Deloitte elects new global CEO

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu has elected a new global chief executive officer, James Copeland, at its World Meeting in London. He succeeds Edward Kangas, who has served as chairman and CEO of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu since 1989, and who will continue to chair DTT’s board of directors.

Copeland, 54, was elected CEO of Deloitte & Touche, the US practice, in February and will assume that role from 30 May. He will assume leadership of the global firm immediately. Both positions are for four-year terms.

Copeland was elected at a meeting of senior partners during which a new global management structure was approved. Copeland said: “Increasingly, our clients are thinking and acting globally. To keep pace with them, we must become even more flexible, nimble, responsive – and global. The changes we have approved take us a long way toward that destination.

Implementing them requires fundamental changes on our part, but this implementation is nothing less than the key to success of DTT in the 21st century.”

Copeland will have overall executive authority and responsibility for the leadership and management of the firm. DTT had revenues in 1998 of $9bn, with an annual growth rate of 22 percent. He will oversee the firm’s efforts to globally integrate its practices. Copeland joined the firm in 1967 and was made a partner 10 years later. Most recently, he served as managing partner of the US practice and led DTT’s International Strategy and Structure Committee. Previously, Copeland was managing partner of the firm’s Atlanta office and of the Southeastern Group.