Crowe Global is strengthening its international growth strategy with the appointment of longtime consulting executive Josh Cole as its first Global Growth Leader. The newly created executive role reflects a broader trend across global professional services firms to invest in AI-enabled consulting, strategic alliances, and cross-border collaboration as enterprises seek integrated advisory services for digital transformation, cybersecurity, and business modernization.

Global accounting and consulting networks are reshaping their leadership structures as client demand increasingly shifts toward technology-enabled advisory services. Crowe Global has announced the appointment of Josh Cole as its inaugural Global Growth Leader, a newly established executive position designed to accelerate commercial collaboration and strategic growth across its international network of independent member firms.

Effective August 1, Cole will report directly to Kamel Abouchacra, Chief Executive Officer of Crowe Global, and become a member of the organization’s Global Management Committee.

The appointment signals Crowe Global’s intention to strengthen its enterprise growth strategy by connecting expertise across consulting, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and technology advisory services. Rather than focusing solely on geographic expansion, the organization is emphasizing coordinated capability development that enables member firms to pursue larger, cross-border client engagements while maintaining local market expertise.

Professional services firms are increasingly adopting this model as multinational organizations seek advisory partners capable of combining regional regulatory knowledge with global technology capabilities.

Cole brings more than three decades of experience from Crowe LLP in the United States, where he most recently served as Managing Partner of Strategic Alliances. In that position, he led the firm’s technology alliance strategy during a period marked by rapid enterprise adoption of artificial intelligence, cloud platforms, and ecosystem partnerships.

His career has also included nearly a decade leading Crowe’s U.S. Consulting Business Unit, where he unified separate consulting practices under a single operating model and expanded the firm’s technology-focused consulting portfolio. That experience aligns closely with the priorities outlined for his new global role, which includes strengthening collaboration across member firms and identifying scalable growth opportunities.

According to Crowe Global, Cole will oversee initiatives designed to improve commercial coordination across the network through shared strategic programs, business development initiatives, and integrated service offerings. The organization expects the role to help member firms access broader expertise while supporting sustainable long-term growth.

The appointment comes at a time when professional services firms are experiencing significant market transformation. Enterprises are increasingly seeking advisors capable of helping them implement AI technologies, strengthen cybersecurity resilience, modernize finance functions, and manage evolving regulatory requirements.

Research from Gartner indicates that worldwide spending on IT services continues to grow as organizations accelerate digital transformation initiatives, while IDC projects sustained enterprise investment in AI-driven business applications and automation through the remainder of the decade. These trends are reshaping the consulting industry, encouraging firms to combine traditional advisory expertise with technology implementation capabilities.

Technology partnerships have become an increasingly important competitive differentiator in this environment. Consulting firms are expanding alliances with major enterprise technology providers such as Microsoft, Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Salesforce, Adobe, and NVIDIA to help clients deploy AI platforms, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity solutions, and data analytics at scale.

Cole’s previous work leading strategic alliances positions him to support these ecosystem-driven growth models across Crowe Global’s international network. Rather than developing every capability internally, modern consulting organizations increasingly rely on technology partnerships to deliver integrated client solutions across multiple industries.

The role also reflects the growing importance of cross-border collaboration within global consulting networks. Large enterprise clients often require coordinated advisory services spanning multiple jurisdictions, particularly in areas such as tax, audit, cyber risk, ESG reporting, AI governance, and regulatory compliance. Strengthening collaboration among member firms enables consulting networks to respond more effectively to increasingly complex client requirements.

Crowe Global’s emphasis on AI-enabled consulting also mirrors broader industry developments. According to McKinsey & Company, generative AI has the potential to contribute between $2.6 trillion and $4.4 trillion annually across global industries, creating substantial opportunities for consulting firms that can guide organizations through implementation, governance, and operational transformation.

For enterprise leaders, appointments such as Cole’s illustrate how professional services firms are adapting to changing client expectations. Businesses increasingly value advisors capable of delivering integrated expertise that spans strategy, technology, compliance, cybersecurity, and operational improvement rather than addressing each discipline independently.

As AI adoption accelerates and digital transformation becomes a long-term business priority, firms that successfully combine global scale with local market knowledge are expected to play an increasingly important role in enterprise modernization efforts.

Crowe Global’s creation of a dedicated Global Growth Leader role underscores this strategic shift, highlighting the growing importance of coordinated innovation, technology partnerships, and international collaboration in the next phase of professional services evolution.

Market Landscape

The global consulting industry is undergoing significant transformation as enterprises accelerate investments in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and digital business modernization. Professional services firms are increasingly building technology alliances and expanding cross-border collaboration to deliver integrated advisory services. As AI becomes embedded in enterprise operations, consulting networks that combine industry expertise with scalable technology capabilities are expected to gain a competitive advantage.

Top Insights

• Crowe Global has created a new Global Growth Leader role, appointing longtime executive Josh Cole to strengthen collaboration and commercial growth across its international member network.
• Cole’s experience leading strategic alliances and technology-enabled consulting aligns with growing enterprise demand for AI, cybersecurity, and digital transformation advisory services.
• The appointment reflects an industry-wide shift toward ecosystem-based consulting models that combine global capabilities with locally delivered expertise.
• Technology partnerships with leading cloud and AI providers are becoming increasingly important as consulting firms expand enterprise digital transformation services.
• Cross-border collaboration and AI-enabled consulting are emerging as strategic priorities for professional services organizations serving multinational clients.

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