2020 Honorees

Meenal Aggarwal, CVA, MBA

Founder

Groots Valuation, LLC

Jersey City, NJ

Meenal Aggarwal has nine years of valuation experience and has provided over 500 valuations to various small and large, public and private, profit and not-for-profit companies across multiple industries. At the age of 32, she started her own valuation firm, Groots Valuation, in New Jersey in 2018. Opening a firm was a big decision for her, being a women entrepreneur with no prior business experience; but she had confidence in her valuation skills, experience, and work ethic. Within two years, she managed to generate exponential growth with business doubling every two quarters. Ms. Aggarwal gained client loyalty and references by providing accurate, timely, high quality, and trustworthy valuations with integrity. Ms. Aggarwal is actively engaged in the valuation community and is admired for her technical and leadership skills. She regularly attends valuation seminars, networking events, and conferences which provides her the opportunity to share valuation knowledge and experience with fellow appraisers. She has mentored many appraisers, provided oversight in complex valuations projects, and encouraged others to join the valuation community to advance their respective careers. Before starting her own firm, Ms. Aggarwal worked for seven years at Deloitte’s valuation practice, and was quickly promoted to Manager for her outtsanding contributions in growth of valuation practice, handling complex valuation projects, and managing and training new talent. She obtained CVA accreditation from NACVA in 2019 after passing the exam in her first attempt. She has also cleared CFA level 2 and holds a Masters of Business Administration degree in Finance.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

The most important issue facing the consulting profession, which is also an opportunity, is that all the companies are unique and there is no one formula or technique that fits all. So, as finance professionals, we need to reinvent ourselves each day and think outside the box. Constant innovation is the need of the hour, especially in these uncertain times. One more issue is the fragmentation of the consulting market where services are provided at varied prices and at mixed quality levels. Moreover, when the clients are selecting or hiring the professionals, these differences are not apparent at the onset.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

We, at Groots, are always working with companies with unique business models and operating within nascent industries. As an example, we recently worked for many cannabis companies, and it continues to be a growth area. Health tech also remains a key growth area. Repetitively delivering high quality services, unconventional thinking, and continually endeavoring to provide better services will lead to growth and trust in the financial consulting profession.

Mallory Ashbrook, CPA, CVA, JD

Manager of Forensic and Dispute Advisory Services

GBQ Consulting, LLC

Columbus, OH

Mallory Ashbrook has made the rare successful pivot from law to forensic accounting. Often those people are not successful because they cannot shed their “lawyer hat”. However, Ms. Ashbrook successfully did that, just four years ago, and has seen significant achievements. At the age of 33, Ms. Ashbrook has become recognized as an authority in a field that tends to value expertise and “grey hair”, being hired as the testifying expert on many cases. She is a driver of growth bringing in her own cases. The industry recognizes her as an expert. She spoke at NACVA and the CTI’s Annual Consultant’s Conference in 2019, she will be speaking at Ohio’s 2020 family law conference, and to the ASA Philadelphia Chapter about Economic Damages, to mention a few. In addition to handling her own cases, she is in charge of ensuring successful execution on the entire docket of 75+ cases and managing the team. In this role, she has made significant improvements to the operations of GBQ’s group, finding efficiencies and implementing work-smarter-not-harder methods using technology. She has also made significant contributions to the community. She is active in the women's initiative and attends/volunteers for many organizations, including being an active member and president of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Board of Franklin County. The impact she has made is much bigger than that of someone of her tenure.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

The obvious answer here is COVID-19. We would all agree that valuing a business in the face of COVID-19 is a challenging task. In addition to the challenge of completing the valuation is the challenge of how your business plan as a valuator may need to change. In this environment, it is important to shift your focus to being a partner to your clients and finding new ways to help your clients solve their problems. This is particularly important in a litigation setting as your clients now have the added stress of COVID-19 on top of the ordinary stresses from being involved in litigation.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

A major growth area for the financial consulting profession is full-service consulting. As a valuator, you become intimately familiar with the business you are valuing and have the opportunity to provide more value to the business than simply determining its worth. This is particularly important in the COVID-19 era as many businesses are re-organizing, down-sizing, or generally shifting focus. Clients value having a single financial person they can turn to with all of their questions and, with the current environment, valuators are in a unique position to make themselves that valued full-service consultant.

Manager

EisnerAmper, LLP

Iselin, NJ

Michael Bentivegna is a manager in the Forensic, Litigation, and Valuation Group within EisnerAmper’s Financial Advisory Services Group. Mr. Bentivegna has over five years of experience in forensic accounting and complex damages analysis, with a concentration in commercial litigation matters, and forensic investigations. Mr. Bentivegna is a mature, seasoned-beyond-his-years, skilled professional, rare for a relative short number of years in the profession. He manages multiple simultaneous projects seamlessly and has become a resource not only for the New Jersey office, but the New York and Philadelphia practices as well. He works tirelessly under tight deadlines and under sometimes adversarial conditions, keeping a focus on high quality and practice development, achieving clarity in the face of complexity, processing and analyzing complex facts correctly and appropriately, all while becoming the main contact for clients—even at the C-suite level. He effectively represents the firm at industry and bar events, and has made significant contributions toward the eminence-building of the practice through assistance in the development and delivery of thought leadership pieces and mentoring the younger staff.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

The constant battle between the use of technology and the related cost savings passed on to the clients. People have so many options when it comes to hiring financial consultants, with many having the same skill set, but those who can provide accurate answers while keeping costs down will be more successful over time. We always have to keep up with or exceed the competition’s use of technology in order to provide accurate results, efficiently.

Benjamin J. Brickweg, Esq., MBA

Founder

Sagewood Transaction Advisors, LLC

Steamboat Springs, CO

Benjamin J. Brickweg has an MBA in marketing, is a recovering attorney, and a published author. Most importantly, in the past 15 years, he has guided over 100 business owners through successful exits and served as a strategic advisor to countless more. At Sagewood, Mr. Brickweg leads strategic initiatives and works directly with clients, primarily in the outdoors industry, adventure, travel, and resort and mountain town markets. A serial entrepreneur himself, he has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of business valuation and M&A. Mr. Brickweg’s know-how includes navigating the routine snarls of valuation, value enhancement, transaction structures, family/employee transitions, due diligence, distressed company situations, and complex negotiations. Any concerns about the process involved in a transaction are met with a uniquely practical, sensible approach that is tailored to meet clients' needs.

Jeremy Bronson, CPA, CVA, CEPA

Director, Accounting and Business Advisory Services

GBQ Partners LLC

Toledo, OH

Jeremy Bronson is director of Accounting and Business Advisory Services with GBQ Partners LLC and senior director of Value Defined LLC, which specializes in business valuation, exit planning, and transaction advisory services. He is one of the up and coming business valuation leaders in Toledo, OH. Mr. Bronson has been a key part in growing the firm’s exit planning practice, helping business owners maximize the value of their business and successfully exit. Mr. Bronson successfully started his own firm five years ago, which he has successfully grown and merged with nationally recognized firms. He was recently named to NACVA's Value Growth Planning Team.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

I think the most important issue right now is the impact COVID-19 has had to business valuations.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

I think, with the number of baby boomers who still own small to mid-sized businesses today, there is a lot of opportunity to assist in the transitions—whether that is helping them prepare for an exit, helping them increase the value of their business, or ultimately transition. I also think that with the current pandemic, there is a lot of opportunity to assist business owners with estate planning.

