Jim Wong is the founder, CEO and board member of Brilliant®, an award-winning search, staffing and management resources firm specializing in accounting, finance and technology for the Midwest and Southeast U.S. labor markets.
Jim is a certified public accountant (Inactive) and possesses more than 20 years of experience in accounting and finance as well as the recruiting/staffing industry.
In 2009, Jim founded Brilliant and quickly grew the firm into the No. 1 fastest-growing firm in Chicago (2015), and No. 2 fastest-growing staffing firm in the country (2016). Also in 2016, Jim was individually recognized on the Staffing 100 List for North America as one of the most influential people in the staffing industry; and in the same year, he was selected by (Rep. IL) Gov. Bruce Rauner Governor to serve on the Board of Directors for Intersect Illinois to help the Department of Commerce execute economic development for the state.
In September 2017, Jim was selected to join a coalition of leaders to support the drive to bring Amazon’s HQ2 to the Chicago area.
In 2018, Jim brought in our private-equity firm Silver Oak Services Partners, along with management and other co-investors, to head Brilliant’s recapitalization.
In September 2022, Jim was honored with the Northern Illinois University (NIU) Alumni Achievement in Business and Industry Award for his innovation and business acumen.
Prior to Brilliant, Jim co-founded and led Chicago’s largest, independently-owned finance and accounting staffing company, which was successfully sold to a NYSE staffing company in 2006.
Jim graduated from NIU in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. After passing the CPA exam, Jim joined Ernst & Young where he performed audits for client companies. He then joined Robert Half International, becoming an award-winning recruiter and manager.
He is an active member of many boards and has authored numerous articles about the recruitment and retention of accounting professionals.