Cherry Bekaert is a private accounting and consulting firm that works across the United States. Given its accounting background, Cherry Bekaert is more similar to Big 4 firms versus more strategy focused MBB firms. Cherry Bekaert is a mid-sized firm with ~$250M in revenue in 2021. Per Cherry Bekaert’s website, Cherry Bekaert’s mission is: “to make a difference for our People, our Clients, our Community and our Professions.”
This article will share more about Cherry Bekaert’s history, culture, and interview process.
Table of contents:
- Firm Key Stats
- Cherry Bekaert History
- Cherry Bekaert Careers
- Cherry Bekaert Internship
- Practice Areas
- Industries
- Cherry Bekaert Locations
- Career Path
- Exit Opportunities
- Notable Alumni
- Target Schools
- Diversity Programs
- Cherry Bekaert Culture
- Cherry Bekaert Interview
- Cherry Bekaert Salary
Firm Key Stats
Firm Website: www.cbh.com
Firm Headquarters: Raleigh, North Carolina
Firm Number of Employees: ~1,300+
Firm Number of Locations: 26
Firm Chief Executive: Michelle Thompson
Firm Revenue: $250M in 2021
Cherry Bekaert History
Cherry Bekaert was founded in 1947 by Harry Cherry, with Charles Bekaert, and William Holland as other founding members. Through the late 1900s and early 2000s, Cherry Bekaert grew organically, notably launching a rebranding effort in 2013 and introducing the tagline “Your Guide Forward.” Starting in 2018, Cherry Bekaert acquired several companies to expand its capabilities, e.g., it acquired TaxGroup Partners in 2021.
Cherry Bekaert Careers
Cherry Bekaert’s motto is “One Firm. One You.” Per the Cherry Bekaert's Careers Page, employee promise is: “We are curious explorers, a collective of leaders, and innovative guides to our teams, clients, and communities. If you are ready to find your space and create your future, you belong with us.”
There are several hallmarks of a Cherry Bekaert career, e.g.,:
- Ability to grow within the firm
- Continued focus on learning and development (e.g., your career development and upwards and downwards feedback)
- Ability to give back via volunteer work
Cherry Bekaert Internship
The Cherry Bekaert internship is designed to provide an up-close understanding of what a career at Cherry Bekaert can look like. Interns may have the opportunity to:
-
- Work across client engagements
- Work with and / or shadow seasoned professionals
- Attend training sessions and team building activities
- Develop and present a final project
- Attend social events (e.g., lunches, community events)
For 2023, Cherry Bekaert has winter and summer internships for students graduating in May or December 2024.
Practice Areas
Cherry Bekaert’s practice areas are:
-
- Advisory:
- Business intelligence
- Cybersecurity support
- Tax
- Tax preparation
- Tax law advisory
- Assurance:
- Audit & attestation,
- Accounting
- Advisory:
Industries
Similar to the Big 4 firms, the industries Cherry Bekaert serves are pretty wide reaching and varied. Cherry Bekaert industries include:
-
- Technology
- Healthcare and Life Sciences
- Industrial Manufacturing
- Government and Public Sector
- Hospitality and Retail
- Real Estate
Cherry Bekaert Locations
Compared to the Big 4 firms which have a global presence, Cherry Bekaert has a narrower scope. Specifically, the Cherry Bekaert locations are only in the United States. Cherry Bekaert locations include:
-
- Los Angeles, California
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Tampa, Florida
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Austin, Texas
- Houston, Texas
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Chicago, Illinois
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Washington DC
Career Path
While Cherry Bekaert does not outline its specific career path (like other consulting firms do), its website emphasizes that Cherry Bekaert is a place to stay for the long-run. Longevity in a Cherry Bekaert career path is supported by Cherry Bekaert’s continued focus on professional development and its growth philosophy. Specifically, the growth philosophy enables employees to move up in their current role or explore a new area within the firm.
