John Marquardt

John was promoted to lead the tax practice’s growth strategies and initiatives as of July 1, 2026. He previously served as Central US Managing Principal of Tax Services at BDO, overseeing more than 1,300 tax professionals in the US and India. With over three decades of experience in domestic and international tax planning, he brings comprehensive corporate tax knowledge to businesses of every size and ownership structure, with particular emphasis on the manufacturing, automotive, and consumer products sectors—and especially deep roots in the automotive space.

His experience spans corporate and partnership taxation, mergers and acquisitions, and international and multi-state tax matters. He has worked extensively across IPO transactions, dividend recapitalizations, research credits, tax accounting methods, and accounting for income taxes, and has guided clients through complex IRS examinations with strategies designed to defer and minimize tax liabilities.

Elected to BDO’s Board of Directors in 2020 and now serving his second elected term, John chairs two BDO board committees, contributing insight that supports the firm’s continued success. He has also served as National Tax Leader for BDO’s Retail & Consumer Products Industry group and continues to serve clients in that industry.

Before entering public accounting, John led strategic initiatives in-house at Ford Motor Company’s Office of Tax Counsel, where he focused on reducing cash taxes, improving the company’s global effective tax rate, and proactively optimizing its tax attributes.

A published author, John has written for Crain’s Detroit Business and Accounting Web and appeared on the 60-Second Retail podcast. He has also presented on the taxation of mergers and acquisitions at Michigan State University’s MBA program.