Rehmann has 1,100 people, 22 offices, and retention rates that consistently beat the profession's averages. That doesn't happen by accident. Stacie Kwaiser, the firm's CEO, joins host Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk to pull back the curtain on what nearly three decades of intentional culture-building actually looks like in practice.

The anchor of Rehmann's approach is its Career Advocacy Program — started almost 20 years ago as an initiative to advance women, and now a firm-wide strategy built around sponsorship, visibility, and leadership development. Stacie's perspective is direct: belonging isn't a program you can cut when times get hard. It's a business strategy that drives retention, client relationships, and long-term growth. And Gen Z is watching closely enough to know the difference between firms that mean it and firms that don't.

What you'll take away:

• Why sponsorship accelerates careers in ways mentorship alone never can
• How Rehmann evolved a women's initiative into a firmwide leadership development engine
• Why younger professionals evaluate firms on representation in leadership, not just recruiting messaging
• How connecting DEI to client service turns inclusion into a revenue strategy
• What it looks like to embed "Put People First" into daily decisions, not just annual reports

Resources & Links

• Connect with Stacie Kwaiser on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staciekwaiser/
• Learn more about Rehmann: https://www.rehmann.com

About MOVE Like This MOVE Like This is the podcast for accounting firm leaders building more equitable, competitive, and people-first firms. New episodes drop bi-weekly during survey season and monthly in the off-season. Hosted by Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk.

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