Meet Gary Thomson, CPA.
When it comes to public accounting, Gary has seen and done it all. Over the span of a 38-year career, he has:
Launched, operated, and grown a private CPA practice
Led firm growth, mergers and acquisitions and strategy for small, medium and large CPA firms
Served on the Senior Leadership Team for a Top 20 firm
Serves as a Practice Management Consultant and Leadership Coach to firms/Managing Partners of a diverse range of CPA firms
Served as a legislative key person and council member for the industry's national governing body, the American Institute of CPAs
Served as chairman of the Virginia Society of CPAs and a public policy leader for Virginia on issues impacting CPAs
Now he's putting that experience to work for you.
As a consultant to CPA and professional services firms, Gary helps organizations of all sizes prepare for the future by developing partner-level leaders, building innovative governance structures, and crafting leading-edge strategic plans.
A sought-after leader and skillful diplomat, he takes time to understand each firm’s unique challenges and opportunities in order to craft a customized action plan that will withstand the forces of change.
“I started this company to share my knowledge and experience as a practitioner and leader in the CPA industry to help others overcome uncertainty, gain clarity, and prepare for the future.”
The abridged story.
After graduating college in 1985, Gary began his career in Atlanta with Arthur Andersen as an auditor of publicly traded technology companies. In 1989, he returned to Virginia and started his own practice. Through a number of mergers, Gary became an owner-partner of Goodman & Company in 1998. There, he became part of firm leadership, overseeing a region while managing marketing and corporate communications and developing the Goodman Leadership Academy.
Goodman & Co. merged to become Dixon Hughes Goodman in 2011—making it a Top 20 firm. At DHG, Thomson joined the Executive Committee, senior leadership and management teams, overseeing the Mid-Atlantic region while also serving as executive sponsor of the DHG Leadership Academy and Praxity Leadership Conference, a member of the Strategic Plan Task Force, and chair of the Marketing Committee. He retired from DHG in 2019 to start Thomson Consulting.
Gary’s leadership extends outside of the office as well. He currently serves as a council member for the AICPA and is a past chair of the VSCPA (who named him Outstanding Member of the Year in 2017). He also serves as a board member for the Virginia Chamber of Commerce (where he served as Chairman in 2014), the Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges (currently serving as Chairman), the American Heart Association, and The Bank of Southside Virginia. He is chairman of the Commonwealth of Virginia School Readiness Committee and a board member for the Virginia Council on Economic Education and the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation.
Chairman
Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants
(2019-2020)
Council Member
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
(2018-present)
Meet Morgan Thomson Farmer, M.Ed.
Director
Morgan's diverse background, coupled with her business and education expertise, are invaluable to Thomson Consulting as she takes on the role of Director. Focusing on strategic planning, leadership training curriculum development, and partner retreats, Morgan helps empower organizations for success in the ever-evolving future.
Over the span of her career, Morgan has:
Been a key driver in developing and implementing strategic plans successfully on a large scale
Developed and nurtured strategic and innovative partnerships
Facilitated meetings and communication plans centered around major organizational initiatives
Supported curriculum development
Now she’s putting that experience to work for you.
Morgan helps Thomson Consulting expand our resources to continue to learn and grow to better serve accounting firms and their leaders. She is instrumental in curriculum development to support Thomson's consulting and coaching services.
With a Bachelor's Degree from Roanoke College and a Master's Degree from Virginia Tech, Morgan is eager to take her skills to push the boundaries of progress and help accounting firms shape their futures for success.
Meet Karen Furstenberg, CPA.
Strategic Advisor
An expert in advisory services - finance, operations, audit, and regulatory compliance, Karen Furstenberg leverages over 30 years of Big 4 public accounting and industry experience, helping organizations advance strategic objectives. She has developed strategy and led international expansions, acquisition integration, greenfield market growth, and risk management in highly regulated and dynamic global markets. Karen understands what it takes to navigate complex and fluid regulatory environments in the U.S. and abroad, having diverse industry experience and advised Fortune 500 corporations throughout their footprint. She was a client – and she understands well how to translate client needs to service success.
Leveraging her experience in the profession, Karen has:
Launched, operated, and developed a global advisory practice
Served as a Global Managing Partner for a Top 20 firm
Served as Managing Partner at Ernst and Young in the national healthcare industry and market leader
Serves as a Practice Management Consultant and Leadership Coach to firms/Managing Partners, and emerging leaders
Led Global Advisory Practice to expand the firm to multiple global markets and services
Led team to the resolution of corporate integrity agreement plan, M&A integration, and corporate governance strategy
Strategy implementation and deployment of global risk, finance, and governance operations in Financial institutions, FTSE, and Fortune 1000
International Board experience as Director of Compliance and Risk
Built top-performing teams through innovative recruitment and retention strategies to create and maintain diverse and inclusive workforces
Led highly profitable, international advisory P&L
Fortune 500 Leader as Senior Vice President, Ethics, Audit, and Compliance, reporting to CEO and Board of Directors
Served on multiple not-for-profit Boards
Now she’s putting that experience to work for you.
As a strategic advisor to CPA and professional services firms, Karen helps organizations prepare for the future by coaching and developing partner-level leaders, building scalable structures, and crafting leading-edge strategic plans with guidance and support.
A highly dynamic leader and innovator, she takes time to understand each firm’s unique position and strengths in the market to develop a customized action plan that will drive long-term value, diversify services, and enable strong foundational growth.