On the move: MACPA names its Women to Watch

October 6, 2023 10:00 AM

The Maryland Association of CPAs highlighted three outstanding members in its annual "Women to Watch," plus multiple firms as C-level leaders, and other firm and personnel news from across the country.

CALIFORNIA

Sid Chitnis has joined HCVT, Los Angeles, as a managing director and partner in the advisory services practice, specializing in M&A advisory. Previously, he served as a director at Houlihan Lokey, a global investment bank.

MARYLAND

Samantha Bowling

Bonnie Johnson

The Maryland Association of CPAs named its 2023 "Women to Watch" for 2023. In the Emerging Leader Category were Christa Hood, a member and managing partner at Askey, Askey and Associates, and Samantha Haines, a director of tax services at Rosen, Sapperstein and Friedlander, while Samantha Bowling, managing partner at Garbelman Winslow CPA was named in the Experienced Leader Category.

NEW JERSEY

Eric Meisner

Eric Meisner has joined Sax LLP, Parsippany, as a partner and head of Sax's fractional finance practice. He previously served in roles at Deloitte, Viacom and AT&T, and as controller of a fractional airline startup, CFO for a technology-driven media company, and as a fractional CFO for multiple entities.

Traphagen CPAs & Wealth Advisors, Oradell, announced a number of promotions: Darren Thomas has been promoted to tax director, Steven Budryk to manager, and Nicole Garcia to senior accountant. The firm also added three new employees: Adrian Rodriguez, a Certified Financial Planner, Matthew Gardella as a senior accountant, and Noah Eleftheriades as a wealth management associate.

PENNSYLVANIA

Jhaveri-Mihir-Centri Business Consulting

Mihir Jhaveri

Centri Business Consulting, Philadelphia, promoted six new partners: Mike Andrusko, Curtis Farrow, Tori Jancovic, Mihir Jhaveri, Derek Kearns and Kevin McLaughlin. They represent the inaugural class in the firm's Path to Partner program, a training curriculum designed to prepare the high-achieving managing directors for the role of partner.

Derek Eichelberger has been named CEO of Schneider Downs Wealth Management, succeeding long-time CEO Nancy Skeans, who will remain as the practice's chief compliance officer. Eichelberger has more than 25 years of experience in financial services; he joined SDWMA in 2015, and most recently served as managing partner of the wealth management firm. He is also a shareholder at Top 100 Firm Schneider Downs.

TEXAS

Exam prep provider UWorld announced a "4 for 2024" scholarship to coincide with the launch of new courses aimed at helping candidates pass the revamp of the CPA exam that is coming in 2024. Winners of the scholarship will receive unlimited access to the new courses, which will be released on Oct. 31, an all-expenses paid trip to Dallas to visit UWorld's headquarters and a lunch with well-known instructors Roger Philipp and Peter Olinto, as well as an exclusive group mentoring session. Candidates must apply for the CPA Exam Review Scholarship by Nov. 3, 2023, and can improve their chances by posting a video on their preferred social channel explaining why they want to become a CPA, then tag @UWorldAccounting and include #UWorld4For2024.

UNITED KINGDOM

Karim Haji

Karim Haji has been appointed global head of financial services at KPMG International, succeeding Judd Caplain, who has retired. Haji brings more than three decades of experience, including working in the U.K., Switzerland, India and the U.S. He joined KPMG in the U.K. in 1995 as a banking audit graduate, becoming head of financial services in the U.K. in 2019, and later taking on an expanded role leading KPMG's financial services offering across the Europe, Middle East and Africa in 2021.