Ryan Byrd

Managing Director

Berkeley Research Group, LLC

Washington, DC

Ryan Byrd co-leads Berkeley Research Group’s (BRG) Government Contracts Consulting Services practice as a managing director and expert in financial forensics and litigation consulting. He is recognized as a mentor to many successful staff members and serves on multiple boards where he holds leadership positions. He actively contributes his expert knowledge and insights to professional industry organizations including the AICPA, PSC, and ABA Public Contracts. Mr. Byrd joined BRG in 2012, two years after the firm’s founding, and has been a driving force in its growth to 44 offices, 1,400 employees, and more than $450 million in revenue. He leads teams on complex assignments, including investigations, bid protests, strategic advisory services, merger and acquisitions, and other litigation and advisory assignments. He has over 15 years of experience providing regulatory consulting, auditing and accounting, and financial advisory services to companies and nonprofits ranging from middle market to the Fortune 100. He consistently demonstrates his leadership, mentorship, industry expertise, and community involvement in the greater Washington DC area. Mr. Byrd has been a designated expert witness for various matters, including false claims, civil forfeitures, government contract claims, and other disputes. As an expert, he has been admitted under protective orders before the Government Accountability Office and the Court of Federal Claims for bid protest and other matters.

Christine Socha Czapek

Partner

Borteck and Czapek

Florham Park, NJ

Christine Socha Czapek is widely recognized by her peers to be among the most capable trusts and estates practitioners in New Jersey. In fact, she was recently elected as a Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel, the most prestigious and well respected professional organization in the country. She maintains a multi-faceted practice, including planning, administration, and litigation in the trusts and estates arena.

Maryann Czarnota, CPA, MST, CFF, FCPA, CVA, MAFF, CDFA, CEPA

Partner

Marcum, LLP

Chicago, IL

Maryann Czarnota is a partner at Marcum, LLP, one of the largest independent public accounting and advisory services firms in the nation. She is a member of Marcum’s National Healthcare Group and leads the firm’s dental industry practice. Her experience includes valuing privately held companies for a variety of transactional and litigation related purposes, including divorce, gift and estate tax, shareholder disputes, and mergers and acquisitions. She applies her knowledge and experience of accounting, tax, and valuation to help her clients achieve higher levels of success. Mrs. Czarnota is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF), Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA), Certified Exit Planner Advisor (CEPA), Forensic Certified Public Accountant (FCPA), and Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF). Mrs. Czarnota graduated cum laude from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and in Finance, and a Master of Science in Taxation (MST). As the youngest partner in the Midwest region, her combination of education, credentials, and experience sets her apart from others in the industry. She is devoted to advancing diversity and inclusion and helped launch the “Women in Dentistry” networking event series which provides a platform to educate, network, and focus on advancing women’s development in the field. She is an active member of the dental and medical community and a highly sought after subject matter expert in the field.

Joshua Davis, CPA, CVA

Senior Manager

WithumSmithBrown P.C.

Orlando, FL

Joshua Davis is an energetic and driven individual. Early in his career, he set a goal to become one of the first non-partners to achieve both a CPA and CVA certification. He achieved this goal seamlessly within just a few months while enduring the strenuous requirements of the never-ending accounting business season. While providing world-class client service to his existing clients, he continued to drive the firm forward with his desire for us to be more than just accountants. Of course, we were all great at providing audits, reviews, and tax returns, but he wanted more from the firm. He wanted us to become world-class business advisors. Fast forward a few years, Mr. Davis has become a clear-cut future partner in the firm and emerging leader in the Central Florida community. In addition to servicing his clients, he gives back with his accounting and valuation knowledge to the community through his service as a director on the board for the Association for Corporate Growth, as advisors to both the University of Central Florida and Valencia College accounting advisory committees, and several non-profit organizations. He is a thought leader in the firm who has made extensive contributions to the financial services and valuation teams, the technology-driven focus, and employee advocacy programs. At the same time, Mr. Davis has proven time and again that he can bring valuation expertise to his existing clients, as well as prospective clients. When advising clients, he identifies with ease, areas that can improve the value of the client’s business and operations.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

The most important issue currently facing the financial consulting profession is the prevalence of high quality, automated service offerings which deteriorate the perceived value of experienced consultants. Certainly, some aspects of technology evolution can present opportunities for consultants, but more common, is fee compression and lack of appreciation of the expertise that is brought forth from consultants.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

The biggest growth opportunity for emerging consultants is in the small and mid-size business arena where there is currently a lot of consolidation and generational transfer taking place. Unfortunately, the big shops have a monopoly on opportunities of any significant size, but opportunities abound in the lower end of the market where fee compression keeps them out. Consultants who work diligently on their brand and service can certainly carve out a niche.

Mark V. DiMichael, CPA, ABV, CFF, CFE, CCFI

Partner

Citrin Cooperman

New York, NY

Mark V. DiMichael has 15 years of experience in forensic accounting and valuation. At Citrin Cooperman, Mr. DiMichael focuses his efforts on divorce litigation, economic damages analysis, fraud investigation, white collar criminal defense, business appraisals, cryptocurrency, and digital assets. Mr. DiMichael is a hard-working, intelligent, and determined professional who is paving the way for others in the field. He saw the need for an expert in digital assets and technology before many in his field; recognizing the world was changing how businesses operated and how wealth would be created in the digital era. Mr. DiMichael is now an accredited Certified Cryptocurrency Forensic Investigator and an expert in digital assets and technology in both the valuation and forensics fields. Mr. DiMichael is also an excellent mentor to staff and true team player to the FLVS group and the Citrin Cooperman partnership as a whole. He is an avid public speaker and writer who is quoted in the media on a regular basis on matters related to forensics, valuation, and digital assets. He is an expert witness and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and National Association of Divorce Professionals, and is the co-chair of Citrin Cooperman Digital Assets Committee. He is also chairperson of the NYSSCPA Digital Assets Committee for fiscal year 2018/19 and 2019/20.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

Attracting and developing young professionals. The forensic accounting and valuation professions require many years of training and experience to develop expertise. It is truly a full-time job requiring dedication and continuous education. The work can be stressful at times, so developing the knowledge of young professionals is often too low on the list of priorities.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

Cryptocurrency and digital assets. More and more mainstream companies are moving towards having a presence in the digital asset space. The number of professionals with expertise in that area is very limited and younger professionals have the technological expertise to better understand the industry and its needs.

Steven Dotterer, JD, MBA, CVA

Senior Manager, Business Valuation

H2R CPA

Pittsburgh, PA

Steven Dotterer’s areas of expertise include mergers and acquisitions, manufacturing, healthcare valuation, compensation analysis, data analysis, and report writing. Drawing upon his multi-disciplinary expertise, he currently conducts an array of business valuations, provides support for attorneys in matrimonial litigation matters and assists clients with a variety of financial data analysis. In 2013, Mr. Dotterer graduated from a four-year JD/MBA dual-degree program offered through Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.  Mr. Dotterer is currently senior manager, business valuation at H2R CPA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. H2R (formerly known as Horovitz, Rudoy, and Roteman) is a full-service accounting firm with a 60-year history of serving businesses, nonprofits, and individuals throughout Western Pennsylvania.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

Assessing the global economic, financial, and public health implications of COVID-19 is a challenge that will require financial consultants to pool their resources.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

Estate planning and litigation support are two areas in which I would expect to see major growth in the financial consulting profession.

