Christopher Tower

About Christopher Tower

As the Sustainability and ESG Strategy and Services Leader for BDO USA, I’m responsible for the delivery of ESG and sustainability services to our clients, as well as oversight of our company’s ESG strategies, integrating sustainable business policies and practices into BDO’s corporate culture and everyday operations. I also lead BDO’s ESG Leadership Team and Center of Excellence, and I am a member of BDO’s Executive Team, a group of senior leaders reporting to the CEO, responsible for determining and communicating the Firm’s strategic priorities and key opportunities for sustainable growth. In my role, I represent the Firm amongst the standard setting, investor, board, corporate and issuer communities as it pertains to sustainability. My background includes 39 years of public accounting experience, including client-facing service delivery, practice operational oversight, and audit quality and professional practice oversight. I’ve provided audit and other attest services to a diverse mix of privately and publicly held clients across an array of industries. Most recently, I served as BDO’s National Managing Partner for Audit Quality and Professional Practice, overseeing our audit methodology, accounting and audit consultation functions, SEC services, global services, quality management, independence and risk management. Prior to that, I served as BDO’s West Regional Managing Partner, overseeing audit and other attestation operations. I’ve served on BDO’s Board of Directors and chaired BDO’s Audit Quality Committee, the Audit Partner annual Audit Quality Assessment process, and BDO’s Assurance Committee. I also oversaw the development and implementation of the firm’s annual plan for improving audit quality and the firm’s annual Audit Quality Report. I enjoy applying my audit and client experience into one of my passion areas – helping companies improve their sustainability and ESG performance, while lowering risk, creating business value, and ultimately improving our communities and our planet. Outside of BDO, I’m a proud Board Trustee for both the Pacific Symphony and the Laguna College of Art and Design.

Experience

1. Managing Partner, Sustainability & Esg

   BDO USA

   Jun 2021 — Present

   As the firm’s ESG Strategy and Services Leader, Christopher is responsible for BDO’s delivery of ESG related services to our clients and the oversight of BDO’s corporate environmental, social and governance strategy, defining BDO’s ESG vision, policies, and practices, and examining and integrating sustainable business practices into BDO’s corporate culture and everyday operations. He also leads BDO’s ESG Leadership Team and Center of Excellence, comprising professionals with deep ESG knowledge, which helps clients, and BDO professionals address ESG-related client needs and sustainability regulatory and reporting requirements. In this role, Christopher represents the Firm amongst the standard setting, investor, board, corporate and issuer communities. Christopher is a member of BDO’s Executive Team, a group of senior leaders responsible for determining and communicating the Firm’s strategic priorities and key opportunities for sustainable growth.

Education

• University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business

  Bachelor, Business Administration

  1978 — 1983