Mark Stewart Chief Executive of BDO in South Africa

The South African practice of BDO has appointed Mark Stewart as its new CEO. BDO-veteran Stewart has already been running the firm since last year. Now, following a vote of confidence from the partner team, he has formally been granted the role of chief executive.

Mark Stewart has been with accounting and consulting firm BDO for 29 years, starting at the firm in 1985. In 1991, he became a partner and since 2000 has been managing partner of the Durban office and also an active member of Executive Committe. Over the years, Stewart has also actively been involved in regional leadership positions. For instance, he held the position of regional coordinator for the sub-Saharan African member firms and more recently served as the BDO South Africa International Liaison Partner.

Last year, he was appointed interim CEO, and following a strong spell leading the firm, the partner team have now decided to formally appoint Stewart as the new Chief Executive. According to Stephen Shaw, head of Audit for BDO in South Africa, Stewart is the right man to further build BDO’s reputation and market share in the region. “Mark is ideally placed to support us and provide the leadership for the South African market,” says Shaw.

“My appointment comes at a time when our local strategy is well aligned to that of our international firm, with a strong focus on growing advisory business while continuing to strengthen the quality of our audit offering” says Stewart. “Our established presence in Sub-Saharan Africa continues to present us with opportunities for clients investing on the continent,” adds Stewart.