Leading by example
In a series of exclusive interviews, Managing Partners of Praxity participant firms describe how swift, decisive action has supported staff and clients through the crisis.
Praxity Global Alliance has set a high benchmark for crisis management and business continuity amid the Covid-19 crisis. Leaders of Praxity participant firms acted quickly to implement extensive Covid-19 response plans to protect staff, increase business resilience and help clients mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic.
Now, in a series of articles based on candid interviews, CEOs, Chairs and Senior Partners of firms within the Alliance explain:
- What they did to respond to the crisis
- How they are pivoting their business
- How they are supporting clients
- What we can expect in the future.
Published on Praxity’s members-only portal, the articles provide a unique insight into the speed and breadth of response from firms across the Alliance. They demonstrate that strong, collective action, together with robust business processes and technology, can create a position of strength in the most difficult of circumstances, enhancing staff wellbeing and driving business resilience. Here are extracts from the first articles published:
Hervé Helias
CEO & Chairman, Mazars
“In 48 hours, 24,000 people shifted to remote working. Frankly, I would never have imagined it could happen so quickly and smoothly. The technology we have implemented in the last decade made this transition feasible. Given the timing, financial reporting and helping clients to close their books was an equal priority.”
Matt Snow
CEO, DHG
“Our response to COVID-19 has proven that we can pivot. It has opened up new engagement channels for teams. Thought leadership Zoom meetings and client-facing webinars have been well utilized and are delivering much higher engagement, providing a platform to emphasize points and share knowledge in real time more efficiently.”
Nick Hatzistergos
Chairman, William Buck
“We’ve also used consistent, clear messaging since the start of the pandemic. People have been vigilant and focused. We have been very astute, segmenting our clients in order to tailor our responses, categorising them according to cash flow and the level of impact.”
Chris Schmidt
CEO & Chairman, Moss Adams
“I don’t believe Moss Adams has compromised on client service. If anything, we are more mindful about staying connected and assisting clients to navigate the uncertainties. Maintaining this mindset will be one of the lasting outcomes, with us adopting a hybrid of virtual and physical meeting platforms in the future.”
Kurt Schweighart
Senior Partner, LeitnerLeitner
“The need for connectivity across our workforce and clients highlighted just how critical digitalisation is. People swiftly adjusted though to using new tools. It became a ‘must have’ to keep up with clients’ expectations and to ensure service was never compromised. Digitalisation is no longer a discussion point. The crisis has accelerated adoption, which can only be a good thing.”