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Grant Thornton announces new CEO, Said Jahani

31 Mar 2025 6 min read

The Board of Grant Thornton Australia is delighted to announce Said Jahani will commence in the role of Chief Executive Officer from 1 July 2025. Said will take on the CEO role from Greg Keith who has successfully led Grant Thornton over the last ten years and will be concluding his leadership role on 30 June 2025. 

As CEO, Said Jahani will build upon the foundations of Grant Thornton Australia’s CARE culture based on the firm’s values of Collaboration, Authenticity, Responsibility and Excellence. Grant Thornton Australia is now recognised as a leader in client experience, diversity and inclusion, and for flexible working practices for all its people, and he will continue to further develop these key strategies for the firm. 

From 1 July 2025, Said will proudly lead Grant Thornton’s team of over 1,500 people and 172 Partners across six offices nationally and regularly engage with clients. The CEO is also responsible for delivering on increased revenue and business growth, as well as expanding Grant Thornton’s brand advocacy and client experience metrics. 

Said has been an integral member of the firm’s Executive Leadership Team for several years as National Managing Partner – Financial Advisory and has made a valuable contribution to the success of the firm’s client, people and community strategies. He has over 28 years’ experience in professional services, 20 years of which have been with Grant Thornton. Said has led the firm’s national Financial Advisory team of over 200 partners and professionals across Corporate Finance, Restructuring and Forensics focusing on helping clients protect, grow, and extract value in their businesses. He specialises in turnaround and corporate restructuring, assisting companies in distress or with capital constraints to address operational, liquidity, and strategic issues. Prior to joining Grant Thornton in 2009, Said started out at PWC in 1996, and was then at Ferrier Hodgson from 1998. 

“Stepping into the CEO role is truly an honour and I embrace the responsibility of guiding Grant Thornton into this new era. Our firm's extraordinary potential flows from our distinctive culture, our clients experience this difference because every decision we make is anchored in CARE, with our values at the core. Moving forward, I'll build upon our tremendous achievements, fostering an environment where both our exceptional clients and remarkable team members can thrive,” said Said Jahani, CEO elect at Grant Thornton.

During Greg’s tenure, Grant Thornton has deliberately taken an approach to focus on its people and client experience which has been done during a period of multiple record financial years and growth. Greg uses his passion for diversity and inclusion to create a positive workplace culture and has broken new ground by introducing market-leading employee initiatives including progressive parental leave schemes and making the 9-Day Fortnight permanent for all its people with no cut to remuneration.

“I’m delighted to hand over the reins to Said from 1 July and have no doubt his expertise and commitment to the firm will ensure its sustainability and long-term success. Reflecting on my ten-year term as CEO, I have enjoyed all the challenges and opportunities that come with steering a truly remarkable firm that has achieved so much in a relatively short time. I am immensely proud of each and every one of our people at the firm, and particularly Said, as he has put himself forward to lead and made a promise to commit to the firm, our CARE values, its people, clients and communities,” said Greg Keith, CEO at Grant Thornton.  

Since 2008, in a first for accounting firms in Australia, Grant Thornton Australia’s corporate structure has comprised of three external Non-Executive Directors, including the Independent Chairperson, and a national CEO in addition to Executive Directors elected by shareholders. The CEO is appointed by Grant Thornton’s independent Board including the three Non-Executive Directors. Each CEO is held to a high bar of accountability and is able to serve a ten-year term before a required change in leadership. 

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