Yvette M. Garcia, CPA

Shareholder

Judd Thomas Smith and Company, PC

Dallas, TX

Yvette M. Garcia is the first female shareholder, as well as the youngest shareholder, at Judd Thomas. Ms. Garcia has over 13 years of experience in public accounting. Her experience includes both tax and assurance services in industries that include manufacturers, financial institutions, employee benefit plans, direct sellers, and restaurant franchises. Her commitment to developing women in the profession and in the firm is inspiring.

Michael Goldberg

Associate

Stein Sperling

Rockville, MD

Michael "Mike" Goldberg is a JD, CPA, and CVA currently obtaining his Tax LLM from Georgetown University with straight As. Mr. Goldberg has successfully assisted in the valuation of over 100 companies and testified as an expert witness in Montgomery County Circuit Court of Maryland. Mr. Goldberg has a stellar reputation among members of the Maryland NACVA chapter and is looked to as an expert in the valuation filed throughout the state by attorneys, certified public accountants, and certified valuation experts.

Kristen Grau, CPA, CVA

Executive Vice President

Succession Resource Group

Lake Oswego, OR

Kristen Grau has worked as the valuation director specializing in the financial services industry for small businesses since 2012. Ms. Grau has leveraged her training from the NACVA and obtained her CVA designation in conjunction with her CPA license to help her clients through the process of valuing their businesses. Ms. Grau has worked diligently, specializing in the financial services market for small businesses, to democratize the understanding and access to business value and valuation for the owners/founders. The advisor industry is still very young, with most advisors historically working as employees of larger firms. In the last 30 years, the industry has slowly shifted so that now half of the industry is paid as 1099 contractors who technically own and operate their own businesses. A market for buying and selling has developed in the last 10–15 years and she has used her training combined with her knowledge of the financial advisor market for buying and selling, their unique business model, and ways they earn revenue to create a scalable approach to valuation for this specific sector. This has allowed her to provide cost-effective and easy to understand valuation services for an industry that has historically been underserved by professional valuation services. It is because she has worked to expand the valuation profession to this new developing industry and help advisors who have become small business owners understand that they do have value and what that value is—and the ensuing proactive management of the advisor’s “equity” now starting to occur.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

The most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession is the ability to deliver quality advice with scale. There are an estimated 2.34 million businesses owned by baby boomers who will need some level of assistance when they exit their business, yet most consulting organizations are not set up to deliver their expertise with any kind of scale.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

The most significant growth area is going to be in succession planning for the tsunami of retiring business owners who have a significant portion of their net worth tied up in their business. Extracting that value while positioning the business to continue to grow and serve their local market(s) is critical to the economy and the robust small business environment we have in the U.S.

Shea Hancock, CVA , CEPA, CM&AA

Partner

Hancock Firm, LLC

Houston, TX

Shea Hancock is a partner at Hancock Firm, LLC (HF) in Houston, Texas. Mr. Hancock is also a founder and partner in Mr. Jones Capital Partners, LLC (MRJCP), a sister company of HF. He manages all business valuation engagements at HF and also testifies in litigation. Mr. Hancock manages all merger and acquisition transactional work at MRJCP. He serves on the board of directors of a private oil and gas service company with operations in Oklahoma. He is a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), a Certified Merger and Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA), and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA). Mr. Hancock holds memberships in Certified Business Appraisers, Collaborative Divorce Texas, and Collaborative Divorce Houston. He lectured at the statewide Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants valuation conference on a variety of valuation topics. In 11 years, Mr. Hancock earned leadership roles at HF and MRJCP in diverse disciplines, including mergers and acquisitions, estate and gift valuations, business exit planning, litigation support involving marital and business divorces, lost profits, and economic damages. During his career, Mr. Hancock participated in business valuation engagements with an aggregate value in excess of $3.2 billion. He mentors young professionals pursuing the CVA designation. Under Mr. Hancock’s leadership, HF grew tenfold since its inception in 2004. Through annual voting conducted by Texas Lawyer magazine, HF was awarded #1 Best Business Valuation Firm (Houston) and #1 Best End-to-End Litigation Consultant (Houston) for 10 consecutive years, through 2019.

G. Adam Hansberger

Eric J. Fernandez and Co.

West Dundee, IL

G. Adam Hansberger has more than 10 years’ experience as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and has valued minority and majority interests for business, estate and gift tax purposes. Mr. Hansberger maintains an active CPA license in Illinois and Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) certification by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Hansberger’s valuation assignments include a focus on manufacturing, construction, and agriculture industries. Mr. Hansberger graduated from the University of Denver with a Bachelors in International Business and a Masters in Environmental Policy and Management. Mr. Hansberger works diligently at the onset of every valuation engagement and consistently provides professional services that are infused with quality, integrity, and foresight. 

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession? 

Complacency. Technology, artificial intelligence, big data, work from anywhere… It is all here to stay. So why not embrace the challenge and figure out how these systems can deliver unexpected value to your clients? 

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession? 

Follow your interests, build authority in that field, and you will grow. For me, it is a focus on “green” industries that have an environmental component. Having a niche allows me to spend less time while having a greater impact.

Brian C. Hedges, CPA, CFE, CVA 

Partner

Mengel Metzger Barr and Co.

Rochester, NY

Brian C. Hedges has provided forensic and valuation analyses for numerous purposes, including tax-reporting, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, and alternative dispute resolution. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), and Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), with 13 years of experience serving as a business valuator, forensic accountant, litigation consultant, fraud investigator, and expert witness. In these matters, he has worked with business owners, internal and external counsel, boards of directors, audit committees, supervisory committees, and government regulators. Mr. Hedges has testified in depositions and trials for matters in Federal and NY State Court and at arbitration. He is a frequent speaker and he often writes as a columnist in a local publication to the Upstate New York legal community, The Daily Record. He goes above and beyond his daily work activities to mentor co-workers and ensure that others thrive in the field of litigation and transaction advisory services. Mr. Hedges dedicates his personal time to non-profit board service, helping his wife (Kim) raise his family of soon-to-be three children (third boy due in December 2020), and trying to find time to play golf. He is a proud graduate of the University of Notre Dame and splits his football “fanhood” between Notre Dame Football and his beloved Buffalo Bills.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic by anticipating the macro-economic recovery as well as a particular industry’s growth prospects. Should management view its projections as an industry with a “V recovery”? A double dip “W recovery”? A “swoosh recovery”? Or is an industry going to go the way of the point-and-shoot film camera in the late 20th century? Aligning buyers and sellers in this market can be more challenging than ever before in my career.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

In the short-term, advising clients on timing certain valuation transactions can lead to significant consulting activity through the pandemic. In the medium- and longer-term, aligning with acquisition-minded clients or carving out niches in mature industries to provide, not only valuation consulting, but a fuller suite of transactional due diligence, can help to round out a professional service/accounting firm.

Henry Kaskov, ASA

President

Kaskov Valuations, Inc.

St. Charles, IL

Henry Kaskov has a way about him and wisdom he carries that goes far beyond his years. He is anchored to a larger firm, which provides him extra resources, but has pioneered Illinois to make this an area the firm now has full exposure in and a great reputation. Mr. Kaskov finds a way to provide clarity in the numbers he is preparing and presenting, and has a way of understanding the emotions behind whatever he is up against.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

I believe that meeting the highest standards of a valuation or financial consulting assignment will continue to be the most important issue for the profession. Ensuring that valuation and financial analyses and opinions conform with the highest standards of the practice area will build trust with the clients and aid in understanding and supporting the work.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

I see customized engagements that fit the client’s exact needs as a major growth area for the profession. Clients may not always need a full-blown analysis or opinion, and a limited engagement may be the right fit. It is up to us to advise clients of their options and the services that best fit their needs.

