As the saying goes, “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”

Alan Litwin grew up just three blocks from where he would eventually co-found an accounting firm with his partner, Larry Kahn. The two were later joined by John

Renza to form Kahn, Litwin, Renza & Co. What started as a two-person firm in a tiny office in Providence has blossomed into a 280+ person firm, with 8 offices, located all around New England and across the globe.

These past forty plus years have been full of opportunities, risks, challenges and milestones. The KLR team was thrilled to gather once again for our annual summit this past fall, to celebrate this history and look ahead to the firm’s bright future.

“The Future of the Firm is All About Our Talent”

For the past several years KLR and affiliates have gathered as a team at Gillette Stadium to hear from dynamic speakers, engage in exciting group discussions, and build relationships with colleagues across all departments.

The annual event was put on hold for the past two years due to the pandemic, but colleagues were thrilled to gather together once again this past fall.

As KLR partner Jessica Ashley reflects, “Coming together at the Summit is always a highlight of my year. Since we haven’t been able to meet in person since 2019, it was very special to see Gillette filled with people this past fall—280 wonderful people who represent KLR’s past, present and future.”

The Summit has become So Much More than simply a firm-wide conference or day out of the office. Through the years it has become something colleagues look forward to each year, and something that builds momentum for success throughout the year…and this year’s was particularly memorable.

Creating a better normal

Though KLR’s forty-year history is chock full of opportunities and challenges, these last three years have definitely introduced some new and different obstacles for the firm to face and overcome. We were thrilled to invite nationally recognized keynote speaker, Erica Dhawan, to our 2022 Summit to discuss this “new normal” and how leaders and teams need to reimagine how they work and connect in 2022 and beyond.

Although a lot of our communication has shifted to digital, Erica highlighted that it has become more and more important to make sure that we are thoughtful when

it comes to reaching out to clients and colleagues in this new normal. As she said, “Every day we are creating an impression with our team members and our clients based on how thoughtfully we write our emails, our response times, what channels we use, the agendas we send, etc. When it comes to meetings, we want to make sure everyone knows why they’re there and how they can contribute.”

In many ways, KLR is proud to have evolved our communication skills through the years, as shown by our 2022 net promoter score of 80, 41 points over the industry average. This score is largely a testament to KLR’s responsiveness—as one client reflected “The service is exceptional. When we ask a question, we get a reply right away.” Another adds, “The staff has brains and heart—the best combination.”

KLR colleagues had the opportunity to chat with their colleagues about Erica’s ideas and how we can optimize technology to better ourselves and the way we communicate with clients and colleagues.

“The summit was an opportunity to meet so many new people and reflect on how much our ‘new normal’ has changed the way we work and communicate,” says Murray Lee, Partner KLR Search. “Erica’s presentation was full of helpful insights and new ways of thinking.”

Erica’s closing sentiments say it all-- “I hope today you will be proud of all you’ve done to reimagine how we can connect—how will you get big things done—reimagine that better normal for all those counting on your wisdom, your creativity and your heart.”

Handing over the reins

While a good portion of the summit was spent on our future, a very important part was spent recognizing all of Alan Litwin’s amazing contributions to this firm that he built from the ground up. We were so honored to hear about Alan’s journey from 1975 to 2022, before he handed over the reins to our new CEO, Paul Oliveira.

Joined by executive vice president, Mike Tousignant, Alan took us all on a journey through KLR’s rich history, full of new offices, mergers, technological advancements, risks, opportunities, and as Alan said “plenty of mistakes”. It was truly inspiring to hear about KLR’s beginnings, and all that went into what it is today.

As Mike Trotter, CIO, KLR Wealth Management reflects, “Hearing about KLR’s journey these past forty years was impressive and inspiring. Being that this was my first Summit, I didn’t really know what to expect. From the keynote address, to the fireside chat with Alan and Mike, to networking and getting to know so many new people, it was a really special day that I’m thrilled I could be part of.”

Alan put it simply, “We have great people in this room.”

What a journey

Paul echoed Alan’s sentiments as he addressed the firm for the first time as Chief Executive Officer.

“Our people are what sets us apart.”

Having spent the last twenty years at KLR, Paul reflected on how much has changed through the years saying candidly, “What a journey, what a story.” In his twenty

years, Paul has served as both Director of Tax Services (before handing the role off to Laura Yalanis) and Boston Office Managing Partner.

In his new journey as CEO, Paul is honored and excited to lead the firm in this next chapter. Reflecting on the challenges that may lie ahead due to the recession and

changes in the industry, Paul has all the faith in the team of 280 and the unique array of services KLR has to offer.

As Paul puts it, “What we have here is special.”