Firm News

Chris Rux Discusses Cherry Bekaert’s Innovation Fund

calendar iconSeptember 2, 2016

In an August 31 article for Tampa Bay Business Journal, Cherry Bekaert’s Chris Rux promoted the launch of Cherry Bekaert’s Innovation Fund. The article, “Tampa Accounting Firm Pays Up for Outside-the-Box Ideas,” highlights how the fund is designed to generate ideas and provide solutions for the benefit of the Firm’s clients. The concept behind the Innovation Fund originated from the leadership group of Cherry Bekaert’s THInc® practice, for which Rux serves as the leader for central Florida.

The goal of Cherry Bekaert’s Innovation fund is to encourage associates to present ideas that are original and outside the box. In the article, he is quoted as saying, “We as a Firm look at innovation in terms of efficiency of processes, growth in new products and services, and opportunities to bring value to clients and in turn generate loyalty with clients and employees.” Rux also noted, “We built out an online website and an app that allows our associates to go through a series of questions with clients to help identify particular areas where we can bring value to the client, such as credits and incentives for tax purposes, cybersecurity, a myriad of service offerings we have that clients or associates may not be aware of.”

Any Firm associate can submit an idea. An Innovation Fund committee will evaluate each idea based on its value to clients, the financial impact to Cherry Bekaert, and how it increases the Firm’s position as a thought leader in accounting and business advisory services. The committee will select which associate’s ideas will receive funding and support, and the associate will be joined with a team to help bring the idea to fruition.

Rux serves as an Audit Partner in Cherry Bekaert’s Tampa practice.