‘Ultimate CEO’ Blain Heckaman on How He Embodies Kaufman Rossin’s Culture

Editor’s Note: This is the 14th in a weekly series highlighting the Business Journal’s 2019 South Florida Ultimate CEO Awards honorees. The award recognizes the area’s top CEOs, highlighting the breadth of talent and leadership across our unified tri-county region. We’ll feature at least one of these chief executives weekly as a lead-up to the Sept. 26 awards program at The Ritz Carlton, Fort Lauderdale.

Blain Heckaman credits his career – and firm’s success – to his competitive spirit. Told he was too short to play the basketball, Heckaman was a walk-on player at Ball State University. He arrived in Miami in 1984 for “sun and fun” – and with few connections, he found a diverse, interesting and growing community where he could build his career.

His first job in Miami became his only job here. Some 35 years later, Heckaman believes the firm’s future success lies in the careers of his people. Kaufman Rossin has grown by adding new client services, all while maintaining the “people first” culture established by founders Jim Kaufman and Jay Rossin.

“That’s the key to our business,”Heckaman said.

What has been your greatest professional accomplishment?

In 2016, we sold one of our service lines, our hedge fund administrative business, which was about a third of our revenue. Since then, we’ve recovered all of that revenue by really focusing on expanding our platform services and shifting the firm into the advisory space, which is where we need to be for the future.

What do you do in pursuit of your own professional growth?

Through our international alliance with Praxity, I’ve had the pleasure of twice-a-year meetings with the CEOs of other CPA firms, most of which are significantly larger than us, but have the same challenges and issues. It’s really been a great resource to help me to run things by my peers and learn from them.

What have you learned along the way that has changed your vision, process or behavior?

The most significant thing today is transformation and innovation of our business primarily being driven by technology, such things as AI (artificial intelligence) and RPA (robotic process automation). You read and talk to others and it sounds like it’s coming fast. It doesn’t come so fast. But the reality is the day that it shows up, it spikes dramatically. I think the key to it is continuing to really work on it. … Because there will come a day when all of that comes together, and you’ve got to be ready. Because if you’re not ready, you’re going to get left behind.

How do you keep innovation and curiosity alive at the firm?

We talk a lot about it. We bring in speakers to talk about it and we encourage our people to challenge themselves [to think about] how we could do this differently, more efficiently. We’ve had innovation-type contests. We recognize people for outstanding ideas, helping clients, helping people internally.

Why would I want to work for Blain Heckaman?

I think working with me is somewhat synonymous with working with the firm, because I have been here 35 years. I live and breathe the culture here. But it’s really about caring about people. I want to help people succeed. I provide a lot of autonomy to people to make their own decisions. But I’m here to help them make better decisions.

What’s your finish line?

Retirement always sounds great until you start getting closer to it. My finish line will come when the firm and our future leaders are ready for the next iteration of what Kaufman Rossin is and needs to be. When I feel confident that the organization and the people are ready, I’ll feel good about stepping away. But I think I’ve got some more runway to go.

How do you center yourself?

I’m into yoga and riding the Peloton. Both keep me fit and mentally ready for my day. On the weekends, my escape is Islamorada, and boating, fishing and diving with my wife and two boys. The stress leaves my body when I hit Key Largo.