Kim Kinnaman, CPA, CVA

Senior Manager

Harding, Shymanski, and Company, P.S.C.

Evansville, IN

Kim Kinnaman is a senior manager and valued member of the Advisory Services Team. Since she joined the department in 2015, there has been significant growth in the litigation support practice where she has taken on a leadership role. What makes Ms. Kinnaman such a valuable expert witness are her strong analytical skills, the confidence she has in her abilities, and her ability to articulate her opinions well, whether she is testifying in cases of divorce, shareholder disputes, or damage collections, among others. In fact, Ms. Kinnaman has gained such a strong reputation in the community that attorneys race to see who can engage her as their expert witness first. Ms. Kinnaman shines a light not only on the firm, but on the importance of having a highly trained professional to bring fact and knowledge into the litigation process. Her background as an auditor also allows her to bring a different perspective to the field. Perhaps even more important is her way of sharing that knowledge in a manner that is easy to understand. In addition to litigation services, she has been instrumental in the creation of the HSC Succession, Transition, and Estate Planning Solutions team where she continues to assist with business valuations for the clients.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

The most important current issue today is navigating the impacts of COVID-19. Not only does COVID-19 present challenges for business valuation in itself, but those valuations are impacting business owners’ financial plans and exit/transition strategies. It is ever more important to have a strong advisory team to help clients navigate and adapt to the changes caused by COVID-19, both good and bad.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

The major growth area, in my opinion, is a focus on advising business owners on how to create transferable value in their business and monetize their life’s work.

Jessica Lee

Senior Manager

Moss Adams

Irvine, CA

Jessica Lee has advanced the valuation community's practice in financial reporting related projects including the related audit team's "review of a specialist" adding accuracy and efficiency to both sides of this process. Her valuation skills are first-rate and her ability to apply concepts to difficult-to-value assets is extraordinary.

Amanda Levesque, CPA, CFE

Consulting Manager

Moore Colson CPAs and Advisors

Atlanta, GA

Amanda Levesque is a manager in Moore Colson’s Consulting Practice. She has over eight years of accounting experience within a range of industries, including financial services, healthcare, pharmaceutical, automobile, and agriculture. She has assisted clients in recovering millions due to fraud and malfeasance by creating analyses covering years of financial data, often having to piece together information to support her analysis. She has managed complex projects, which required some type of forensic analysis, and specializes in forensic investigations associated with family members. Additionally, Ms. Levesque frequently manages colleagues who are senior to her and has managed contract employees to ensure that the work they performed matched up with the needs of her client. She has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Georgia Institute of Technology and is a member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She is actively involved in the accounting/forensic industry as a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the Turnaround Management Association (TMA), the American Bankruptcy Institute, the Commercial Finance Association, and the Association for Corporate Growth. In 2018, Ms. Levesque was appointed to serve on the Atlanta TMA’s NextGen Board and was asked to serve as vice president in 2019. At Moore Colson, she quickly rose through the ranks and was promoted to consulting manager after 18 months. She previously worked at Navigant, a management consulting firm, where she was promoted from intern to consultant to senior consultant in a period of about six years.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, it is more challenging to meet with existing clients and identify issues that may be difficult to uncover remotely. When working with a troubled client, financial consultants can often provide the most value by visiting a client on-site, enabling us to best assess the problem and facilitate a solution. For example, a visit to a manufacturing floor to watch the production process could lead to the conclusion that there are inefficiencies resulting from how many times a piece of metal is picked-up and put back down. In the current environment, when traveling to visit a client is not advisable or simply not possible, a financial consultant’s assessment will be limited to what can be observed and researched remotely. Additionally, the pandemic has made it difficult for professionals to make connections with not only potential new clients, but also with peers within existing networks, which can be a consistent source of client referrals.

David L. Maaskant, CPA, CVA

Partner

SEK CPAs and Advisors

Carlisle, PA

David L. Maaskant joined SEK in 2016 and soon after, he was able to take over the management of SEK’s Business Valuation Department from a retiring partner. Under his leadership, the Business Valuation Department has more than doubled in size and is poised for further growth in 2020. The growth was not only in revenue, but also in the volume and variety of reports being issued, and has led to staff increases in his department. Prior to Mr. Maaskant’s leadership, SEK has traditionally offered valuation services to existing clients in need of compliance reporting for gift and estate purposes. With the help of annual NACVA trainings and NACVA colleagues, he has enhanced these compliance reports by adding a new DLOM analysis based on Hitchner’s Toolkit, adding a comprehensive working capital analysis to better support non-operating assets, plus involves the expertise of tangible asset appraisers for greater support of the asset approach. Mr. Maaskant has parlayed these exceptional compliance reports and analysis techniques into new valuation service line offerings, including SBA/bank financing reports, matrimonial dissolution reports accompanied by personal goodwill analyses, managerial reports for M&A transactions, and most recently, the Business Health Checkup. The Business Health Checkup was his answer to the clients’ need for a managerial report that identified specific deficiencies in a company’s performance, plus potential solutions to help the client become more profitable and add value. Mr. Maaskant has taken a leadership position in the SEK’s consortium group, Allinial Global, where he organizes discussion and practice development initiatives for those colleagues that represent the business valuation departments of their respective firms. He is also an active member in NACVA, a member of the NACVA Business Development Committee, and plans to be a presenter at the 2021 NACVA and the CTI’s annual conference where he hopes to share his best practices in working capital analysis and optional capital structure analysis procedures that have enhanced the firm’s compliance reports. Mr. Maaskant also hopes to share his Business Health Checkup report with fellow NACVA professionals at the conference to help expand their practice.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

The financial consulting profession, like almost every other profession, has been dramatically affected by COVID-19. For my practice, the most important issue we are facing is a divergence from using historical financial performance to now working with the clients to create reasonable financial projections into an unknown future. We have a responsibility to the clients and stakeholders of the work to conduct an appropriate analysis that considers the economic changes we have witnessed in 2020, then consider how business is conducted in future years. I would propose this is not only for arriving at current value, but also for advising clients on changes to their business strategy.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) is one of the most rapidly growing lines of business outside of the compliance services such as assurance and tax. TAS is a broad term, but no matter if financial professionals are offering preliminary advice or a professional running a full shop and brokering transactions, the ability to reach the target audience has increased through the use of technology. Through the use of social media, webinar hosting, e-mail, Zoom, and the like, we can deliver meaningful information to assist clients through the challenges of a transaction. The earlier we can reach a business owner, the greater success rate for their transaction.

