Inside Frazier & Deeter: From Founding to Top 40 Firm, with Jim Frazier, David Deeter, Bob Woosley, and Roger Lusby (Business Beat, Episode 57)
This special edition of Business Beat delved inside Frazier & Deeter and the firm’s remarkable 42-year journey, as Jim Frazier, David Deeter, and Bob Woosley joined Business Beat host Roger Lusby and co-host John Ray. The conversation delved into the early years of the firm’s existence, significant landmarks, growth strategies, and the firm’s unique culture that fostered long-term relationships with both clients and employees. The firm’s emphasis on personal relationships, consulting skills, and a market-oriented entrepreneurial mindset were cited as vital to their success. The discussion also touched on the evolution of accountancy, advice for younger accountants, and the important role of AI and technology in the future of the accounting profession. This show represented both a celebration of David Deeter and Roger Lusby as they retire at the end of 2023, as well as a look into a bright future for this dynamic accounting and advisory firm.
Business Beat is presented by the Alpharetta office of CPA firm Frazier & Deeter and is produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.
Frazier & Deeter
Frazier & Deeter is an award-winning Top 50 accounting and advisory firm that offers a full scope of tax, audit, internal controls advisory, and business transformation services. FD and its family of brands serve clients worldwide, from the Fortune Global 500 companies to growing small businesses, and the firm has been recognized repeatedly as a Best of the Best Accounting firm, a Best Firm to Work For®, and a Best Firm for Women in Leadership.
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Jim Frazier, Founder & Tax Partner
As one of the founding partners of Frazier & Deeter, Jim Frazier is responsible for activities related to tax planning and the preparation of tax returns for clients varying in size from individuals to closely held companies and large national concerns. In addition, he provides tax, accounting and management consulting services to a variety of medical practices in the Atlanta area.
Jim has extensive experience in strategic planning for closely held corporations, staff utilization, personnel evaluation monitoring procedures and the management of information systems. He also serves as a panel member for the American Arbitration Association.
Jim has earned the designation of certified fraud examiner (CFE). The CFE designation is awarded to select professionals responsible for detecting, deterring and investigating fraud and white-collar crime. He also has received the Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) designation, which distinguishes CPAs who are proficient in information technology.
David Deeter, Founder & Tax Partner
As co-founder of Frazier & Deeter, David Deeter has a major role in facilitating the growth of the firm. From 2001 to 2009, during his term as Managing Partner, the firm experienced an average growth of 20% annually and became a Top 100 Firm in the US. David was named one of the Top 5 Most Admired Leaders in US Accounting Firms in a recent Inside Public Accounting survey by his peers.
Most of David’s work centers around income tax and financial planning. He is an advisor to many of Atlanta’s leading families, and he has extensive experience with companies in the real estate, entertainment, finance, manufacturing, services, and nonprofit industries.
Bob Woosley, National Practice Leader, Private Equity Practice
After beginning his professional service career at PwC, Bob Woosley became the first professional employee of Frazier & Deeter shortly after the firm was founded in 1981. In 1985, Bob became a Partner of the firm, and over the next 18 years, he served as head of the Audit and Strategic Consulting Services Departments.
In 2000, Bob founded iLumen, Inc., the CPA profession’s leading business intelligence and analytics platform, which is today used by leading CPA firms and financial institutions across the country. Bob served as CEO of iLumen through 2010 and is currently an active board member and advisor to the company. In 2010, Bob led the creation of the FD Alliance, a strategic collaboration of non-merged CPA firms located in several metropolitan areas.
In 2011, Bob returned to the firm. He now serves as the National Practice Leader of the firm’s Private Equity Practice, which includes the firm’s Transaction Advisory Services Practice. In addition, Bob directs the firm’s marketing and growth strategies on both a national and local level.
Bob has been involved in numerous private company board positions and assists clients in developing and optimizing strategies that impact their business across the spectrum of the entrepreneurial life cycle, including capital formation and exit strategies.
Roger W. Lusby III, Tax Partner
As a member of the Tax Practice and just-retired Office Managing Partner for FD’s Alpharetta location, Roger Lusby oversees coordinating tax and accounting services for the firm’s clientele. His responsibilities include reviewing various tax returns, with an emphasis in the individual, estate and corporate areas.
Roger further provides client assistance regarding financial planning, executive compensation & stock option planning, estate & succession planning, and international planning (FBAR, SFOP). He has significant expertise in the healthcare, real estate, manufacturing, technology, and service industries. Before joining the firm, Roger was a Tax Supervisor with an international accounting firm.
About Business Beat and show sponsor, the Alpharetta office of Frazier & Deeter
Business Beat is presented by the Alpharetta office of CPA firm Frazier & Deeter and is produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.
The Alpharetta office of Frazier & Deeter is home to the firm’s Employee Benefit Plan Services group and a thriving CPA tax practice. Their Alpharetta CPAs and advisors serve clients across North Georgia and around the country with services such as personal tax planning, estate planning, business tax planning, business tax compliance, state and local tax planning, financial statement reviews, financial statement audits, employee benefit plan audits, internal audit outsourcing, cyber security, data privacy, SOX and other regulatory compliance, mergers and acquisitions, and more. Their Alpharetta CPAs serve clients ranging from business owners and executives to large corporations.
As one of the largest CPA firms in the United States, Frazier & Deeter takes pride in bringing their clients exceptional technical expertise backed by a devotion to exceeding client expectations. Their brand promise is “Investing in Relationships to Make a Difference,” and they focus on that goal every day.
As an active participant in the business community, Frazier & Deeter’s Alpharetta CPAs are involved with the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, and the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.
As an Alpharetta CPA firm, Frazier & Deeter has been highly involved in the Alpharetta community for many years. They are proud to support organizations like the Chattahoochee Nature Center, North Fulton Charities, and FosterCares, just to name a few. Frazier & Deeter is also a proud member of goBeyondProfit, an organization that helps businesses give back to our Georgia communities.
An episode archive of Frazier & Deeter’s Business Beat can be found here.
