Brian West, Managing Partner, Forvis Mazars

In an interview with Invest:, Brian West, managing partner at Forvis Mazars, shared how  the firm sees the market’s momentum increasingly tied to technology, private equity activity, and the infrastructure needed to support data-driven growth. “Clients want to benefit from new technology, but they also want to avoid issues like customer information or sensitive data being leaked,” West said.

What is driving growth in your Houston office, and which industries are creating the most opportunity?

We continue to see strong growth in Houston, and a majority is coming from technology companies. On the energy side, stabilization in the markets has brought some new investment into the space. A lot of our growth is private equity related — we’ve seen a pickup in deal flow that has led to increased audit and tax work.

Technology and software companies in Houston are doing different things, including AI-related products and services. We’re also seeing data center investment around Texas and the Houston area, which has been a major new growth area over the last two years and especially over the last year. Some of this activity is private equity-backed, and some is driven by individuals starting software companies with local investment.

We’ve also benefited from international investment into the United States, specifically into Houston. Some of the larger companies we work with here are internationally owned, and we coordinate with our global network teams to service those clients. We’ve seen that trend pick up over the last year and a half to two years.

When investors and executives evaluate Houston, what strengths stand out most?

Houston offers accessible energy that is not as expensive as other parts of the country, which is a key factor as more dollars go into AI-related businesses. Houston also has a labor force that can retool into AI-adjacent work, and Texas offers space for data centers. We’re seeing investments from large companies and more activity from other companies entering that ecosystem, and energy cost is a big driver.

We’ve also seen manufacturing return somewhat. Houston has long been strong in that area, supported by the port and an established industrial base. We’ve seen more international manufacturing investment, often in specialized businesses, and I think improving margins helps bring more attention back to the manufacturing space.

How are AI infrastructure and related trends changing the advisory work clients need?

AI is one of the top agenda items for many clients right now. They want to know how to implement it and how to use it, and a lot of them worry they’re missing out. We help them navigate the process, starting with governance — what they have to do — all the way through implementation. That includes building agentic flows, understanding their data, and making sure what they implement actually works for their business.

I help lead AI efforts within assurance, and we’ve put a lot of time and effort into seeing what AI can do internally. Looking ahead, we’ll spend significant time helping clients implement AI in a way that is safe and secure. Clients want to benefit from new technology, but they also want to avoid issues like customer information or sensitive data being leaked. Governance, data controls, and security have to be part of the implementation from the beginning.

How is private equity reshaping competition in Houston and across professional services?

Private equity is changing the market. We are partner-owned and partner-led, and we believe that model supports long-term, values-driven decision-making for our clients, people, and partners. Across professional services, more firms have consolidated into private equity-owned platforms. It’s a new model, and it increases competition, including pricing pressure and new approaches to operations. 

Private equity investment is not limited to professional services. It has moved into areas like healthcare as well, reshaping competition and marketing behavior. We work extensively with private equity clients and have deep respect for the value and innovation private equity can bring. For our firm, the partnership model best aligns with our culture and long-term priorities. 

What does being a “trusted adviser” look like in practice, beyond compliance work?

It means getting back to the fundamentals of understanding a business. Like many firms, client interactions became more virtual during and after COVID. Over the last few years in Houston, we have emphasized getting back out to meet with clients in person to ensure we are listening.

That has been especially important for younger team members. Two years ago, some had not been to a client location or sat down with a business owner to hear what they were trying to do and what issues they were facing. We pivoted by increasing budgets for team members to meet with clients and by creating “impact days,” where clients come in and talk about their business and trajectory, while specialists from across the firm listen and identify where we can bring value.

We call it “listening to understand.” The goal is to listen first, then determine what value we can deliver, rather than leading with a preset service offering.

How is AI changing your service offerings and the skills your people need?

Internally, we’ve developed agents and agentic flows that teams use day to day, and it’s changing how people work and how we train them. We have AI-enabled tools that can surface answers from our manuals and regulatory sources, with human review and validation remaining essential. That can compress work that once took hours into minutes — and puts higher-level information into the hands of less-tenured professionals much faster.

That makes training and validation critical. How do you teach someone to review and understand what AI produces? How do they validate it? We’re building that into core training, because a human still has to be in the loop and responsible for understanding what the AI is providing.

From a client standpoint, low-code capabilities are shifting how services are delivered. If we understand what a client needs, we can build solutions more quickly without a traditional coding-heavy approach. We may send someone who understands the client’s industry — healthcare reimbursement, for example — and train them to work in a low-code environment to help implement AI in that workflow. Industry knowledge is becoming even more important as clients move from planning AI to demanding measurable results.

I also think we’re going to see boards shift from “What is our AI plan?” to “What did I save on AI?” That means they’ll ask for specific key performance indicators, and CFOs will be under pressure to quantify value. We need to be prepared to help clients deliver outcomes, not just adoption.

How is the hiring environment in Houston, and what are you doing to develop the next generation?

It’s in a better place for CPAs than it has been in a while. Four years ago, it was difficult, and three years ago, it was still rough. Salaries rose rapidly at the starting level, which helped attract more people into the profession.

 Texas has adopted an additional CPA pathway that becomes effective August 1, 2026. Broadly speaking, it creates another route to licensure built around a bachelor’s degree and two years of experience, which could help expand the candidate pipeline over time. We’ve seen a big influx of on-campus applications. I do have some concerns about timing. AI investment will likely automate some of the processes traditionally done by entry-level staff. Combined with larger recruiting classes, that could make the environment more competitive than it was two to three years ago. I’m not overly concerned about candidates finding jobs, but the market may tighten.

Looking ahead, what signals are you watching, and what are your priorities for the Houston office?

I’m watching the energy market closely — Houston still follows energy, even if it’s less reliant than it was 10 to 15 years ago. Energy prices and investment picking up are good signs. I’m also watching AI investment. There’s a lot of money going in, and some companies won’t make it — that’s normal — but it could affect how investment flows over the next two to three years.

I also watch whether Texas becomes a hub for large data centers, given its energy availability. If that trend continues, we’ll invest in building the right talent and capabilities to support those clients.

Over the next two to three years, my focus is on retraining teams to work with AI and ensuring we implement tools that actually help — not just because they are AI-generated. It has to be impactful and drive real efficiency. For me, the bigger opportunity is using AI to upskill people — freeing teams from some detailed work so they can do more consulting, spend more time with clients, and grow their careers faster.

We also need to stay grounded in fundamentals — driving value, being out in the market, and listening — while helping clients use AI in ways that deliver measurable impact.