People & firms on the move: KPMG names chief diversity & inclusion officer

November 13, 2020 10:41 AM

Bober Markey Fedorovich adopts new governance structure; Citrin Cooperman promotes 16; and more CPA news.

CALIFORNIA

Justin Wenzelman was hired as a tax partner at CohnReznick, Los Angeles.

The California Society of CPAs, Burlingame, announced a strategic partnership with Thomson Reuters to offer its Practice Forward Tax Advisory Platform, a program that guides firms through a business model transformational roadmap, to CalCPA members. (Read the full story.)

FLORIDA

Pivot CPAs, Ponte Vedra Beach, was named among the Ponte Vedra Recorder’s “Best of the Best of Ponte Vedra” list for 2020.

GEORGIA

Tomika Bullet was hired as a director in the area of tax controversy and Matt Stelzman as a director in the forensics, litigation and valuation practice at Windham Brannon, Atlanta.

ILLINOIS

MichaelSilver moved its headquarters from Skokie, where it has operated for 37 years, to Deerfield, at 9 Parkway North, Suite 300.

KENTUCKY

Deming, Malone, Livesay & Ostroff, Louisville, joined the BDO Alliance USA.

MARYLAND

Rosen, Sapperstein & Friedlander, Towson, launched a new digital advisory solutions division, which will support clients with business intelligence and robotic process automation solutions.

NEW JERSEY

Joe Ciccarelli

Joe Ciccarelli was hired as a managing director at Global Tax Management, Florham Park, to expand the firm’s New York Metro focus.

NEW YORK

Elena Richards

Elena Richards (pictured) was appointed chief diversity & inclusion officer at KPMG, New York, joining the firm as a principal to lead the inclusion and diversity team and work with the management team and board of directors to support KPMG’s “Accelerate 2025” initiative, a five-year strategy to drive meaningful change at the firm. In other firm news, KPMG announced it will be net-zero carbon by 2030 and signed up to a series of new climate actions, including a 1.5 degree Celsius science-based target that will focus on achieving a 50 percent reduction of KPMG’s direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Bonnie Mann Falk was hired as a partner in the quality control department at Berdon, New York.

Citrin Cooperman, New York, promoted 14 to partner and two to principal. Promoted to partner were, in Boston Metro: Jeffery Alvanas, Michael Carr, Laura Jenkins and Emily Richi; in D.C. Metro: Matthew Bart; in New York City: Douglas Cammarano, Anastasia Candello, Michael Grady, Adam Nava and Brian Sosa; in Providence: Fred Corso and John Finnerty; in Westchester: Chelsea Rosen; and in Philadelphia: Larry Schwegel. The firm also promoted, to principal: David Kim in D.C. Metro and Jamie Reichardt in Philadelphia.

Prager Metis, New York, announced the 2020 recipients of the Prager Metis Excellence Awards, presented via Zoom at the firm’s virtual partner summit. The awards were bestowed in several categories. In growth and business development, John Englebrecht received the Significant Growth Award, the marketing team was given the Network Enhancer Award, and Haley Mayer was presented with the Business Development Partner/Principal Award. In profitability and client service, Elina Shvachkin was honored with the Client Service Award, Rina Veygman with the Impact Award, and Robbin Caruso with the Profitability & Client Service Principal/Partner Award. In the organization and team category, the Extra Mile Award was given to Ghilhaine Montoya, the Rising Star Award to Michael Durant, the Community Service Award to the “Skeleton Crew” responsible for staffing offices during the pandemic, and the Organization & Team Partner/Principal Award to Corey Neubauer. For the management and leadership awards, the Leadership Achievement Award was bestowed to Andrew Chan, the Jack Topal Mentor Award to Jeff Schult, the Innovation Award to Sarah Santaniello, and the Management & Leadership Partner/Principal Award to Stephanie Gigliotti.

The International Federation of Accountants awarded the 2020 IFAC Global Leadership Award in Honor of Robert Sempier to Ana Maria Elorrieta of Argentina, recognizing her service and dedication to the accountancy profession and making her the first person from Latin America to receive the award in its 23-year history.

NORTH DAKOTA

Mary Lou Lamberton and Jim Borchers were hired as directors on the business development team at Eide Bailly, Fargo.

OHIO

Richard Fedorovich (pictured), CEO and managing partner at Bober Markey Fedorovich, Cleveland, will become executive chair of the firm, effective Jan. 1, 2021, under a new governance structure. Firm partners Mark Bober, Cindy Johnson and Theodore Wagner will assume leadership of day-to-day operations and provide strategic direction as the firm’s executive committee, as elected by BMF shareholders.

Katie Tolin, chief growth guide and founder of CPA Growth Guides, Canton, has partnered with Martin Bissett, founder of practice development resource Upward Spiral Professionals, to relaunch the USP in the United States and expand it to all of North America.

TEXAS

Rubik Yeriazarian, forensic, valuation and litigation support principal at Briggs & Veselka, Houston, started a business designing and selling accounting-themed greeting cards and children's books, viewable on the company website.

UNITED KINGDOM

Andreas Barckow was appointed chair of the International Accounting Standards Board, effective July 2021, succeeding Hans Hoogervorst, who will complete his second five-year term in June 2021. (Read the full story.)

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Mike Willis was named an associate director in the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Willis will lead DERA’s newly created Office of Data Science and Innovation, which provides the SEC and its staff with expertise on data analytics, risk assessment and structured disclosure.