Jacqueline Akerblom is a seasoned global leader and qualified financial expert with a track record of consistently driving growth and profitability at Grant Thornton where she has held multiple senior leadership roles and has been a CEO direct report for over 10 years. She has extensive experience as an advisor in the corporate board room as both an audit partner and a leadership partner working with client C-Suite and board members on complex financial issues. She thrives helping clients assess difficult business challenges and has guided senior executives on business and operations strategies, divestitures/mergers, IPOs, and global strategies. Jacqueline's industry client focus has been primarily technology companies, both as an audit partner and leading the west region, the center of Grant Thornton's global technology practice. Jacqueline retired in June 2024 after 35 years with the firm and 40 years in the profession. As National Managing Partner Global Client Services for Grant Thornton, Jacqueline is responsible for driving the US member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd. (GTIL) global initiatives and strategy and is a member of the firm's executive leadership team. GTIL is a $7.5 billion global professional services network with nearly 70,000 people in over 130 countries. She works with other GTIL member firms around the world to align and improve client service strategies and capabilities. She advises client C-Suite and corporate boards on complex global financial issues. She serves on the Governance Committee and Member Firm Matters Committee of GTIL's Board of Governors and is a member of the board of directors of Grant Thornton Global Delivery Private Ltd, Bangalore, India, a shared services support center for GTIL member firms. As Grant Thornton's West Region Managing Partner for seven years Jacqueline was a member of the firm's senior leadership team and had P&L responsibility for executing the firm's business strategy across all aspects of the fourteen offices in the western United States. This $400M+ portfolio consisted of audit, tax and advisory service lines which served clients in multiple industries, including Technology, Financial Services, Life Sciences, Media & Entertainment, and others. She was a senior relationship partner to client C-Suite and corporate boards advising on complex financial issues. Jacqueline's responsibilities included all aspects of people performance including talent strategies, partner and employee compensation, succession planning and leadership development. As Regional Managing Partner, Jacqueline led the firm's M&A strategy in the west and successfully led the acquisition and integration of a significant technology advisory boutique. Jacqueline has also served as managing partner of Grant Thornton's Southern California practice and as a technology audit partner and International Business Center director for the firm's Silicon Valley offices. She was an elected member of the firm's Partnership Board and she spent nearly four years as a U.S. resident partner in Grant Thornton's London office serving as an advisor to U.S. and European companies on cross-border transactions. Jacqueline is a passionate advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion having served as Grant Thornton's first national managing partner of Gender Diversity, a role she held for four years. Jacqueline attended the University of Oxford Said Business School Grant Thornton Senior Leadership Programme 2013-2014 and holds a BBA in Accounting from the University of San Diego. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of California and is NACD Directorship Certified. Jacqueline is associated with NACD, NYSE Board Diversity Initiative, American Institute of CPAs, California State Society of CPAs, C200 and University of San Diego Knauss School of Business Board of Advisors.