RSM US LLP relocated its New Haven offices to Hartford in June 2021 and recently started a relationship with the MetroHartford Alliance (MHA) and Connecticut Insurance and Financial Services (CT IFS).
MHA Content Manager Nan Price spoke with Hartford Office Leader and Assurance Partner Susan Martinelli and Market Development Senior Associate Chelsea Geffert about how RSM will benefit from its decision to create a presence in Hartford and collaborate with local organizations.
NAN PRICE: Give us a little background about what RSM does and how the company is making an economic impact here in Connecticut.
SUSAN MARTINELLI: RSM is a leading provider of audit, tax, and consulting services that’s focused primarily on the middle market, which represents about one-third of all U.S. jobs, about 40% of private sector GDP, and about $6 trillion in annual revenue. We believe what we do is at the heart of our economy in the region.
Our company is constantly growing and bringing in new professionals. We have about 300 people in Connecticut, including our Stamford and Farmington offices. About a third of that is now in the Hartford Region. We decided to move our office from New Haven to Hartford and expand into the Hartford area to have better geographic coverage of Connecticut and western Massachusetts.
NAN: Was part of that decision related to access to a skilled workforce in the Hartford area?
SUE: It definitely was part of the decision. We recruit across the state and across the region. The Hartford Region is a top 50 Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). So, this relocation strategically aligns with our goals of attracting skilled workforce as well as attracting clients.
NAN: Tell us about the benefit of working with the MHA and CT IFS.
SUE: It’s interesting how our relationship started. We were looking at organizations in the area as we were contemplating the move, and we continue to. I had the opportunity to meet CT IFS Vice President & Executive Director Susan Winkler because we’re both on the Junior Achievement Board of Directors. We started talking about ways we could collaborate and how we have similar visions for the region.
Increasing support for the workforce, engaging with organizations with similar values, and aligning within the community have been important to us. Also, a lot of what the MHA and CT IFS do is similar to what we do and want to continue doing, which is help support businesses’ success in the area. With these relationships, we believe we can add value by bringing insights and resources to the area to help the middle market succeed in this ever-evolving environment.
CHELSEA GEFFERT: In our conversations with local organizations, including the MHA and CT IFS, we’re very excited to be in the Hartford market. And as we start to safely evolve office availability, in-person meetings, and events in alignment with COVID-19 risk frameworks, we’re looking forward to getting out there in the community and expanding relationships in the market.
NAN: Sue, you mentioned the goal of supporting local businesses’ success. How does RSM help?
SUE: Even though we haven’t had a local office presence in Hartford for long, we have several clients in the area. Our approach is unique because of our client service philosophy and how we focus on listening to our clients and understanding their challenges and aspirations so we can understand where they are now and help them get to where they want to be. We believe that strong client-centric focus helps differentiate us in the marketplace.
We also believe in our talent being themselves. When our talent brings their full selves to work, they can be authentic, listen to others, and strive to understand our clients’ businesses and bring unique perspectives to them.
NAN: RSM is known for doing community work. Tell us about some of your initiatives.
SUE: Stewardship is core to who we are. For example, in 2014, we established the RSM US Foundation, which is part of our giving strategy to support our firm’s stewardship value. It’s a tax exempt charity that’s dedicated to building tomorrow’s middle market leaders.
We enjoy enhancing educational outcomes and programs for individuals so they have a career path to become entrepreneurs and middle market business leaders. We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to do that.
RSM also supports organizations that are focused on children and families and helping them be successful. Since we started the RSM US Foundation giving program, we’ve raised more than $21 million. Each year, each of our offices chooses a charity they’re passionate about and our employees have a hand in that decision.
For example, in 2020 and 2021, the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center was a recipient. Last year, we raised more than $40,000 through our employees’ contributions between our Stamford and New Haven/Hartford locations. This year, we’ve raised over $45,000 to date. Our charitable giving is a powerful tool to engage with our employees and with the community.
Learn more about RSM
RSM’s purpose is to deliver the power of being understood to their clients, colleagues, and communities through world-class audit, tax, and consulting services focused on middle market businesses. The clients RSM serve are the engine of global commerce and economic growth, and they are focused on developing leading professionals and services to meet their evolving needs in today’s ever-changing business environment.
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