Doug Opheim is a partner and senior advisor for RSM US LLP. He served as the firm’s chief operating officer for five years, chief financial officer for 21 years and chair of the RSM US Foundation Board of Directors for more than a decade. One of the most influential leaders in the firm’s history, Doug has been with RSM since 1980.
Doug began his career at RSM as an auditor in 1980 and became one of the firm’s assurance leaders. He reengineered the audit process and led the development of RSM’s first paperless audit for midsize businesses. His ability to blend people-focused leadership with technological insight has helped shape the firm’s long-term strategy. He is also known as RSM’s “resident historian.”
Doug has been a senior leader at RSM since 1998. His first role in firmwide leadership came in 1999, when he helped complete the sale of RSM’s tax and consulting services to H&R Block, a pivotal transaction that provided the capital needed for the firm to grow into the leading provider of assurance, tax and consulting services for the middle market.
As CFO, Doug shaped nearly every aspect of the firm’s financial strategy, including the development of lending programs, financial foundations, income allocation processes, partnership value allocation and M&A strategy. In 2011, he played a key role in the buyback of the tax and consulting services from H&R Block, securing partner and bank financing to restore RSM as a partner-owned enterprise.
The son of two educators, Doug has long been passionate about education and stewardship. A meaningful community college scholarship early in his life instilled in him a commitment to creating opportunities for students and youth. He was instrumental in establishing the RSM US Foundation in 2014 and served as its chair, helping make scholarships possible for countless deserving young people. Under his leadership, the foundation exceeded $51 million in charitable giving to causes that empower confident futures for youth in the communities where we live and work.
Doug has also turned his love of cooking into an annual charitable event benefiting the foundation. “Dinner with Doug” is a highly anticipated experience for RSM colleagues, who enjoy a privately prepared meal in Doug’s home.
A pragmatic and straightforward leader, Doug has played key supporting roles across RSM throughout his career. His long-lasting impact on the firm’s strength, stability and culture is unmatched.
