Living our Values: Birdies Fore Love

Bailey Kosiek

Bailey Kosiek, RSM’s Birdies Fore Love co-chair, shares her enthusiasm for the firm’s premier charitable giving platform.

Stewardship is a value that RSM has held throughout its 90-plus year history. Through stewardship, we better our firm, develop our people and support our local communities. Each year, RSM partners with the Davis Love Foundation, the host organization of The RSM Classic, a PGA TOUR event, to raise funds for deserving nonprofit organizations focused on enhancing educational outcomes and the quality of life for children and families through our Birdies Fore Love (BFL) program. Over the last eight years, RSM has donated nearly $9 million through BFL to charities where our employees live and work!

In 2017, RSM employees, partners and friends, with a match from the RSM US Foundation, were able to donate more than $2 million, which benefited 68 local charities.

Employee champions in each of our 85 local offices organize the fundraising for Birdies Fore Love. This month marks the kick-off for the 2018 program, and offices across the country are already beginning a variety of entertaining fundraising activities like wiffle ball tournaments, bake sales, chili cook-offs, putt-putt contests, pancake breakfasts, dance-a-thons, pie-in-the-face challenges and dunk tanks!

As the 2018 Birdies Fore Love co-leader, I am deeply proud of the enthusiasm that our offices continue to bring to this campaign each year. It’s humbling to see all of our employees, partners and friends of the firm come together to support something bigger than themselves! I truly believe that the stewardship culture at RSM transcends charitable programs and is woven into the very nature of our client service. Although $2m is a high goal to reach, we have high hopes we will surpass, and no doubt will have a blast in the process!

If you are interested helping us reach our goal by  donating to one of the 64 local charities Birdies Fore Love supports, you can do so by clicking here. 

(L to R) John Davitt (2017 BFL national co-leader), Robin Love, Doug Opheim (RSM US LLP CFO), Davis Love III, Bailey Kosiek (BFL national co-leader), Joe Adams (RSM US LLP CEO).

 Dunk tank fundraiser 

Wiffle ball tournament in Indiana 

Meet Mike Baron

Mike Baron recently joined RSM as the head of talent acquisition for the U.S. and Canada. Mike shares his thoughts on why he decided to take the next step in his career at RSM and his personal and professional passions. Welcome, Mike!

As RSM’s head of talent acquisition, I have a huge opportunity to drive impact with a dynamic and growing global firm. But I didn’t, and don’t, take this move lightly. How could I after having been with the same organization for almost 20 years? I made the move because RSM just felt (and feels) right.


Throughout my interview process, I was impressed with the consistent message each firm leader shared with me about the firm’s vision and values. That message has continued to resonate throughout my first several weeks with the firm. Having the opportunity to take the next step in my career with an organization that's culture, vision, and values aligned with mine was very important to me. If I was going to make a move, it had to be for the right role and the right organization. This role and this firm are just that.


On the personal side, my passion is my family. We love spending time together, whether it’s playing board games at home, going to dinner or the movies, or going on vacation (we’ve become huge fans of Disney and Hawaii). Everything that I do is for them, and with them in mind … and for good reason. They are the best. I’m also a huge sports fan, with the Atlanta Braves and New York Jets being my teams. On a side note, I’m a big fan of the word TEAM.


Professionally, my career has been focused on and in talent acquisition. After more than 20 years in this business, I have a clear view of what I believe in and what I look for in an organization’s culture. I believe in the value of relationships, connectivity, communication, collaboration, transparency, innovation and operational excellence. I believe in working smart, having fun and being passionate about whatever it is that you do. I also believe in the value of being a TEAM. From a talent acquisition perspective, I believe there is nothing more powerful than working together as a team in an organization you believe in, and sharing an impactful message with people you believe in … with the goal of getting them to believe in you.


I am really excited and energized to have our team play a huge role in impacting RSM’s growth goals in the U.S. and Canada through the acquisition of talent across our audit, tax and consulting teams. In turn, I know that the people we pursue and hire will be as impressed as I have been with everything about this great firm.  Some people have mentioned to me that they are impressed with how I bet on RSM. I prefer to say I “believe in” RSM.  I don’t take that lightly.