CrossCountry Consulting Names Co-CEOs for Global Growth

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CrossCountry Consulting elevates Neil Smith and Amy Bjarnason to Co-Chief Executive Officers effective June 15, 2026, as founder Erik Linn shifts to Executive Chairman to accelerate the firm's global expansion.

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What Happened

The elevation of Smith and Bjarnason from Co-Presidents follows a deliberate succession plan that began taking shape as CrossCountry Consulting scaled from a regional advisory boutique into a firm serving Fortune 500 corporations and private equity sponsors across the United States and internationally. Linn, who helped establish the firm alongside its founding partners fifteen years ago, described the move as "a natural progression that recognizes their outstanding leadership and collaborative dynamic."

Both executives joined CrossCountry in 2011 and have spent the intervening years building the operational and advisory architecture that now underpins the firm. Smith brings more than 25 years of experience in finance, accounting, and operational transformation, with earlier roles at Arthur Andersen, Capital Advisory Services, and BearingPoint. Bjarnason draws on more than 30 years in consulting, operations, and finance, having previously held senior positions at Navigant, EY, and Arthur Andersen before joining CrossCountry as its first Chief Operating Officer.

Divided Responsibilities, Unified Strategy

Under the co-CEO structure, Smith will continue leading the firm's advisory practice, overseeing consulting, technology, and business transformation delivery. Bjarnason will retain oversight of people and business operations while expanding her strategic mandate across the full enterprise.

The division of responsibilities mirrors a model increasingly adopted by mid-market professional services firms seeking to preserve client-facing continuity while simultaneously professionalizing internal operations. CrossCountry's dual-leadership arrangement is designed to allow each executive to move decisively within a defined domain rather than splitting attention across competing priorities.

AI and Technology Angle

A central pillar of the new leadership agenda is the acceleration of CrossCountry's AI strategy. Smith and Bjarnason will jointly direct continued investment in AI-enabled advisory services, an area where mid-market consulting firms are competing aggressively for both talent and differentiated client mandates. CrossCountry's client base — spanning finance, accounting, risk management, and operations — provides a natural testing ground for applied AI tools that automate routine analysis, surface anomalies in financial data, and support complex regulatory compliance workflows.

The firm's expansion into technology-enabled advisory reflects broader market pressure: corporate buyers increasingly expect consulting engagements to integrate proprietary digital tools rather than rely on staff-hours alone, compressing margins for firms that have not made the infrastructure investment.

Strategic Context

CrossCountry's trajectory — nine consecutive Inc. 5000 appearances, offices in seven U.S. cities including Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle, and a growing international presence — placed the firm at an inflection point where a single chief executive concentrating all operational and strategic decisions became a structural constraint rather than a strength.

The involvement of Investcorp, which acquired a majority stake in CrossCountry in a prior transaction, adds a financial-sponsor dimension to the growth ambitions. Minority-owned and private-equity-backed professional services firms typically face distinct pressure to demonstrate scalable revenue and margin expansion ahead of eventual liquidity events, reinforcing the logic of a leadership structure built for growth at pace.

Outlook

The co-CEO arrangement at CrossCountry Consulting signals a firm entering a phase of deliberate institutional scaling rather than opportunistic expansion. With Linn retaining strategic oversight as Executive Chairman and Smith and Bjarnason absorbing day-to-day authority, the firm gains operational depth without losing the founding culture that has driven consistent ranking on best-places-to-work and high-growth lists. Near-term priorities will include AI advisory buildout, geographic expansion, and potential further acquisitions — a path Linn will actively support from his new role.

Strategy