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This year, we’ve been reflecting on RSM’s 100-year history with a series of articles exploring each decade of our firm’s fascinating journey across the century.
From humble beginnings in Perth to 32 offices nationwide and a network extending to 120 countries globally, it’s a journey that has been nothing short of inspiring.
We’ve survived two world wars, a Great Depression, countless recessions, and now a global pandemic.
Why have we been successful? Ultimately, I believe it comes down to our pure and dedicated focus on the 3 essential ingredients of business success:
- Unwavering devotion to our clients
- Total commitment to our people and helping them be the best they can
- Continual innovation of our services to meet client needs
There are countless examples of these over the years – such as the introduction of compulsory superannuation for our people in the 1930s, 60 years before the federal government made it law. Or during the Great Depression when we opened 8 offices; not because it was easy, but because our clients needed trusted advisers close by at the time.
More recently, we’ve faced a global pandemic head-on and emerged stronger than ever. As Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said,
The pace of change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again.
We’ve heeded this sentiment and, despite the uncertainty of the past few years, launched a variety of new services across ESG (environmental, social, and governance) consulting, ERP solutions, Cyber, and Data Analytics.
We did this because we listened to our clients who told us these are the areas where they need help. They want more sophisticated management systems, and solutions to help them understand data so they can use it to analyse, predict, and make better decisions for the future.
In the ESG space, we’re all recognising our responsibility to keep our planet safe. Everyone has a role to play, both individually and in business, which is why we’re doing more internally as well as supporting our clients to:
- Understand their carbon footprint
- Manage social responsibilities
- Ensure appropriate governance
Collectively, these will empower businesses to be sustainable in the long term – particularly through periods of change and uncertainty.
To the next 100 years…
If we look to the next 100 years, it’s probable that we’ll keep doing more of the same, but faster.
For all businesses, it means ensuring that we create great places to work which can attract local and international talent. It means modifying our services – what we offer and how we offer it – in response to what our clients say they need.
It also means continual innovation. At RSM, we’re working with partners like Gartner to improve digital literacy for all staff because we believe technology won’t just be a solutions enabler…it will be an integral part of the solution.
A great example of this innovation is developing and releasing a new cyber security solution for the middle market – something we have been working on for some time. Cyber solutions were typically the domain of larger enterprises so we are very pleased to have developed a solution for the middle market to meet the increased risks and pressures our clients face in keeping their data safe.
For me personally, I feel very proud and grateful to have spent the past 31 years working at RSM with fantastic people and an amazing group of clients.
Whenever I’ve looked for a challenge , RSM has provided me with opportunities throughout my career. Leading the firm during these last six years has been nothing but a privilege. I’ve enjoyed watching our organisation continue to evolve, meeting challenges head-on and instilling confidence in a world of change.
While we all need a well-earned break, our future (and yours) is bright and prosperous.
Thank you for joining me in celebrating 100 years of RSM this year, and I wish everyone a very happy holiday and a restful break. See you in 2023!
