Culture is equally important. We do not have a strict mandate that says everyone must be in the office every day. We focus on creating an environment where people want to be there because they see value in collaboration, mentorship, and real-time learning. Flexibility matters — people have families, responsibilities, and different working styles, and technology now makes it possible to support that in a much better way.

Tampa’s broader business environment also plays a meaningful role. As companies continue to relocate to, expand in, and invest in the region, the talent pool strengthens alongside them. Combined with Florida’s quality of life and continued population growth, this creates a compelling ecosystem for both businesses and professionals—one that benefits our clients and our firm alike.

What key trends are you seeing across the accounting and consulting industry today, and how is RSM positioning itself to stay ahead?

The biggest trend is that consulting has become far more central to what firms like ours do. Traditional accounting used to be thought of primarily as audit and tax, with consulting viewed as more of an add-on. That is no longer the case.

Today, businesses need guidance on a wide range of issues, from tax reform and regulatory shifts to operational challenges and strategic growth decisions. It is less about simply preparing a return or completing an audit and more about acting as a trusted adviser. Clients want someone who can interpret what is changing, stay ahead of it, and help them respond.

Independence requirements are also becoming more stringent, which is influencing how firms approach certain engagements. In some cases, firms may decide not to pursue an audit because they would rather focus on consulting or tax advisory work. At RSM, we have the advantage of being a full-service firm. We have a strong assurance practice alongside a robust consulting and tax platform, which allows us to meet a broad range of client needs.

That is one of the biggest shifts in the profession today. Accounting was once viewed largely as compliance-driven work. Now, clients are looking for a business partner who can provide insight and perspective well beyond the issue directly in front of them.

How would you characterize the role of the middle market in Tampa Bay’s economic growth?

I believe the middle market fuels the U.S. economy. It represents a tremendous share of business activity, and even many of the largest companies still need middle-market-style services or support from a second accounting firm in certain areas.

Tampa Bay has an extremely positive business climate. The region’s leadership, tax environment and business-friendly approach continue to attract companies, which in turn creates demand for the services we provide. RSM has been in Tampa since 2015 and have grown from essentially three people at launch to about 375 today. That growth reflects both the strength of the market and our ability to serve it.

Of course, growth also brings challenges. There is always more opportunity than any one firm can capture, and infrastructure must continue to keep pace with the region’s expansion. Transportation and other systems will require ongoing investment. But from a business standpoint, we are in a very strong position. Tampa is growing, and we have been able to grow alongside it.

RSM is celebrating its 100th year in 2026. What does that milestone represent for the firm?

It is a major and exciting milestone that reflects the strength, resilience and longevity of the firm.

We will celebrate that anniversary in a number of ways. Our owners’ meeting will take place in Las Vegas in June, bringing together our partnership from six countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, El Salvador, India, and Canada. It is an opportunity to celebrate not only the firm’s 100-year history, but also how much it has evolved and expanded over time. We will also host local celebrations in our markets.

Looking ahead, what are your key goals and priorities for RSM in Tampa over the next two to three years?

My number one priority is our clients. If we stay focused on understanding their businesses and anticipating where they are going, growth will follow. To do that well, we also need the right people, so clients and people remain at the center of everything we do.

To attract and retain those people, we need a culture that stands apart. We want to be a place where talented professionals genuinely want to work. That ties directly into technology. We need the right tools to serve clients effectively, support our people and remain competitive.

When I think about the next two to three years, it comes back to those three pillars: clients, people, and technology. If we execute well in those areas, the rest will follow. In Tampa, we are fortunate to be in a market that continues to create opportunity. In many ways, our success is a byproduct of what Tampa has become. We have simply been in the right place, with the right people, in a market that has been very good to us.