BDO USA Appoints New Assurance and Tax Leaders
BDO USA has appointed veteran partners Demetrios Frangiskatos and Mat DeMong as the new heads of its assurance and tax practices, respectively. The appointments signal the firm's continued focus on technology-enabled assurance and digital platforms. The move underscores the growing importance of digital expertise for leadership roles within major accounting and advisory firms.
- Demetrios Frangiskatos, the new Assurance leader, has been with BDO since 2000 and was the architect of the firm's digital audit strategy. He previously managed the BDOAdvantage team, which focuses on the firm's digital audit suite. - Mat DeMong, the new Tax leader, started at BDO in 2004 as a tax associate and has experience advising multinational clients in the manufacturing and technology sectors on mergers and acquisitions and state and local tax planning. He has been a proponent of adopting new technologies, including the BDO Tax UserVerse platform. - The appointments come as manufacturing CFOs are increasingly focused on navigating economic volatility and supply chain disruptions through digital transformation and data governance. A 2026 industry report indicates that 83% of manufacturers view AI as critical for achieving cost reduction targets. - These leadership changes align with a broader evolution in the internal audit profession, which is shifting from a focus on financial records to a more integrated approach to risk management, requiring a broader understanding of business processes and management principles. This includes leveraging technologies like robotic process automation (RPA) for continuous auditing and monitoring. - Geopolitical risks remain a top concern for manufacturing executives, with ongoing US-China trade tensions impacting supply chains. Despite high tariffs, China's overall exports grew in 2025, while its exports to the U.S. fell significantly. This has accelerated the trend of reshoring and nearshoring, with 74% of manufacturers adjusting their operations. - Sourcing critical minerals is a significant vulnerability for U.S. manufacturers, with China dominating the refining of materials essential for batteries, electronics, and defense systems. Recent Chinese export restrictions on minerals like graphite and rare earths have already disrupted automotive supply chains. - The SEC is increasing its focus on non-financial disclosures. Large manufacturers will need to begin disclosing Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions in fiscal year 2026. Additionally, the SEC has signaled a comprehensive review of Regulation S-K, which could streamline qualitative disclosures to focus more on materiality.