Brian McIntyre, CVA

Senior Manager

WithumSmith+Brown

Princeton, NJ

Brian McIntyre is a senior manager in WithumSmith+Brown’s Forensic and Valuation Services Group. He handles all facets of business valuations, including business valuations for tax, financial reporting, litigation, and financing purposes. Mr. McIntyre is an integral part of Withum’s valuation team, leading the creation and implementation of models in the practice group. Mr. McIntyre’s forward thinking approach and desire to obtain efficiencies in business valuation is a critical part of the success of the firm’s valuation practice. In addition, his perseverance towards technical valuation training is second to none in the group. His acute ability to break down complex valuation concepts to team members, including not only staff level professionals, but partners as well, enables him to be a strong and respected leader in the group. Mr. McIntyre’s entrepreneurial capabilities are also commendable. He has been able to identify opportunities that attribute to the growth of the group and the firm in general. From developing strong relationship with employment attorneys in order to expand the work in the wrongful termination arena, to creating new areas of business specifically targeted to Small Business Administration (SBA) lenders and counsel, Mr. McIntyre has been at the forefront of the group in terms of his growth vision. He is an asset to NACVA, the valuation community, and the firm itself.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

The most important current issue facing the industry is competition—as more providers enter the space both traditionally and firms leveraging technology to produce more of an equivalent factory-type valuation. This competition has resulted in clients seeking to obtain more value while receiving the same or a reduced fee. Firms which are able to differentiate expertise by having specific industry knowledge will continue to benefit from those with a broader focus. Additionally, as consultants, there will always be an aspect of building and retaining trust with the client throughout engagements that cannot be specifically displaced by technology. As competition continues to grow, the ability to provide greater value, trust, and ability to meet timing requests will remain at the forefront.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

As private equity and other capital providers continue to purchase privately owned businesses, it will be important for firms to establish a greater M&A presence through transaction advisory and valuation service offerings. The amount of transactions flowing through these markets is ever increasing and should continue to do so given the expected exit of the baby boomer generation.

Kemp Moyer, CVA, CMQ, OE

Director, Advisory

BPM, LLP

Walnut Creek, CA

Kemp Moyer has 15 years of experience in complex financial advisory matters, with a primary focus on valuation services. He has played a lead role on over 1,000 business and asset valuations in his career. With specific expertise in the technology, education, healthcare, manufacturing, and consumer products sectors, Mr. Moyer has provided services for ownership, board-level, and executive decision making for strategic analysis, tax, and financial reporting purposes. Deliverables include M&A and strategic investment analyses, partnership/shareholder buyout analyses, 409A analyses, gift and estate valuations, purchase price allocations, fairness opinions, and impairment testing. Upon joining BPM in 2018, Mr. Moyer took the lead to develop the firm’s valuation team, which is a key part of its Advisory Practice Group. Under his guidance, the team saw significant growth and more than doubled revenue year-over-year from 2018–2019. In 2019, he was the recipient of BPM’s “Leadership in Action” award for exemplary organizational leadership related to growing the valuation practice. He also won BPM’s 2019 New Business Development contest after introducing a high number of prospect clients to the firm’s BD team. Mr. Moyer also expanded BPM’s service offerings by leading the introduction of BPM’s fairness opinion service capabilities.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

As businesses of all sizes deal with the ramifications of COVID-19 and the turbulent economy, it is imperative for financial advisors to be flexible and supportive of clients, while also diligently finding the best financial solutions to meet their immediate needs. Today’s uncertain economy will undoubtedly have a wide range of impacts on businesses, from existential crisis to potential opportunity, and it is our job to ensure their leaders have access to the right tools and knowledge to make important business decisions in real time.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

In 2020, an estimated 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65 every day—and many of them are not waiting around for an economic upswing to retire. For these reasons, it is safe to say the major growth areas for consultants and firms include exit and succession planning. Business owners are ready to sell, and they will need experienced advisors to help them through the transitions. These business turnovers are likely not the only big shift the business community will see in the era of COVID-19 as we navigate a “new normal.” The Life Science and High Technology industries will continue to grow and to innovate, and will need financial advisors to help support their potentially life-altering missions and goals.

Emmett Mulcahy, CPA, CVA

Director Valuation Services

Redpath and Company

Saint Paul, MN

Emmett Mulcahy has almost 12 years of professional accounting experience, almost all of which have been spent focused on business valuations. He has spent his whole career at Redpath where he leads the firm’s business valuation practice, growing it from the ground up. Mr. Mulcahy’s practice area focuses on valuations of closely held business for estate and gift tax, shareholder disputes, and employee stock ownership plans. He has really defined himself in the valuation community as a standout storyteller. Over the years, he has propelled the notion that the story of the business is the most important aspect of the valuation report and that the mathematical analysis of the engagement will follow where the story leads. His reports read more like a novel than they do a mathematical analysis, but it is this compelling narrative that has allowed his valuation conclusions to hold to the most intense scrutiny and help provide comfort to his clients. In addition to his work with clients, he is active in promoting business valuation throughout his firm and the larger community by participating in educational speaking engagements with clients, attorneys, and other professionals. Mr. Mulcahy is quietly confident in what he does and leverages a pragmatic approach with his craft that very few can emulate. He is continually committed in making strides to improve the quality of the valuation report through his story telling and making extraordinary advances to the valuation profession.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

I would say that it is the transition from the older generation of valuation analyst to the younger generation.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

I believe a major area of growth for us in the valuation profession is the continued rise of fair value accounting.

Keith J. Naccari

Partner

Sternberg, Naccari & White, LLC

New Orleans, LA

Keith J. Naccari graduated Magna Cum Laude from Loyola University College of Law and awarded an LLM in Taxation from New York University School of Law. He is also in the final stages of completing the Certified Valuation Analyst certification through NACVA. He has been recognized by New Orleans City Business as One to Watch, Super Lawyers Rising Star, New Orleans Magazine Top Lawyer, Junior Achievement as a Rising Star, and the Louisiana Bar Association as a finalist for Outstanding Young Lawyer in 2020. Even at his very young age, Mr. Naccari was the lead attorney successfully representing clients on several high-profile acquisition projects. Mr. Naccari understands that the legal and valuation profession is not just about understanding technicalities; he consistently demonstrates that he understands the client’s goals and barriers to success, then uses his technical skills to help them achieve those goals or overcome those barriers. Mr. Naccari has served as a board member/or member of the Louisiana chapter of Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Leukemia, Lymphoma Society, Young Leadership Council, New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, Association for Corporate Growth, Rotary Club of New Orleans, and the Louisiana State Bar Association. Additionally, he has volunteered with Crescent City Café and VITA. He will also be teaching as an adjunct professor at Loyola University College of Law in the fall.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

Anticipating future growth and market reactions based on increasing, unprecedented uncertainty and applying valuation techniques considering that uncertainty presents unique and consequential risk areas for the profession.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

Current economic conditions are creating massive changes in market outlook based on the industry and business situation. Change always creates opportunities. In this case, for those that have an understanding of what is happening and can keep focused on the fact that some industries may not recover but most will, there can be incredible growth opportunities. Two of these opportunities are in the area of strategic consulting to help clients weather the ups and downs, and mergers and acquisitions for those companies properly positioned.

Matthias Needam

CSG Director

Wall, Einhorn, and Chernitzer

Norfolk, VA

Matthias Needam is a type of leader rarely seen in the financial world. Several years ago he took over a struggling division and turned it into a cash cow. Perhaps more astonishing, however, is that his employee's want to work for him. Mr. Needam cares about work/life balance for his employees and is an incredibly flexible leader. If someone needs to take off Wednesday during busy season, they can. Then when a deadline is looming because of the absence, he is there reviewing at 3:00 a.m. on a Saturday. Mr. Needam fosters a culture that is centered on his team in a big way.

