New Executive Forum to Define Workforce Strategy in Public Accounting

PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNITED STATES, May 12, 2025 /

/ -- The Resource Management Executive Forum (RMEF) has officially launched as the leadership collective for senior Resource Management professionals in public accounting. The Forum brings together executives from leading firms to navigate the industry's most pressing challenges and strengthen the strategic impact of workforce planning at the highest levels. This launch comes at a critical time for the accounting profession. Amid an unprecedented wave of private equity investment, firm consolidations, evolving workforce expectations, and increased demand for scalability, firms are rethinking how talent is deployed and how operational agility is achieved.

The RMEF responds to this moment by creating space for meaningful dialogue, professional development, and peer-to-peer collaboration among the leaders shaping the future of firm operations. "The formation of the RMEF marks a significant milestone in our industry," said Christine Robinson, Founder and President of the RMEF. Robinson is a Partner at Makosi, where she leads the firm's Resource Management advisory practice. Her experience includes designing and scaling RM functions at EY and Baker Tilly. Today, she advises across the broader RM landscape, including her role as a strategic advisor to Dayshape, a global resource management technology platform utilized by accounting firms worldwide.

The Forum is guided by its founding members, including Christine Thomas, Amanda Marshall and Beth Hunter, who represent a powerful cross-section of the profession—from the Big Four and mid-sized firms, as well as those with international presence. Several have served on the Advisory Board of the

(RMI), the formal professional body for the RM discipline. The RMI is the leading authority on workforce planning within professional services and the accrediting body behind the Resource Management Certified Professional (RMCP

) designation. Ryan Childers, Managing Director of the RMI, serves as the Forum's Executive Advisor. His guidance further aligns the Forum's mission with broader industry standards and professional development initiatives in the RM space.

Hee Lee and Wayne Kaplan serve as Industry Advisors to the Resource Management Executive Forum, bringing decades of executive leadership experience in public accounting. Lee, the founder and former leader of EY's Financial Accounting Advisory Services (FAAS) practice, embedded Resource Management as a foundational element of how the FAAS practice operated—using workforce insights to align talent with growth and operational goals. Kaplan, a former Office Managing Partner and Audit Practice Leader at Grant Thornton, similarly leveraged RM to strengthen delivery, team development, and long-term sustainability. Together, they guide the Forum's focus toward the profession's most meaningful challenges and opportunities.

Beth Hunter, Resource Experience Leader at Rehmann and a founding member of the RMEF, noted: "Senior RM professionals play a critical role in how firms grow, retain talent, and deliver exceptional service—but until now, we haven't had a formal place to connect, collaborate, and lead together. The RMEF fills that gap. I'm honored to be part of a group that's bringing visibility and structure to this essential function."

The RMEF is committed to fostering strategic collaboration, equipping its members to stay ahead of industry shifts, lead with clarity and agility, and prepare the next generation of RM professionals to meet the evolving needs of the accounting industry. This leadership collective is uniquely positioned to unlock the full value of Resource Management as a catalyst for performance, culture, and sustainable growth—at a time when the profession needs it most.

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