Leadership at every level: Tom Broderick’s path to success

From helping grow his family's accounting practice in Albuquerque to being a leader at one of the nation's largest accounting and advisory firms, Tom Broderick has built a career grounded in service, relationships, and creating value for clients. Today, as Managing Principal of U.S. Geographic Markets and Southwest Regional Managing Principal at Baker Tilly, he continues to apply lessons learned in New Mexico on a national stage.

An Albuquerque native, Broderick grew up attending Lobo basketball games with his father before earning his undergraduate degree from Marquette University. After starting his accounting career in the Midwest, he returned home in 2001 to help manage his father's CPA practice, Broderick & Company, LLC.

Seeking to strengthen his expertise while working full time, Broderick enrolled in the Master of Accounting program at the Anderson School of Management, now The James & Gail Ellis School of Business Leadership.

"I felt like I needed a stronger base in taxation," Broderick said. "Working simultaneously while pursuing that degree was a great way to do it."

The experience provided more than technical knowledge.

"Although I was a New Mexico native, I hadn't really been a professional in New Mexico," Broderick said. "In addition to a really strong accounting and tax background, I got to understand the New Mexico economy and business climate much better."

One of the most influential relationships to emerge from that time for Broderick was with tax Professor James Hamill, who he continues to be in contact with today.

After completing his graduate degree at Anderson, Broderick continued growing his family's accounting firm. Under his leadership, the firm expanded significantly before merging with Moss Adams in 2018. In 2024, Moss Adams combined with Baker Tilly, creating one of the largest accounting and advisory firms in the country.

Along the way, Broderick's responsibilities evolved from serving clients directly to leading teams and helping shape strategy across multiple regions. Despite those changes, he says one lesson has remained constant.

"You always have to keep the client front and center," Broderick said. "Whether you're serving clients directly or serving them indirectly through management and support functions, you have to remember who you're serving."

Although his role now operates on a national scale, he continues to draw lessons from the business leaders and entrepreneurs he worked alongside throughout New Mexico.

"We have a lot of very successful businesses in this state," Broderick said. "There's a toughness about New Mexico business leaders that makes them very effective. The lessons I've learned from them have translated well into my national role."

Reflecting on his own career, Broderick encourages students and young professionals to focus less on titles and more on excelling in their current role.

"Leadership happens at every level," Broderick said. "It's good to have ambition, but you move forward by engaging in what you're doing and doing it with excellence every day."