Robert Half has unveiled a long-planned leadership transition at its global consulting subsidiary, Protiviti, appointing Chief Operating Officer Cory Gunderson as President and Chief Executive Officer effective January 1, 2027. The move will see longtime CEO Joe Tarantino transition into a senior managing director role, ensuring leadership continuity as the consulting firm expands its advisory capabilities amid growing enterprise demand for digital transformation, cybersecurity, risk management, and workforce consulting.

Professional services firm Robert Half has announced a leadership succession plan for its global consulting business, Protiviti, positioning longtime executive Cory Gunderson to become President and Chief Executive Officer beginning January 1, 2027. The transition marks the culmination of a structured succession strategy designed to preserve continuity while preparing the consulting firm for its next phase of global growth.

Under the plan, current President and CEO Joe Tarantino will step into the role of Senior Managing Director, where he will continue supporting executive client relationships, leadership development, and strategic initiatives across the organization. Gunderson, who currently serves as Protiviti’s Chief Operating Officer, will also join the executive leadership team of Robert Half when the transition takes effect.

The announcement reflects a broader trend across enterprise consulting firms, where succession planning has become an increasingly strategic priority as organizations navigate digital transformation, artificial intelligence adoption, cybersecurity risks, regulatory complexity, and evolving workforce expectations.

A leadership transition built on continuity

Unlike executive changes triggered by restructuring or performance challenges, Protiviti’s transition has been planned well in advance. Tarantino and Gunderson will work together throughout the remainder of 2026 to facilitate knowledge transfer and maintain continuity across clients, employees, and global operations.

Robert Half President and CEO M. Keith Waddell credited Tarantino with helping transform Protiviti from a startup consulting practice into a globally recognized advisory firm over the past 24 years. During his leadership, the company expanded its consulting portfolio, strengthened international operations, and deepened collaboration with Robert Half’s Talent Solutions business to deliver integrated workforce and consulting services.

Tarantino joined Protiviti at its founding and has served as President and CEO for nearly two decades. His tenure coincided with significant shifts in enterprise consulting, including cloud adoption, cybersecurity modernization, governance and compliance requirements, and the growing importance of digital operating models.

Internal succession reflects evolving leadership strategy

Gunderson’s appointment continues a pattern increasingly seen across professional services firms, where organizations elevate executives with extensive operational experience and institutional knowledge rather than recruiting external leaders.

As Chief Operating Officer, Gunderson has helped shape Protiviti’s business strategy, operational execution, innovation initiatives, and enterprise transformation programs. His experience spans client delivery, organizational growth, and technology-enabled consulting services, providing continuity for a business operating across multiple international markets.

The decision also underscores the strategic role operational leadership now plays in consulting organizations, where executives are expected to balance business expansion with investments in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation, cloud platforms, and data analytics.

Consulting firms adapt to changing enterprise priorities

The leadership transition comes as consulting firms worldwide are responding to rapidly changing enterprise technology requirements.

Organizations increasingly seek advisory partners capable of supporting AI implementation, cybersecurity resilience, digital finance transformation, governance modernization, and workforce strategy. These demands have expanded the role of consulting firms beyond traditional audit and compliance advisory into long-term technology and business transformation partnerships.

Major consulting firms—including Deloitte, Accenture, PwC, EY, KPMG, and IBM Consulting—continue investing heavily in AI-enabled consulting capabilities, cloud transformation expertise, and industry-specific advisory services. Protiviti has similarly broadened its consulting portfolio to address evolving enterprise challenges across technology, finance, governance, internal audit, and risk management.

For HR and workforce leaders, consulting organizations increasingly play a central role in helping enterprises modernize talent strategies, redesign operating models, strengthen organizational resilience, and integrate AI into business operations.

Leadership continuity supports long-term growth

Rather than signaling a strategic shift, the appointment suggests continuity in Protiviti’s long-term business direction.

Gunderson has worked alongside Tarantino since the firm’s founding, contributing to innovation initiatives, operational improvements, and enterprise transformation programs. That institutional knowledge is expected to support ongoing client relationships while maintaining the firm’s collaborative culture and global delivery model.

According to Gartner, organizations continue prioritizing digital transformation, AI adoption, and workforce modernization despite broader economic uncertainty, increasing demand for consulting firms capable of delivering integrated business and technology expertise. IDC similarly forecasts continued growth in enterprise consulting services as organizations modernize cloud infrastructure, automate business processes, and strengthen cybersecurity capabilities.

The planned transition also reflects a broader governance trend, with enterprise organizations placing greater emphasis on structured executive succession planning to reduce operational risk and ensure leadership stability.

For HR executives and enterprise leaders, Robert Half’s succession strategy highlights how consulting firms are treating leadership development as a long-term business capability. As organizations compete for executive talent while navigating increasingly complex technology transformations, carefully planned leadership transitions are becoming an important component of corporate resilience and sustainable growth.

Market Landscape

Leadership succession is becoming a strategic priority across the professional services and consulting sector as firms adapt to AI-driven transformation, cybersecurity challenges, and evolving workforce expectations. Companies including Deloitte, Accenture, PwC, EY, IBM Consulting, and Protiviti continue expanding advisory capabilities around digital transformation, enterprise risk, cloud modernization, and organizational change. At the same time, consulting firms are investing in leadership development and succession planning to ensure operational continuity while supporting clients through increasingly complex technology and business transformations.

Top Insights

• Robert Half has appointed Protiviti COO Cory Gunderson as CEO effective January 2027, following a structured succession plan designed to ensure leadership continuity and long-term organizational stability.
• Longtime CEO Joe Tarantino will transition to Senior Managing Director, continuing to support executive client engagement, strategic relationships, and leadership development across the global consulting firm.
• The transition reflects broader consulting industry trends, where firms prioritize internal leadership succession to preserve institutional knowledge while navigating digital transformation and AI-driven business change.
• Protiviti continues expanding its enterprise consulting capabilities, supporting organizations with technology transformation, cybersecurity, governance, risk management, and workforce modernization initiatives.
• Planned executive succession has become an increasingly important governance strategy, helping organizations reduce operational risk while maintaining client confidence and business continuity.

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