Edward Nusbaum

Edward E. Nusbaum is CEO and Executive Partner of Grant Thornton LLP. With 433 partners and more than 5,000 employees in the United States, Grant Thornton LLP provides assurance, tax and business advisory services. Under Ed’s leadership, Grant Thornton has doubled revenues in the last three years to $795 million, making it the fastest growing national public accounting firm in the United States during this time. Focusing on the relationship he builds with each client and colleague, Ed has spent 27 years with Grant Thornton serving clients, assuming leadership positions, and helping to shape the accounting profession. Ed is Chairman of Grant Thornton International’s Board of Governors. He is also an appointed member of the U.S. firm’s Partnership Board and leads both the National and Senior Leadership teams. Before becoming CEO, Ed served as the firm’s National Managing Partner of Professional Services, Managing Partner of the Philadelphia Office, and National Director of Assurance Services based in New York. He has also chaired the Grant Thornton International Audit Policy Committee, as well as the U.S. firm’s Capital Markets, Assurance Services Advisory, and Strategic Initiatives Objectives committees. Ed has authored numerous articles and has been quoted in a variety of news outlets including the Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, The New York Times, Time Magazine, CFO, Bloomberg News, Associated Press, Nightly Business Report and Dow Jones. Ed has also led the firm in taking strong thought leadership positions including the February 2002 white paper on requisite steps for restoring credibility to the accounting profession, Five-Point Plan to Restore Public Trust; the need for stock-option expensing; not allowing the auditor to also perform internal controls work; the need for principles-based accounting; not rolling back Section 404 requirements for smaller companies; and supporting the FASB position on pension accounting. Ed is a frequent speaker at seminars and conferences around the world. In 2004 and 2005, Business Finance magazine named Ed one of the top “50 Influencers Worth Watching.” In addition, he is a member of the FASB Advisory Council, an appointment he has held since January 2002. In January 2004, FASB also invited him to join their Small Business Advisory Committee. He is a member of the AICPA, for which he serves on the Steering Committee for the Talent Task Force, a think tank composed of representatives from seven accounting firms that focus on sharing strategies for retaining talent in the accounting profession. Previously a member of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force, Ed participated in several of the task force’s working groups. He was also a member of the AICPA SEC Practice Section’s Executive Committee and Professional Issues Task Force. A former member of the AICPA Auditing Standards Board (ASB), Ed served on their Audit Issues Task Force. Also active in the community, Ed is a past member of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Corporate Executive Board and the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.