Grounded in Tradition with an Eye to the Future

Elliott Davis harnesses nearly 100 years of experience to re-imagine the financial services landscape and create innovative solutions for the future

GREENVILLE, S.C. (June 18, 2018) – Shifts in consumer behavior, innovations in technology and the never-ending quest for greater profitability are threatening the health of every organization that fails to adapt. The financial services industry is particularly vulnerable to these and other external forces, a fact that’s dramatically transforming the way consulting firms which serve these institutions must approach even the most basic of functions.“The marketplace is evolving constantly,” says Rick Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Elliott Davis, one of the largest and most respected accounting, tax and consulting services providers in the United States. “There’s an undeniable level of trust that can be found ‘in the numbers,’ but in the universe of taxes, assurance and attestation, that’s no longer enough.”To help clients excel in what’s been dubbed the cognitive era, advisors to financial services providers must move beyond traditional thinking and re-imagine what it means to be a consultative business partner. Custom-crafted, holistic solutions that leverage an institution’s strengths and fortify its weaknesses ensure clients are well-positioned to adapt to the challenges and opportunities ahead.“Developing strategies that yield simple, practical and results-oriented outcomes fosters a collaborative relationship grounded in mutual respect and shared success,” says Davis, whose firm’s Financial Institutions Group (FIG) has nearly 100 years of experience working with the financial services industry.Not surprisingly, this proactive, transformative style of consulting requires an equally forward-looking view of how these services are provided. The key to this approach, Davis insists, is assembling a team that embraces its own rich heritage and uses it to guide every decision made with, and on behalf of, each client.“It takes people,” he says, referring to the 80 FIG specialists who serve nearly 200 financial institution clients across the country, “the best people, who realize we’re here to make a positive impact on every life we touch.”Working to positively impact clients, employees and communities—and creating innovative solutions along the way—is the core value that has defined Elliott Davis’ approach to business and guided the ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind everything the firm has done since its founding in 1920. According to Davis, these principles will remain the bedrock of the reimagined FIG practice and the company as a whole moving forward.“Many people fail to recognize the subtle difference between ‘doing the right thing’ and ‘doing things right,’ but the distinction is profound,” he explains. “Developing solutions to complex business challenges is the service we provide; it’s how we ‘do things right.’ Striving to make a positive impact on the people, places and things around us is our true work; it’s our way of ‘doing the right thing.’”