In this special edition of Beyond Strategy, we dive into one of the most compelling professional services transactions in the federal market: Aprio’s acquisition of NextFed. This strategic combination brings together Aprio’s national accounting and advisory platform with NextFed’s deep-rooted expertise in government contracting, compliance, and advisory services.

Join us as we sit down with:

• Aaron Myers, Former Managing Partner at NextFed and now a Partner at Aprio
• Kayla Kania, Mid-Atlantic Regional Leader and Partner at Aprio
• Jim Fennel, Partner and GovCon Practice Leader at Aprio

Hosted by Andy McEnroe and Jenn Wappaus, this episode explores the full lifecycle of the transaction—from leadership principles and cultural integration to growth strategy and lessons learned.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The strategic rationale behind Aprio’s acquisition of NextFed
• How private equity investment positioned Aprio for targeted M&A
• The founding story of NextFed and how it identified unmet needs in the GovCon advisory space
• Insights into market dynamics, compliance trends, and what’s next for firms serving the federal sector
• The challenges and rewards of cultural integration post-deal
• Why this combination creates a unique value proposition for clients ranging from commercial businesses to high-end defense and intelligence contractors

You’ll also hear personal leadership insights from all three guests, what surprised them most during the M&A process, and advice for firms considering a similar growth path.

Tune in now for a behind-the-scenes look at how two complementary firms came together to reshape the GovCon advisory landscape.