Kaufman Rossin Just Picked Its CFO as Next CEO. Here's Why That Matters.

Top 50 accounting firm Kaufman Rossin just elected its next CEO — and the choice says a lot about where the firm is headed.

CFO Marc Feigelson will take over as CEO on June 1, succeeding Blain Heckaman, who's retiring after leading the Miami-based firm since 2012.

The announcement came with a clear message: Kaufman Rossin is staying independent — no private equity, no merger, no outside investors.

Why the CFO Is Taking Over

Feigelson joined Kaufman Rossin in 1998 fresh out of the University of Florida with an accounting degree. He's been CFO since 2022, driving what the firm calls "operational excellence and sustainable growth."

Picking the CFO as CEO isn't random. It signals the firm is prioritizing financial discipline, long-term planning, and strategic independence over aggressive growth-at-any-cost.

"Independence isn't just structural, it's strategic," Feigelson said. "It allows us to stay accountable to our clients and our people, not outside investors."

That's a direct shot at the private equity wave sweeping the profession. Over 1,000 accounting firms globally have taken PE investment in the last decade, and each PE-backed firm is acquiring an average of 7.6 additional firms.

Kaufman Rossin is explicitly choosing not to play that game.

What Heckaman Built

Blain Heckaman joined Kaufman Rossin in 1984 and took over as CEO in 2012, succeeding founder Jim Kaufman.

Under his leadership, the firm expanded geographically (now in Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Palm Beach Gardens, and New York City) and deepened advisory services — business consulting, risk advisory, forensic advisory, specialty tax.

The firm won repeat "Best Place to Work" honors and snagged the 2025 "Best of Accounting" award from ClearlyRated for client service.

Revenue: $164 million. Headcount: 700+ employees. Clients in dozens of countries.

"Leading this firm has been one of the greatest privileges of my career," Heckaman said. "I have tremendous confidence in Marc and in the strength of our team."

The Independence Play

Here's what makes this transition interesting: Kaufman Rossin is doubling down on independence at exactly the moment when PE-backed firms are consolidating aggressively.

Feigelson's statement was deliberate: "This leadership transition strengthens our ability to invest in the long term, powering talent and technology, and making decisions that serve both today and well into the future."

Read between the lines: PE firms optimize for exit timelines (usually 5-7 years). Independent firms can optimize for decades.

The question is whether independence remains viable as PE-backed competitors flood the market with acquisition capital.

What CPAs Should Watch

Kaufman Rossin's leadership transition is a case study in succession planning done right: long runway (June 1 start date), internal promotion, clear strategic positioning.

But it's also a bet that independence — backed by financial discipline — can compete with PE-fueled consolidation.

If you're at a mid-sized firm debating PE vs. independence, watch how Kaufman Rossin performs over the next 3-5 years. It's one of the last major independent firms making that choice publicly.