Exit Opportunities
Given Cherry Bekaert’s narrower scope, exit opportunities may be narrower than those at MBB firms. For example, Cherry Bekaert may have less strategy-focused exit opportunities. Example exit opportunities following a career at Cherry Bekaert include:
-
- Working at a Big 4 firm
- Working in portfolio valuations
- Working at a F500 company in the finance function (e.g., on reporting)
Notable Alumni
Unlike MBB firms, Cherry Bekaert does not publish its notable alumni. However, per LinkedIn, notable alumni include:
-
- The Managing Principal at Faircroft Ventures (an M&A advisory and principal investment firm)
- The President of Farrell Advisory (Farrell Advisory provides Corporate Finance services to clients)
Target Schools
Per LinkedIn, Cherry Bekaert target schools include:
-
- James Madison University
- Virginia Tech
- University of Florida
- Florida International University
- University of North Carolina
Diversity Programs
Like many other consulting firms, Cherry Bekaert has a commitment to build a diverse and inclusive community. For example, Cherry Bekaert formed an inclusion council known as ACE (which stands for Allyship, Connections, and Elevate). Through ACE, Cherry Bekaert developed employee resource groups, which are similar to groups at other consulting firms. Employee resource groups include:
-
- Multi-generational
- Mosaic (for various racial / ethnic groups)
- Women of Cherry Bekaert
To read more about Cherry Bekaert’s ACE council, please click here.
Cherry Bekaert Culture
On Glassdoor, Cherry Bekaert has 4.0 out of 5 stars with 74% of respondents recommending Cherry Bekaert to a friend and 96% approving of the CEO.
On Glassdoor, positive reviews include:
- Good work / life balance
- Great people
- Flexibility
On the other hand, on Glassdoor, negative reviews include:
- Long hours (especially during busy season)
- Benefits that are below market standards
[optin-monster slug="fadl1lf9l0hl8h0cmmkr" followrules="true"]
Cherry Bekaert Interview
Cherry Bekaert’s interview focuses on behavioral questions with a goal of understanding your background, abilities, and ambitions. Fit questions may include:
- Walk me through your resume
- Why Cherry Bekaert?
- Why this role?
- How do you handle competing priorities and working with a tight deadline?
Although Cherry Bekaert focuses on the behavioral interview, it is important to clarify with HR if there will be any technical questions or a case.
Firm Interview Process
Similar to other firms, the Cherry Bekaert firm interview process can change rapidly (i.e., by the school you attend, role you are applying to, year you are applying, etc.). Therefore, it is always considered best practice to clarify the firm interview process with your recruiter.
Cherry Bekaert Salary
Per Glassdoor, the Cherry Bekaert associate salary is ~$85,000-90,000 with a ~$80,000 base and a ~$5,000-$10,000 bonus. This is relatively in-line with the Big 4 firms, which is not surprising given Cherry Bekaert’s accounting / advisory focus. Specifically, salaries for post-undergraduate roles across the Big 4 firms are:
- Deloitte Consulting – $88,000-95,000
- EY – $85,000
- KPMG – $80,000-90,000
- PwC – $85,000
For a comprehensive report detailing consulting salaries across firms, please see Management Consulted’s Salary report.
Conclusion
Therefore, Cherry Bekaert is an advisory firm which specializes in accounting and consulting. Its three practice areas are: advisory, tax, and assurance. Given its focus, the work you do at Cherry Bekaert may be more similar to the work done at a Big 4 firm versus an MBB firm. The salary expectations at Cherry Bekaert are similar to those at Big 4 firms. However, unlike the Big 4, Cherry Bekaert is a medium-sized company and only has a presence in the US. If you are interested in prepping for a Cherry Bekaert interview with an ex-MBB consultant, please click here.
Additional Resources:
- Top Consulting Firms
- Boutique Consulting Firms
- Consulting Resume: Complete Guide
- Case Interview: Complete Prep Guide