Rollout of Microsoft 365 Copilot expected to seed significant productivity gains
CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Grant Thornton Advisors LLC (Grant Thornton Advisors) is investing $1 billion over three years to provide powerful AI tools and technology to the entire workforce at its multinational professional-services platform, which stretches from the Americas across Europe to the Middle East. The investment will help the platform deliver innovative and high-quality accounting, tax and advisory services based on a people-centric model powered by AI.
The investment marks a strategic move toward creating a future-ready, technology infrastructure — one built around integrated systems that address market demands and fuel organizational growth. As a result, the multinational platform will be able to deliver a better end-to-end digital experience for both its professionals and its clients.
Grant Thornton Advisors is currently putting its investment into action by providing the more than 13,500 platform professionals in 60 multinational offices with access to Microsoft 365 Copilot. The rollout complements an earlier pilot project that saw Grant Thornton Advisors provide Microsoft’s AI tool to a 400-person cohort of professionals — generating significant productivity gains. It expects to see broader benefits when all of the platform’s professionals, regardless of role, integrate Microsoft 365 Copilot into their Grant Thornton data sources and Microsoft apps.
“This isn’t just about investing in AI and technology, it’s about investing in our people,” said Jim Peko, CEO of Grant Thornton Advisors LLC. “We’re giving every professional across our multinational platform — from Chicago to Dubai — the kinds of tools they need to work smarter, faster and in keeping with their individual styles. The result is something that is uniquely Grant Thornton: People who are empowered do their best work so clients benefit from the quality and results they need.”
Mike Kempe, chief information officer of Grant Thornton Advisors LLC, echoes this sentiment: “This investment is a big step as we ensure that every person at the Grant Thornton Advisors platform has AI and technology resources at the ready, from our newest hires to our most seasoned professionals. The Microsoft 365 Copilot rollout, for example, will help our people save time, balance their workloads and make more insightful decisions. This means they’ll be able to efficiently provide our clients with personalized high-quality services.”
Grant Thornton Advisors’ managing partner for Advisory Services in the U.S., Tom Puthiyamadam, stresses that the Copilot rollout is one of many moves that will help the firm deliver quality services powered by AI and grounded in human insights.
“We’re building a full-service platform amplified by AI and advanced technologies,” he said. “Investing in tools such as Copilot is a critical next step in this effort and part of a steady cadence of innovations that will help us provide clients with novel solutions to whatever challenges lie ahead.”
Grant Thornton Advisors’ embrace of AI is fueled by its recent investment led by New Mountain Capital, a growth-oriented investment firm with approximately $55 billion in assets under management.
According to Andre Moura and Nikhil Devulapalli, managing directors at New Mountain Capital: “We are proud to support this major AI investment as Grant Thornton Advisors builds out one of the strongest technology-enabled platforms in the accounting profession. Grant Thornton is leading the market in developing and deploying AI technologies for the benefit of its clients, and we intend to continue supporting these types of investments.”
Over the past year, Grant Thornton Advisors has made notable progress implementing a phased AI maturity model across its platform. In May, it launched CompliAI™, a proprietary AI solution that uses advanced capabilities and a custom-trained large-language model, to help clients control and assess risks. Also in May, Accounting Today magazine named Grant Thornton Advisors one of its 2025 Best Firms for Technology — citing the “three tiers of [the firm’s] successful technology strategy: application modernization, data centralization and AI integration.”
According to Brian Willson, vice president at Microsoft: “Grant Thornton Advisors is accelerating its digital transformation journey by deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot across its platform’s entire workforce. This move reflects the firm’s commitment to innovation and its focus on delivering tech-forward professional services. Microsoft is proud to support the firm as it embraces AI to empower its people and enhance client outcomes.”
Grant Thornton Advisors established its multinational, muti-disciplinary platform in January 2025. To date, transactions have been announced with several full-service accounting and consulting firms to join the platform, including those in Ireland, the UAE, Switzerland/Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the Cayman Islands and the Channel Islands.
Additionally, Grant Thornton Advisors recently acquired Auxis, a U.S.-based leader and pioneer in outsourcing and business modernization services. And, last month, it announced a transaction that will add an additional advisory firm to its platform: Stax, a leading strategy consulting firm specializing in commercial due-diligence, value-creation and exit-planning services for private equity firms, as well as their portfolio companies and advisors.
About Grant Thornton
Grant Thornton delivers professional services in the U.S. through two specialized entities: Grant Thornton LLP, a licensed, certified public accounting (CPA) firm that provides audit and assurance services ― and Grant Thornton Advisors LLC (not a licensed CPA firm), which exclusively provides non-attest offerings, including tax and advisory services.
In January 2025, Grant Thornton Advisors LLC formed a multinational, multidisciplinary platform. The platform offers a premier advisory and tax practice, as well as independent audit practices. With almost 60 offices, the platform delivers a singular client experience that includes enhanced solutions and capabilities, backed by powerful technologies and a roster of almost 13,000 quality-driven professionals enjoying exceptional career-growth opportunities and a distinctive cross-border culture.
Grant Thornton is part of the Grant Thornton International Limited network, which provides access to its member firms in more than 150 global markets.
Grant Thornton LLP, Grant Thornton Advisors LLC and their respective subsidiaries operate as an alternative practice structure (APS). The APS conforms with applicable laws, regulations and professional standards, including those from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
“Grant Thornton” refers to the brand under which the member firms in the Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL) network provide services to their clients and/or refers to one or more member firms. Grant Thornton LLP and Grant Thornton Advisors LLC serve as the U.S. member firms of the GTIL network. GTIL and its member firms are not a worldwide partnership and all member firms are separate legal entities. Member firms deliver all services; GTIL does not provide services to clients.
About New Mountain Capital
New Mountain Capital is a New York-based investment firm that emphasizes business building and growth, rather than debt, as it pursues long-term capital appreciation. The firm currently manages private equity, credit and net lease investment strategies with approximately $55 billion in assets under management. New Mountain Capital seeks out what it believes to be the highest quality growth leaders in carefully selected industry sectors and then works intensively with management to build the value of these companies. For more information on New Mountain Capital, please visit newmountaincapital.com.
Contacts
Grant Thornton Advisors LLC
Jon Rucket
T: +1 404 984 6249
E: [email protected]
