When you are lucky enough to get into a room with both Bobbie Hales and Sarah Ellis, you feel the connection immediately. It is in the laughter they share, the quick glances of mutual understanding and the way each one speaks about the other with admiration. They lead Gilbert CPAs side by side, guided by trust, friendship and a shared belief that leadership begins with caring about people. Together, they cultivate a “culture of caring” — a workplace where professional excellence and genuine compassion grow hand in hand.
Bobbie Hales, the CEO, and Sarah Ellis, the CFO/COO, are the last of Gilbert CPAs’ original legacy shareholders, carrying forward the values that shaped the firm from the beginning. They both arrived early in their careers, determined to plant roots in a place that valued integrity and collaboration. As they advanced, Gilbert CPAs evolved with them, molded by the firm’s commitment to mentorship and community. Their guiding principle, “leave it better than you found it,” continues to echo through the firm’s halls, connecting every generation that follows.
What makes their partnership so effective is how their differences strengthen their leadership. Ellis, steady and strategic, brings clarity and order to complex challenges. Hales, creative and people-centered, energizes teams with her optimism and ability to see potential in others. Their contrasting styles create balance — one focused on process, the other on possibility, allowing them to make decisions that are both thoughtful and bold. That blend of discipline and dynamism has become a hallmark of Gilbert CPAs’ culture today.
Neither Hales nor Ellis believes leadership is about being at the top. They prefer to lift others up, giving colleagues space to grow and confidence to lead. Together, they nurture an environment where people feel seen, supported and inspired to do their best work.
In a profession often known for its formality, Gilbert CPAs stands apart for their heart. While the accounting field has long been a “boys’ club,” the firm has championed women in leadership for decades, and Hales and Ellis continue that tradition with purpose and pride. Their biggest goal now is to prepare the next generation of leaders, mentoring young professionals to carry on the culture of caring that defines Gilbert CPAs and ensures its legacy endures.
