KWC is proud to be included among the 2025 Accounting MOVE Project’s Best CPA Firms for Equity Leadership. The firm has the highest percentage of female partners of the firms participating in the annual survey. This is the 11th year KWC has been named to the list. The complete list of firms recognized is below (excerpted from the official MOVE press release).
The Best CPA Firms for Equity Leadership
(In descending order of percentage of women partners & principals. To qualify, women must comprise at least 31% of a firm’s partners and principals.)
73% KWC Certified Public Accountants
KWC once again demonstrates that smaller firms can lead the way in gender equity, with 73% of its 25 partners being women. The firm’s 143-member team is 46% female, reflecting a consistent commitment to creating opportunities for women throughout the organization. While leadership acknowledges there’s always room for improvement, KWC’s track record speaks for itself; women hold leadership positions across practice areas and shape the strategic direction of the firm.
60% Bland & Associates, P.C.
For a firm of its size, Bland & Associates is well above average when it comes to women holding leadership roles. Recognized as one of the fastest-growing firms by Accounting Today for 2025, Bland achieved remarkable growth. With 53% of its workforce being women and 60% female partnership, the firm has ingrained gender equality into its culture. Two noteworthy programs include Bland’s Women’s Initiative for Rising Stars (BWInRS), which supports women on their career journey through mentorship and networking opportunities, and BLAND Leadership Institute for the Next Generation (BLING), focused on developing emergent leaders.
52% Clark Nuber
Clark Nuber stands out as a frontrunner in gender equity, with women comprising more than half of its partnership group. With almost 70% women across its workforce, the firm has created an environment where women don’t just participate, they lead. With more than 300 employees, Clark Nuber’s commitment extends beyond numbers to culture, focusing intensely on both people and clients. The firm continues to expand its efforts to foster belonging and maintains strong programs that support women’s advancement through every level of the organization.
50% James Moore & Co.
James Moore continues to impress with a partner group comprised of 50% women. Led by powerful and energetic leadership, the firm is anything but traditional, choosing employee happiness as the litmus test for success. As a reliable innovator with 288 employees and 58% women across the workforce, James Moore consistently showcases the mindset, robust support, and vibrant energy needed to cultivate and sustain an inclusive and welcoming workplace. The well-established CPA and consulting firm combines strong industry specialization with a commitment to both client service and positive workplace culture.
50% Abbott, Stringham & Lynch
ASL has achieved true partnership parity with women comprising exactly half of its 18-member partner group. At 71% women across its 112-employee workforce, ASL surpasses national averages significantly. The firm has continued to grow year over year while remaining independent, with employees consistently providing feedback that they’re happy with engagement activities, benefits, and work-life balance. ASL’s expansion of belonging efforts demonstrates an ongoing commitment to maintaining the supportive environment that has become its hallmark.
46% Kerkering, Barberio & Co.
At 66%, the percentage of women full-time employees at Kerkering, Barberio & Co. surpasses the average nationally and across other MOVE firms. With 46% female partnership, KB women lead most practice areas, fostering positive succession trends. The firm of 145 professionals is committed to creating a supportive and empowering environment where people can learn, grow, and thrive. The firm’s leadership believes that investing in its team leads to shared success and strives to provide employees with a work-life balance that ensures business needs are met while personal lives are prioritized.
38% The Bonadio Group
The Bonadio Group is a nationally ranked IPA Top 40 CPA firm that provides assurance, tax, advisory, and consulting services to clients both within and outside of the U.S. With 1,005 employees and 43 women among its 114 partners, Bonadio has made incredible progress over recent years in advancing opportunities for women and enhancing the firm’s culture. At 53% women across the workforce, the firm demonstrates a consistent commitment to diversity and belonging at all levels. Bonadio’s continued success in retention, attraction of top talent, and building an environment where everyone can thrive reflects the firm’s dedication to meaningful, lasting change.
39% Frazier & Deeter
Frazier & Deeter’s more than 650-person firm achieves gender balance with exactly 50% women across its workforce and 39% female partnership. The firm rates itself highly successful because it prioritizes investing in relationships by building trust, loyalty, and long-term partnerships that drive sustained growth and exceptional results for both employees and clients. With expanded belonging efforts and unwavering commitment to creating an inclusive environment, Frazier & Deeter demonstrates that focusing on relationships (both internal and external) creates the foundation for excellence and equity.
34% Rehmann LLC
Rehmann has experienced significant growth while maintaining a remarkable track record of retaining and attracting talent, with record-breaking years of low turnover and high recruitment success. At more than 1,000 employees with 59% women across the workforce, the firm has built a culture where women thrive at every level, including in 34% of principal and ownership positions. Rehmann’s continued investment in its people, combined with the steady expansion of opportunities, creates an environment where talent flourishes and women see clear pathways to leadership.
33% BPM
BPM LLP’s substantial presence with nearly 1,300 employees worldwide (950+ in the U.S.) includes a workforce that is 57% women. With 30 of its 92 executive leaders being women, BPM demonstrates that large, internationally focused firms can maintain strong commitments to gender equity while delivering sophisticated services. The firm’s scale allows it to offer diverse opportunities for women to lead across multiple practice areas, industries, and geographies, creating pathways for advancement that span the organization.
31% Eide Bailly
As one of the largest firms on the Equity List with approximately 3,500 staff and partners, Eide Bailly shows that size doesn’t preclude progress on gender equity. With 130 women among its 420 partners and 50% women across the full workforce, Eide Bailly is retaining staff and continuing to grow. The firm’s substantial platform provides extensive opportunities for women to advance into leadership roles across numerous offices and practice areas, creating a pipeline for continued progress in partnership diversity.
About the Accounting MOVE Project
The Accounting MOVE Project is based on the MOVE methodology, developed by research partner Wilson-Taylor Associates, Inc., which investigates the factors proven to be essential to women’s career success:
- M – Money: fair pay practices
- O – Opportunity: advancement and leadership development
- V – Vital supports: work-life programs that remove barriers
- E – Entrepreneurship: operating experience for managing or business ownership
The Accounting MOVE Project is the basis for two recognitions of excellence for women in the accounting and advisory profession, both awarded by the AFWA:
- Best CPA Firms for Women: To earn a spot on the list, an employer must have both a proportionate number of women at most or all levels of managementand proven success with the MOVE factors. An employer cannot win by having a rich array of programs but few women in leadership. We believe that if a firm’s MOVE factors are effective, it will have a healthy and growing proportion of women in its leadership pipeline.
- Best CPA Firms for Equity Leadership: This list recognizes firms with at least 31% women partners and principals, as roughly a third is the widely recognized “tipping point” or members of any identity group to have individual impact. The Equity Leadership list recognizes firms that have achieved that milestone through any combination of culture, programs, initiatives, and growth.
Methodology
Since 2010, the Accounting MOVE Project has measured and supported the advancement of women at accounting and consulting firms. MOVE is the only annual benchmarking project that both counts and advocates for women in the profession.
MOVE is made possible by support from its sponsors and by administrative fees paid by participating firms who choose to receive a firm-specific, confidential scorecard. Firms receive benchmarking reports based on the MOVE Project. See the archives of MOVE Project reports at https://accountingmoveproject.com/archives/.