Corey J. O'Connell, CPA, ABV, ASA

Manager Business Valuation

Redpath and Company

Saint Paul, MN

Corey O’Connell has over 12 years of professional accounting experience, most of which have been spent providing business valuation and litigation support services. At Redpath and Company, he specializes in business valuations for small- to middle-market companies. Additionally, his divorce financial services focus on complex marital dissolution matters involving self-employed individuals and closely-held businesses. As a CPA with business valuation credentials, Mr. O’Connell is able to leverage his accounting background when analyzing a company’s financial statements. In fact, he is able to dig much deeper than the numbers that typically drive valuation reports. This is where he has really defined himself as a standout in the business valuation world. The majority of business valuation reports that Mr. O’Connell reads are focused entirely on trends and figures with no underlying analysis. Namely, a lot of the purported financial analysis is limited to simply regurgitating historical amounts and percentages with no context given or explanation of “Why?” Yet, he looks beyond the numbers to provide a comprehensive narrative that helps answer the underlying questions: What was driving historical growth? Why did cost of sales/operating expenses/profitability fluctuate? Why are accounts receivable so much higher than industry peers? Why does inventory turn over so slowly? Further, when he prepares projections, he does not simply reiterate amounts and percentages already included in supporting schedules. He is actually able to discuss and describe what will be driving future changes in operations. Ultimately, Mr. O’Connell is able to back-up his figures with logic and insights that make his business valuations reliable and defensible.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

I believe increasing competition and the related pressure to lower prices are persistent challenges facing the financial consulting profession.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

Related to the foregoing challenges of increasing competition and fee compression, I believe growth opportunities will come from the ability to differentiate. Although there will always be clients seeking the low-cost provider, my goal is to focus my practice and business development efforts toward providing a higher level of value to my clients. While I am aware there are companies pushing business valuation software systems promising business owners the “value” of their business for a fraction of typical valuation fees, I do not believe plugging historical financial information into a computer model can adequately address the myriad of factors impacting business value. I think any business owner who has diligently spent their career operating and growing their business deserves someone equally diligent when assessing its worth.

Tamara Rigberg, CPA, CVA

Associate

Harper Hofer and Associates

Denver, CO

Tamara Rigberg has almost 15 years of experience in professional accounting, including audit and attestation services, corporate SEC reporting, business valuation, and forensic accounting. Her primary focus is litigation consulting where she specializes in business valuation, income analysis, and asset tracing for marital dissolution matters. Prior to joining Harper Hofer and Associates, Ms. Rigberg began her forensic accounting career at LorchGreene, LLP (formerly Lorch and Company, APC) in Westlake Village, California. At LorchGreene, Ms. Rigberg provided expert witness testimony in the Los Angeles Superior Court in Van Nuys, California. Ms. Rigberg recently assisted the Attorneys General Office of the State of Colorado in the first statutory independent investigation of a licensed cannabis business. She worked closely with the Attorneys General, the State licensing authority, and the licensed cannabis business to plan, implement, and execute the forensic investigation. She is involved in research of local cannabis regulations and has worked diligently to understand other unique issues impacting licensed cannabis entities. Because of her expertise in this area, Ms. Rigberg contributes to the education of other accounting professionals, presented a seminar on the topic, and also assists colleagues with complex valuation and regulatory issues that impact the cannabis industry. Ms. Rigberg graduated with honors from the University of San Diego with a Bachelor of Accountancy and a Minor in Spanish. Ms. Rigberg is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and also earned her Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) designation from NACVA. She is also the marketing and communications director for the CO/WY State Chapter of NACVA.

Kriste Naples Rodriguez

Senior Manager

EisnerAmper, LLP

Iselin, NJ

Kriste Naples Rodriguez is a client service-focused thought leader within the firm. She excels in the area of matrimonial/family law services for business valuation and investigations related to family law engagements. She has authored several articles on valuation and financial forensic issues. Ms. Rodriguez has been instrumental in assisting the Frim with improving its use of technology on engagements leading to more efficient and effective client service.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

The global pandemic is not only the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession, but it is the most difficult issue facing the financial consulting profession. This is an unprecedented and evolving issue, with so many unknowns, that we as professionals have been forced to navigate through together, one day at a time.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

The global pandemic has shut down corporations as well as mom-and-pop businesses around the country overnight. Many businesses remain closed with no plan as to when they might be able to reopen, while others are opened at reduced capacity. This unfortunate situation will lead to major growth in the bankruptcy and restructuring industry.

Nurys Santos, MS, CPA, CFE, CVA

Partner

Edward D. Heben, CPA, P.C.

Thornwood, NY

Nurys Santos came to the U.S. in 2009 from the Dominican Republic as a young mother with a husband and three children in tow. While caring for her family, Ms. Santos was able to attain an MS in Accounting, and even though English is her second language, she passes every professional exam she takes the first time out, achieving her CPA, CFE, and CVA designations. Furthermore, she is an energetic self-starter, who is extremely reliable, knowledgeable, caring, and personable. She joined the firm in 2014 and became a partner in 2019. Ms. Santos’ various areas of expertise encompass taxation, business valuation, and forensic accounting. In the tax arena, she delivers comprehensive tax planning, preparation, and problem resolution services to individuals, corporations, partnerships, and not-for-profit organizations. In the business valuation area, she provides notable assistance in the underlying research and preparation of numerous valuation reports for a myriad of purposes. In the forensic field, she thrives at working with legal counsel providing litigation support. She has helped settle several cases by providing crucial information to back up legal counsel’s strategy. Ms. Santos gives back to her local community by volunteering in Mount Vernon, NY at The Lady of Victory Church and school.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

I would say the primary issue is CHANGE. I write this in caps because the profession is a challenge of changes from all directions. To mention a few: technology, tax law, and the global/regional/national landscape are all dramatically changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you go a step further, think about the transfer of wealth that is happening from baby boomers to the next generation. The makeup of the clientele will, in turn, change. We need to adapt to this constant change to keep relevant and seize the opportunities this change offers. The only way to thrive is to be flexible, open to change, and to adapt rapidly. The profession needs to embrace new technologies and new models of operation. We need to employ a proactive approach, everything is happening live, and time is not on our side. A financial consultant should be a step forward advising clients on the possible future outcome of the current situation.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

Any field where technology is the primary driver is on a fast track to growth. For instance, virtual services are booming. Thus, we need to embrace new technologies to be able to provide cutting edge services and technology brings with it a learning component. Therefore, we need to narrow the learning curve to benefit from the growth in this area.

