Chief Executive Officer
Whitley Penn
Nathen McEown has served for more than 20 years at Whitley Penn, a Southwest-based firm ranked 34th in the nation by Accounting Today. Having built a distinguished career marked by progressive leadership and strategic growth, Nathen began his career at the firm as an intern, advanced to Audit Partner in 2015 and later played a key role in expanding the firm’s Houston market presence through the development of Oil & Gas–focused Client Accounting & Advisory Services. He was subsequently appointed Partner‑in‑Charge of Consulting and later Chief Growth Officer, where he helped shape the firm’s long‑term growth strategy. In January 2025, Nathen assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer, leading Whitley Penn into its next chapter of growth and innovation.
Earlier in his career, Nathen served as the firm’s Energy Practice Leader, working extensively with private equity‑backed energy companies and leading the development of Whitley Penn’s Client Accounting and Advisory Services, including Energy Outsourced Accounting, Land Administration, and Mineral Management service lines. After relocating from Dallas to Houston in 2016, he served as Partner‑in‑Charge of the Houston office from 2016 through 2022, overseeing significant regional growth. In 2022, Nathen transitioned from audit into firm leadership, joining the management committee as Partner‑in‑Charge of Consulting.
In 2024, Nathen expanded his executive responsibilities as Chief Growth Officer, where he led the integration of two strategic acquisitions that further strengthened the firm’s consulting capabilities. As CEO, he continues to champion leadership development across the firm, including leading Whitley Penn’s Growth Champions initiative designed to prepare future partners for firm leadership.
Nathen is a recognized thought leader in the energy industry, having co‑authored PPC Practice Aids for Audits of Oil and Gas Entities, published by Thomson Reuters. His professional honors include being named to the Dallas Business Journal’s “Who’s Who in Energy” and receiving its “Forty Under Forty” award. He is a graduate of Leadership Dallas and currently serves on Texas Tech University’s Accounting Advisory Council.
Beyond the firm, Nathen remains deeply committed to community and professional leadership. He co‑founded the Bayou City Houston Chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization and currently serves as its Learning Officer. He also serves as Audit Committee Chair for the American Council on Exercise Fitness nonprofit and, alongside his wife, supports the Houston March of Dimes.
As firms evolve beyond compliance, determining the right mix of services is critical to growth. This session will examine how firms are expanding into higher-value offerings like advisory and CAS, aligning services to client needs, and building scalable delivery models. Learn how to prioritize, package, and deliver services that drive both client impact and firm profitability.
In this session, Nathen will share Whitley Penn’s journey of considering private equity funding, providing an in-depth look at the considerations and evaluations that ultimately led the firm to step away from pursuing PE investment. He’ll discuss key factors such as maintaining control over the firm’s strategic direction, preserving partner influence and majority equity, ensuring the appeal of a partner-track career path for rising CPAs, and safeguarding the firm’s culture and core values. This session will provide valuable lessons for firms navigating their own growth and funding decisions.
What you’ll learn: