Sean Taylor

Sean Taylor is the visionary CEO of Smith + Howard, a national advisory firm headquartered in Atlanta. Since becoming CEO in 2019, Sean has led the firm through exponential growth—from just over 100 employees to more than 500, and from a single Atlanta office to offices in nine U.S. cities and one in India. This transformation has been powered by a bold 10-year vision, six acquisitions in three years, and a strategic investment by private equity partner Broad Sky Partners.

Under his leadership, Smith + Howard has expanded its capabilities, talent, and national footprint. In recognition of his impact, Sean was named Top Leader in Atlanta among midsize workplaces by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2024 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Vistage Worldwide. He has also been honored as a Most Admired CEO by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and received the Public Service Award from the Georgia Society of CPAs.

Sean hosts The Worst Advice I Ever Got, a podcast where leaders share the worst advice they ever received, the challenges it created, and how lessons learned shaped their paths forward. His candid, curious style reflects the authenticity he brings to leadership.

A graduate of the University of Georgia, Sean earned a BBA in Accounting in 1993 before joining Smith + Howard as an intern. He became a partner in 2003, led the Assurance practice in 2010, and became CEO in 2019. Sean has spent his entire career advising nonprofits and privately held businesses. He’s also advised business leaders on succession planning, grounded in Smith + Howard’s own succession plan and his counsel to clients navigating personal and business transition. More recently, he has used Smith + Howard’s experience with private equity investment to advise accounting firm leaders considering outside capital—helping them anticipate both the opportunities and complexities involved.

Sean is passionate about mentorship and community service. He champions the firm’s mentoring program and mentors team members across departments. He serves on the Board of Trustees for Wesleyan School and on the finance committee of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. In 2012, he co-founded FoodStock, Georgia’s largest one-day meal-packing event, which has provided nearly 5 million meals to children around the world.

Sean’s legacy is one of vision, purpose, and people—shaping not only the growth of a firm, but the future of those it touches.