Carl Seidman

Principal

Seidman Global, LLC

Chicago, IL

Carl Seidman has made extraordinary advances in the valuation and consulting profession by innovatively translating its principles for use in financial planning and analysis (FP&A). It is apparent in everything Mr. Seidman does, that he is a teacher and he cares about the people he works with. He wants to empower his clients and audiences to take greater ownership and control of their futures, whether that be at their companies or in their careers. He is masterful at taking the skills from his consulting background—namely proactive and analytical thinking, business and emotional intelligence, leadership, and storytelling—and applies them to those in FP&A who stand to benefit immensely from these skills. Having discovered that most small and mid-sized companies lack effective FP&A functions, Mr. Seidman developed professional development and coaching programs to help functions evolve and grow. These programs are now offered to companies of all sizes and have been attended by thousands of FP&A professionals from startups, to middle-market companies, and the Fortune 1000 over the past six years. In a consulting capacity, Mr. Seidman’s financial advisory practice focuses on strategic financial planning, value enhancement, and turnaround services for small and mid-sized companies across the globe. He provides these services at affordable rates that most larger firms cannot offer.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

One of the most important current issues facing the financial consulting profession is how we are going to service clients flexibly, remotely, and virtually. A younger generation of practitioners is rising through the ranks, whose collective desire is to have more flexible work/life design. Add COVID-19 and the likely long-term shift will become more permanent. Financial consultants will need to learn how to better serve clients in a non-traditional way while employers of financial consultants will need to learn how to effectively manage a virtual workforce.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

There is tremendous room for growth in consultative FP&A. Traditionally, small and mid-sized businesses have not employed FP&A functions and instead opt for a finance function run by a Controller or Head of Finance. In some cases, the function will be run by a CFO who often possesses technical accounting and finance know-how but who lacks experience in growth planning, strategy, and analytics. Even at large public corporations, professionals with consultative minds, who also understand the dynamics of FP&A will find themselves in increasing demand. At the same time, I also foresee increasing demand for financial consultants with expertise in connecting and continuous planning.

David Solis, MSF, CVA, MAFF

Founder and Managing Member

Solis Financial Forensics, LLC

Bothell, WA

David Solis has spent his entire life working hard to get where he is and has always been motivated to be the best at what he does. He grew up very poor and knew from a young age that he would really need to excel to make a better life for himself. Mr. Solis was always the top student in science and mathematics, or anything to do with numbers. He brought these skills with him when he started his career in financial forensics, after finishing his Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics. Mr. Solis continued his education while working full-time in financial forensics, pursuing a Master of Science Degree in Finance and later obtaining his CVA and MAFF certifications. After ten years of working in the financial forensics industry, he decided to start his own practice in January 2017. At that time, he and his wife had just bought their first home together, his wife was pregnant with their first child, and his wife was an elementary school teacher who was about to go on unpaid maternity leave. It was an extremely risky decision, and everyone told Mr. Solis it would be crazy to start his own practice at that time. However, Mr. Solis knew he was ready and the time was right. He has continued building a successful practice since then and has no regrets in doing so. Mr. Solis has made it his passion to bring a refreshed perspective to the financial forensics profession, and advocate for independence and objectivity within the profession.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

I believe the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession is bias. So often I come across opposing expert witnesses who have tailored their opinions to fit with what is in their client’s best interest. It is one thing to have skewed opinions because you were provided certain information and/or assumptions. It is another to tailor your opinions by veering away from fundamentals and principles. I feel as though I am seeing the latter more and more as of late.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

I would consider litigation consulting to be a major growth area in the financial consulting profession. As more and more professionals in the litigation consulting arena retire, the need for others continues to grow.

Sarah Spelts Loebl, CVA

Principal at Valuation Analytics, LLC

Denver, CO

Sarah Spelts Loebl is the founder and president of Valuation Analytics, a business valuation, forensic accounting, and litigation services firm serving clients nationwide and particularly, in the Denver and Chicago metro areas. She is currently a member of the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) Executive Advisory Board and has chaired NACVA’s Valuation Credentialing Board. She is currently an officer and past president of the Colorado and Wyoming State Chapter of NACVA. Ms. Loebl approaches her work with a combination of technical expertise and creative, proactive problem solving by leveraging her background in finance and economics. Her focus is on business valuation, litigation support for marital dissolution, lost profits and damages calculations, and complex financial modeling. She has been qualified as an expert in several states and federal jurisdictions and has been a guest lecturer on business valuation at Denver University, the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business, and Colorado State University. She has presented at the Colorado Wyoming NACVA Chapter, the NACVA/CTI 2020 Business Valuation and Financial Litigation Virtual Super Conference, and has appeared on NACVA’s Around the Valuation World. Ms. Loebl received NACVA’s State Chapter Leadership Award in 2016. Community is important to Ms. Loebl. She has served as board member, treasurer, and finance committee chair for Colorado’s leading food recovery non-profit, We Don’t Waste, as treasurer for the Colorado LGBT Bar Association, and as a mentor for at-risk youth.

Courtney Stangel, CPA

Lecturer and Full-Time Faculty

University of Dayton

Dayton, OH

Courtney Stangel ascended to the level of senior manager during her tenure at PwC. During her 11+ years at PwC, she rose in the ranks and displayed excellent technical knowledge, consistently providing the highest service to clients. Ms. Stangel also was dedicated to training her staff to ensure their growth and success. She was well-rounded in her dedication to the firm and participated in numerous firm efforts, such as teaching courses and leading diversity efforts. She left the partner track at PwC to join University of Dayton, in order to give back to her alma mater. Ms. Stangel is a star performer of the department; she develops new courses, revamps existing courses, and serves in student advisory roles. Additionally, she is on numerous committees, working to ensure the department is meeting accreditation and other requirements. Ms. Stangel ensures she is well-rounded through involvement in numerous community organizations. Her expertise and skillset are of great benefit to these organizations.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

I believe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest issue currently facing the industry. As a result, technology innovations and automation will increase at faster rates, allowing for time to be spent in more higher-level areas rather than mundane tasks.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

The biggest opportunities are helping to identify further opportunities for automation, as well as helping clients figure out new ways to operate businesses in a more virtual environment.

Rob Taylor

Partner

Taylor and Morgan

Troy, MI

Rob Taylor leads a diversified practice specializing in valuation, advisory, tax, mergers and acquisitions, asset management, and commercial real estate. His background as a lawyer and CPA has enabled him to advise clients from an integrated point of view. Mr. Taylor routinely works with many regional banks helping them to develop valuation methodologies to better assess financing potential acquisitions. He has established unique expertise in transactions involving financing provided by the SBA and its various intricate requirements, and small business mergers and acquisitions that average from $5 million to $15 million in size, an underserved but significant part of the market. At that level, a merger or acquisition becomes deeply personal to business owners, and to him. The relationships Mr. Taylor has been able to form through this concentration have been personally and professionally gratifying. He formed Taylor and Morgan Asset Management, a registered investment advisory firm with more than $180 million in managed assets, and Taylor Capital, a fundamental valuation-based commercial real estate investment firm based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Using the valuation principles he learned through his CVA training, he and his team look to find investments with an attractive investment profile for his clients. Through his roles in Taylor and Morgan, CPAs, Taylor and Morgan Asset Management, and Taylor Capital, he has been instrumental in helping educate clients and colleagues in valuation and finance. Recently, Mr. Taylor launched a study to assess post-acquisition valuations of small middle market companies. In 2019 alone, he advised on more than 30 M&A transactions, including many involving the SBA. His industry savviness, experience, and ear-to-the-ground knowledge has made him a go-to for lenders, private equity firms, and others seeking up-to-date knowledge on valuation and finance.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

There is no question that the current uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic is the most important issue facing the profession. Providing an accurate and reliable valuation for any business requires some understanding of what their current and future prospects might look like. It relies on some sense of continuity of circumstances. At the moment, we are confronting circumstances that are in flux or unknown, making it difficult to use the same measuring sticks and data points that we may have considered in the past about how a business might perform, and how it should be valued today.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

We see opportunity in wrapping as much hard data and information as possible around each transaction, and combining that with the experience, to ground the clients in education. We have decades of experience and deep knowledge that we can bring to bear. That has become invaluable as we work with the clients and lenders. Knowledge and education can be a salve to uncertainty. And because we have for years focused on small businesses, we are having in-depth, very real conversations with them, based on the things that matter most to them. We know that this is very personal to them. Selling or buying a business can deeply impact their lives. It is very personal to us, too—we have formed lasting relationships with former clients. Because it is personal, we have gained tremendous insight into what the details of their business signifies and what aspects of that business are going to be the most meaningful to assessing valuation or whether a transaction is viable. I am proud of that. That is something that cannot be duplicated and something that we worked hard to create.

