CLA Global Ltd., a network of accounting and advisory firms with more than 180 offices and 13,500 professionals around the world, including top 10 firm CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen) in the U.S., has appointed Paul English as CEO.

English will replace Sancho Simmonds and Joseph Kask, who have held the role of co-CEOs of CLA Global since the network was formed in July 2022. Simmonds and Kask have been instrumental in recruiting firms to join CLA Global during their tenure, continuing to build the network’s development and strategy, resulting in 12 network and 12 alliance members currently across the globe.

“This is an exciting time for CLA Global. We continue to attract exceptional network and alliance members across the globe, and now, with Paul’s leadership, we will continue to elevate our efforts,” Scott Engelbrecht, chair of the CLA Global board, said in a statement. “He brings a deep knowledge of strategy and business acumen that we are certain will continue the momentum we have built at CLA Global.”

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Paul English

With more than 20 years of experience in global and marketing leadership roles in professional services across the Americas, EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), and Asia-Pacific, English comes to CLA Global from boutique consulting firm Source, where he had been strategy director since July 2021, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He previously spent nearly 14 years at rival accounting firm Grant Thornton, where he was on the global leadership team, working on global strategy, brand, and the international clients and markets agenda. He started there in July 2007 as director of marketing and business development.

Before his tenure at Grant Thornton, English worked at the U.K. arm of global accounting firm RSM as a senior director, with a focus on consulting and marketing strategy in the mid-market and the government sector.

“I am really looking forward to getting started. There is a great opportunity for CLA Global to be a genuinely distinctive global organization that creates real value for its firms and the clients they serve. There is real ambition at CLA Global along with a start-up mentality and that is very appealing,” English said in a statement. “We share a passion for the dynamic, entrepreneurial mid-market, as well as a strong emphasis on relationships, culture, and innovation. The founding firms bring significant scale and a depth of capability, which serves as a great foundation for future growth in strategically important markets. CLA Global will continue to invest in the infrastructure and service offerings that will be attractive to our current and future firms.”

CLA Global was founded on July 1, 2022, by CliftonLarsonAllen LLP and Evelyn Partners. Based on reported fee income, CLA Global is a top 15 global accounting and advisory organization.