When Brian Todd made partner at BKD LLP at age 37, he achieved a goal set 12 years earlier.
“There are many accounting professionals, but very few achieve partner status at a firm the caliber of BKD,” said Todd, who was promoted in 2012. “It is very gratifying to set a career goal, work hard and then achieve it.”
Todd credits the willingness to accept new challenges and responsibilities paired with a positive attitude for much of his success and ability to reach goals. It’s something he strives to share with colleagues.
“I have served as a coach to several young professionals at BKD. Guiding our young staff through their careers is one of the most important things we do,” Todd says.
“These are individuals that I place a great deal of faith in, and it is very rewarding to see them accept additional responsibilities and excel.”
As the leader of nonprofit and health-care tax practices at BKD’s Southern Missouri practice unit, which includes Springfield, Branson and Joplin, Todd heads a large group of tax professionals serving more than 250 clients ranging from hospital systems, long-term care facilities and home-health agencies to colleges, universities and foundations.
“It is very rewarding to help nonprofits succeed and serve communities locally and around the country,” he says. “It is also very rewarding to serve small-business owners.”
Todd works to stay abreast of the myriad changes with which clients must cope, and he doesn’t hesitate to draw on BKD’s extensive resources if something is outside his expertise. Through conferences and free BKD webinars, he helps organizations navigate complicated new rules and regulations.
Todd gets out, too. About a dozen times a year, he speaks at conferences on tax-related topics to clients and industry associations.
He shares his knowledge locally as well, presenting on topics such as financial literacy to Missouri State University’s Go Lead, which aims to enhance nonprofit leadership, and participating in the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s Nonprofit Rountable.
Todd serves on the advisory board of the Southern Missouri Advisory Committee of the BKD Foundation, which encourages employees to get involved in their communities and request support for their causes.
He also has been involved with either Rotaract or the Rotary Club of Springfield Sunrise since 2000, serving as treasurer in 2008.
Todd is a Paul Harris Fellow, a designation based on annual giving to the Rotary Foundation, which seeks to eradicate polio worldwide.
Outside of his professional life, Todd is a member of Ozark Mountain Ridge Runners and Ozark Greenways. As a dedicated physical fitness buff, he has completed 19 marathons.
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