Anshuman Thakur

Vice President

Knowcraft Analytics

Ahmedabad, India

Anshuman Thakur has more than 12 years of professional work experience over the entire gamut of valuation and transaction advisory services, with major emphasis in valuing technology and healthcare companies. His responsibilities include valuation and transaction advisory service experience on projects related to mergers and acquisitions, corporate tax planning, estate and gift tax, financial reporting, portfolio valuation, employee stock ownership plans, and litigation. Having worked with 1000+ companies across different industries, his unique skills in business process re-engineering and transforming client businesses have assisted many companies in improving their ROI over time. Mr. Thakur has revolutionized the way cross-border valuation firms work together. His years of experience in valuation, transaction advisory, and expertise in team management has achieved seamless sharing of commercials between U.S. and India. At Knowcraft Analytics, he has been instrumental in setting up valuation and accounting teams, which now boast of largest number of headcount (excluding captive units of Big 4 firms). He has assisted U.S.-based valuation and accounting firms to expand their teams in India, thereby increasing the pool of professionals and yielding to ROI. Currently, he is leading efforts to establish and enhance the valuation profession in India through the Academy of Certified Valuators and Analysts.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

In my opinion, the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession is the pricing and subsequent delivery of a product or a service. The issue is not really on guidelines or framework as there is lot of published data around it from relevant authorities, the issue is somewhat seamless and occurs around execution of the engagements. The process of a lifecycle of the engagement needs to be very robust and expectations between all the related parties (client, appraiser, auditor etc.) needs to be mutually validated, normally at the inception of the engagement to avoid expectation mismatch or things slipping through the cracks. While customer delight is the phenomena which drives the business, there has to be a leveling field for the price paid and commensurate product or service delivered. While the emerging technologies and fintech environment has bridged this gap to a larger extent by minimizing cost and time overruns, there is still a ways to go. In a nutshell, the process of entering a valuation engagement has to be precise, efficient, and transparent throughout the lifecycle of an engagement. All the stakeholders need to be diligent and effective in communication to optimize the project lifecycle.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

Amidst modernization and unprecedented challenges, I believe the adaptability of the financial consulting profession to create value in sustainable businesses will be the major growth area. I envision it would be a hybrid model by pairing technology-enabled services with human effort. Contemporary with integrated reporting framework, the financial consulting professionals should focus on value creation in the business with emphasis on all forms of capital: financial capital, human capital, intellectual capital, manufactured or physical capital, social capital, and natural capital. Essentially, the consultants need to evaluate the financial planning and exit planning strategies through every possible lens as there exists a high level of correlation between these capitals. The integrated decision-making leads to actions that consider the creation of value over the short, medium-, and long-term horizon.

Clint Weeder, CPA, CVA

Shareholder

McMill CPAs and Advisors

Norfolk, NE

Clint Weeder has a passion for educating and helping his clients be successful. This teacher’s heart passion has brought him back to his roots, to the farming community of northeast Nebraska, where he is dedicated to furthering the profession through serving the unique combination of small business owners and the agricultural industry. Mr. Weeder truly cares about his clients and strives to help them, which can include a business valuation related to estate planning, litigation, disputes, succession planning, etc. He is very knowledgeable about relevant business valuation sources that he incorporates into each report. Mr. Weeder provides accurate, trustworthy, and expert advice which his clients have come to expect, and which has led to more client referrals. He continues to strengthen his business valuation profession by attending respective seminars and completing CPE. He is devoted to making his business valuation services #1 in the area as many look to him for this specialty when needed.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

Providing meaningful and useful information to the clients, in a timely and efficient manner. The clients rely on us to be a “trusted advisor”, so we want to ensure we truly understand each client’s needs and provide the best service possible.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

I believe there are numerous growth areas in the practice. The focus has been primarily on succession planning, transactional analysis, and estate planning. The clients will be looking to us to help them transition their businesses to the next generation.

Tommy West

Managing Partner

Sagewood Transaction Advisors, LLC

Steamboat Springs, CO

Tommy West stands out of the crowd by operating from a place of integrity, honesty, and transparency. He, together with his partner, Ben Brickweg, has created a unique and inviting approach to servicing clients that is very different from the usual, conservative corporate nature. You feel like you are talking to real people who tell it to you as it is, while providing a wealth of knowledge and options on what action would be in your best interest. Mr. West (together with Mr. Brickweg) used his extensive experience in the M&A process to create the SmartExit System that helps business owners to learn about the value and growth potential of their business in order to prepare for an eventual exit. This innovative system helps to exit the business in a more efficient way that also helps to achieve the best possible result. Mr. West goes above and beyond to share his knowledge and expertise to help improve businesses and the lives of business owners, and he does it in a way that makes you feel like you have acquired a new team member who has your best interests at heart.

Robert J. Zahner, CPA, ABV, ASA, CVA

Senior Manager

HBK Valuation Group

Pittsburgh, PA

Robert Zahner started his public accounting career in 2009 at HBK in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After obtaining several years of tax consulting and compliance experience, he sought out the opportunity to work with the firm’s business valuation group. Mr. Zahner transitioned to a full-time business appraiser in 2013 and quickly advanced up the ranks from senior appraiser, to manager, to senior manager in 2018, at age 30. While this process typically takes much longer, he advanced to senior manager in just five years. Mr. Zahner obtained his CVA credential in 2012, followed by the ABV, and in 2020 earned his ASA credential. He is always eager to learn and grow and has mastered the technical side of some of the most complex projects, including purchase price allocations and stock options. He also testifies as an expert witness in various capacities and speaks on a regular basis to local bar associations and other groups. He has authored business valuation articles and was featured on a radio show regarding family business and the law. Mr. Zahner’s professionalism coupled with his upbeat energy is what sets him apart from the pack. He is always willing to work with younger analysts to share his knowledge and train them as they progess in their own careers. He speaks at firm initiatives to raise awareness of the need for valuation consulting within the HBK client base. He has also developed a large referral network with his knowledge, superior client service, and integrity. He does all of this with a great personality and energy that makes working with him a pleasure. Mr. Zahner also gives of his time charitably, serving as treasurer and board member of Beverly’s Birthdays, a Pittsburgh area non-profit organization.

What would you consider to be the most important current issue facing the financial consulting profession?

The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the global economy and, more specifically our clients, presents various challenges in our financial modeling and consulting. Quantifying current impacts and anticipating short, intermediate, and long-term consequences are critical; and the financial consulting profession needs to rise to the occasion. Having strong client relationships and asking the right questions was always essential but is now even more so.

What would you consider to be the major growth areas in the financial consulting profession?

I think transaction advisory services provide ample opportunity for growth. Not only are we seeing consolidation trends in a variety of industries, but many business owners are nearing retirement and contemplating exit scenarios. Talented financial consulting professionals can add a lot of value here. Other growth areas include estate planning in the current economic and political environment as well as litigation support, particularly in areas that may have been impacted by the pandemic, i.e. business interruption claims.