Jeffrey Weiner: Leadership Lessons from a Billion-Dollar Firm Builder | Gear Up For Growth

Great firms are built, not bought.

Gear Up for Growth

With Jean Caragher

For CPA Trendlines

In this episode of Gear Up for Growth, host Jean Caragher sits down with Jeffrey Weiner, former CEO and Chairman of Marcum LLP and current Senior Advisor at CBIZ. Weiner shares candid insights from his 40-year leadership journey, explaining how a Long Island accounting firm with seven employees and $300,000 in revenue became a $1.3 billion national powerhouse—before merging with CBIZ.

• Gear Up for Growth spotlights the best strategies for smart and efficient growth in today's competitive landscape. More Gear Up for Growth here.
• More Jean Caragher here | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | More Gear Up for Growth
• More CPA Trendlines videos and podcasts here

“Back in 1981, I didn’t even know what $1.3 billion was,” Weiner quips. “But I always knew I wanted to build something.”

Over the decades, Weiner redefined what it meant to lead in public accounting, emphasizing trust, talent, and strategic growth. Rather than micromanaging, he viewed his role as “architect,” guiding the firm’s culture, empowering top-tier professionals, and letting his team do what they did best. “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room,” he said.