Meet a Member: Tom Harper

May 5, 2026

Tom Harper HeadshotJUST THE FACTS:

  • Name: Thomas “Tom” Harper
  • Title: Chief Growth Officer
  • About His Role at Blue: Tom leads business development (BD), marketing and brand at Blue & Co. and contributes to mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and corporate strategy. Since joining in 2019, he has helped grow the firm from $80M to over $150M in revenue, with a target of $215M by 2028.
  • Years of Experience: 30+ years
  • College Name & Degree(s):
    • University of Wisconsin-Madison, BS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
    • University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ph.D., Biochemistry
    • University of Michigan – Stephen M. Ross School of Business, MBA, General Management & Marketing
    • Standford University Graduate School of Business, LEAD Program, Business Administration and Management (current)
  • Firm Name: Blue & Co., LLC; Carmel, IN, headquarters
  • Firm Size: 625+ professionals across 17 offices and 6 states
  • Email Address: [email protected]
  • Professional Memberships:
    • Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM)
  • Community Involvement:
    • Habitat for Humanity
    • University of Michigan Sanger Leadership Center (mentor)
  • LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasaharper/

 

GETTING TO KNOW YOU:

A lot of people don’t realize this about you, but you’ve had a really unique career path,  starting out as a biochemist and now serving as the Chief Growth Officer at Blue. What, in your mind, has been the common thread?

I really thrive in high-growth and team-oriented environments.

Whether I was in Research and Development (R&D) at Promega, marketing at Johnson & Johnson, healthcare at Cardinal Health, management consulting at Plante Moran or now here at Blue, the common thread has been being part of a team trying to accomplish something bigger than any one person could. I competed in sports growing up, and that taste of winning as a team has never left me.

What gets you excited about business development? 

I love solving people’s problems.

The breakthrough for me, many years ago, was moving away from scripts and formulas toward a more holistic approach – meeting clients where they are, understanding what they’re actually trying to achieve and helping them get there faster.

The most satisfying moment in any sales process is when I go from being perceived as a vendor to a trusted partner in the eyes of the client or prospect.

What are some key trends that growth leaders at accounting firms should be thinking about in 2026 and beyond?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the biggest technological disruptor since the advent of the internet, and I think it will hit our profession harder and faster than most others. Compliance work is squarely in its path. The firms that thrive will be the ones that can credibly pivot from compliance to advisory, and the honest question every firm leader needs to ask is, “How fast can we actually change our business model?”

The second challenge is reach. Email open rates of 1–3% tell you everything you need to know about how saturated buyers are. Phone outreach is not much better. We must find smarter, more credible ways to demonstrate value, which is exactly why advisory positioning and relationship intelligence matter so much right now.

What tools or resources do you consider must-haves for enterprise business development organizations?

A fully integrated CRM, full stop. A CRM system that connects to your financial reporting, tax software and proposal tools and gives you real visibility into pipeline, pricing and ICP fit is a must-have.

But the part most firms underestimate is that a good CRM isn’t just a system of record; it’s the single best coaching platform a growth leader has. I can coach my team on targeting, on pricing discipline, on where they are in the sales funnel and on cross-sell opportunities all from one place. That’s how growth becomes repeatable instead of accidental or simply opportunistic.

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