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AUDIT & ASSURANCE PARTNER SEARCH · CANADA-WIDE
Audit & Assurance
Partner Recruitment.
Confidential executive search for CPA firms appointing an Audit or Assurance Partner. Northbound helps firms across Canada plan for succession, strengthen engagement leadership and develop their assurance practice.
THE PRACTICE BEHIND THE APPOINTMENT
Define the clients, engagements and leadership need.
An Audit Partner recruiter needs to understand the practice the incoming leader will join. A private-company assurance portfolio, a regulated industry and a public-company audit practice can require very different experience. Start with the engagements, client mix and quality responsibilities.
Engagement leadership
Clarify the types of audit, review and other assurance work the Partner will lead, the reporting frameworks involved and the level of technical consultation expected. Relevant experience should match the firm’s actual engagements.
Client continuity
Identify the relationships the incoming Partner will inherit and the handover available from existing Partners. Discuss communication with clients, continuity during busy periods and how responsibilities will move over time.
People and quality
Define responsibility for developing Managers and Senior Managers, reviewing complex work and supporting the firm’s quality-management practices. A leadership appointment should fit the delivery capacity and experience of the team.
PARTNER SUCCESSION & LATERAL HIRING
Recruit for the outcome your firm needs.
Succession for an existing practice
A retiring Partner’s portfolio may call for a leader who can take over established relationships and develop the team. Specify the transition period, the clients involved and the responsibilities the successor will assume.
A lateral Audit or Assurance Partner
An established Partner may be relevant where the firm wants additional leadership, industry experience or business development capability. Discuss the resources, authority and opportunity available to support a move.
Practice growth and portable relationships
Distinguish a candidate’s current book from the relationships that might realistically transfer. Client choice, conflicts, independence considerations and the new firm’s capacity to accept and deliver the work all matter. A stated revenue figure is a starting point for discussion.
A first Partner appointment
Some searches may include a Director, Principal or Senior Manager ready for greater responsibility. Define the standards for technical judgement, engagement leadership, client ownership and business development, together with the proposed partnership route.
CANADA-WIDE ACCOUNTING FIRM SEARCH
Match assurance experience to your Canadian practice.
Province, office and client portfolio
Define the location and relevant professional requirements. A search in Calgary, Toronto and the GTA, Vancouver or another Canadian market should reflect the actual client industries, reporting needs and responsibilities of the role.
Specify the experience needed with relevant accounting and assurance frameworks rather than relying solely on a candidate’s title or employer.
Engagements and practice requirements
Establish the audit and review engagement mix, client industries and any public-company or sector-specific experience required. Discuss the responsibilities the incoming Partner will assume and the support available for a transition.
A Canada-wide search may include professionals considering relocation, with location preferences and relevant practice requirements assessed before introductions.
A CONFIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE SEARCH
From search brief to considered introductions.
01 · Understand
Discuss the firm, assurance portfolio, team, succession need and proposed partnership structure. Separate essential experience from preferences.
02 · Connect
Approach relevant audit and assurance leaders. Explore their experience, interests and readiness for the opportunity before arranging introductions.
03 · Support
Coordinate interviews and conversations about the practice, compensation and transition. Keep communication clear as both sides assess the appointment.
FOR AUDIT & ASSURANCE LEADERS
Consider the practice you want to lead.
Tell us about your engagement experience, client industries, preferred location and leadership goals. Whether you are an established Partner or considering a step into partnership, explain the responsibilities and platform that would make a move worthwhile.
Where you manage a book of business, separate your current portfolio from relationships that may be transferable. Northbound coordinates introductions with your knowledge and interest.
PLANNING THE APPOINTMENT
Questions from accounting firms.
Must the Partner bring clients?
Not every appointment requires a portable book. Some firms need a successor or technical leader for existing clients. Clarify the business need before setting revenue expectations.
What should the initial brief include?
Share the location, engagement mix, client industries, team, quality responsibilities, partnership route and timeline. Explain any planned handover from existing Partners.
Can the search be confidential?
Yes. Discuss the opportunity with Northbound before advertising it. Candidate introductions are coordinated with their knowledge and interest.
Plan your next Assurance Partner appointment.
Speak with Alvin Strachan at Northbound Recruitment about your firm’s leadership and succession priorities.
Start an Audit & Assurance Partner Search →Let’s discuss your hiring needs.
Discuss your firm’s next leadership appointment with our team. Our executive recruitment approach is shaped around your firm, succession plans and growth goals.
info@northboundrecruitment.com
Choose your email service to start a message to our team.
Let’s talk about your next move.
Email your résumé, preferred location and career goals to our team for a confidential conversation about leadership opportunities with CPA firms.
info@northboundrecruitment.com
Choose your email service to start a message to our team.