By all measures, Bradley Preber has had an extraordinary career in the consulting business. With around 40 years of experience in forensic accounting, Preber is well-known for his work as an expert witness and litigation consultant, as well as a forensic accountant, neutral arbitrator, and fraud investigator. Over the decades, the C-suite executive has handled numerous complex issues and authored many books and articles, including "Practice Aids for the AICPA" and the book "Financial Expert Witness Communication: A Practical Guide to Reporting and Testimony," which was published by Wiley in 2014.
Others may know Preber better as the recently retired CEO of Grant Thornton, a leading global provider of audit, tax, and advisory services.
Preber's relationship with the company began nearly 20 years ago. He started in 2004 as a regional managing partner in the forensic accounting and investigative services practice. From there, he would go on to hold a wide range of leadership roles at the company, climbing his way to the top. His many Grant Thornton positions include serving as Phoenix's office managing partner, chairman of the company's partnership board, and national managing partner for the business risk services practice.
2019 was a banner year for Preber. In June of that year he was appointed interim CEO, a position that was solidified a few months later with the announcement that he was being bumped up to full-time CEO, with the stipulation that his appointment would last until his mandatory retirement date of July 2022.
During his time at the helm, the CEO was a steady hand for the $2 billion consulting business, guiding it through a pandemic and global economic meltdown. In fact, not only did Preber help increase revenues and profits, he also reduced costs. As it turns out, he had a knack for driving growth. Previously, during one three-year stretch, Preber increased profits nearly 80% for one of Grant Thornton's practices.
Preber, who also spent 17 years at Arthur Andersen, received a bachelor’s of business administration with a concentration in accounting from the University of New Mexico. In 2008, university leaders inducted him into the Robert O. Anderson School of Management Hall of Fame.
The recipient of many major accolades, Preber was also listed as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting by Accounting Today in 2020 and 2021. Career milestones for the forensic accounting specialist include many board and leadership roles, including for AICPA, NM Zoological Society, ASU, UNM Anderson School Alumni Association, Wellness Community of Central Arizona, and Navajo Ministries.
Today, the retired CEO continues to be part of the Grant Thornton community. Since June 2019, he has served on the company's Board of Governors, which undoubtedly is happy to reap the benefits from his world-class expertise.