On the move: Connecticut Professionals’ Leadership Academy graduates inaugural class

October 22, 2021 10:00 AM

Deloitte wins five International Tax Review awards; RKL promotes 13; and more CPA news.

CALIFORNIA

Armanino, San Ramon, introduced a new industry certification program, Industry Edge, a learning certificate program for firm employees to master industry-specific knowledge and concepts. (Read the full story.)

CONNECTICUT

The Connecticut Professionals’ Leadership Academy, a program presented in partnership with the American Institute of Architects, CFA Society of Hartford, Connecticut Bar Association, Connecticut Society of CPAs, Connecticut Young Insurance Professionals and Hartford County Bar Association, announced 28 Connecticut residents graduated from its inaugural class. The graduates are, from the American Institute of Architects, Connecticut: Max Ernesto Ballardo, Emily Ky, Kevin Levesque Susan Bridgewater Odell and Catherine Young; from the Connecticut Bar Association and/or Hartford County Bar Association: Jeremy Brown, Cindy Cieslak, Carrie Coulombe, Tyler Dew, Aigné Goldsby, Cody Guarnieri and Kimberly Taylor Smith; from the Connecticut Society of CPAs: Eliot M. Bassin, Alaina Clausen, Alex Clausen, Katherine Donovan, James Hallinan, Hillery Lundell, Kariann McDougall, Paul Morrone, Stephen Newman, Ryan Parent, Kirsten Piechota, Taylor Shirk and Christine Yip; and from the Connecticut Young Insurance Professionals, Ryan Keating.

ILLINOIS

The living room in Grant Thornton's Chicago headquarters

Grant Thornton, Chicago, was awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for innovations related to the firm’s proprietary Whole Ledger Analytics system.

NEBRASKA

ConvergenceCoaching, Bellevue, launched its new Remote and Blended Work Video Learning programs to help firms effectively adopt remote and blended work. (Read the full story.)

Seim Johnson, Omaha, launched a full-service boutique executive firm, Seim Johnson Executive Search, which will specialize in recruiting health care executives and board members on a national basis.

NEW YORK

The Deloitte offices in London

Jack Taylor/Getty Images

Deloitte, New York, was named International Tax Review’s Tax Technology Firm of the Year for the fourth consecutive year, as well as receiving ITR’s awards for Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year for the fourth consecutive year; Tax Compliance and Reporting Firm of the Year for the second consecutive year; and Tax Innovator of the Year and Indirect Tax Firm of the Year.

Chris Smyth was appointed EY Americas private equity leader at Ernst & Young, New York.

Steve Brodsky was hired as a tax partner in the real estate practice in the New York City office and Shawna Ruiz as a principal in the audit department in the Uniondale office at Friedman.

CohnReznick, New York, announced the addition of the team from Massachusetts-based firm Kevin P. Martin & Associates to the firm.

PENNSYLVANIA

Thomas Bakaitus was hired as a partner and Beth Bershok as chief marketing officer at Louis Plung & Co., Pittsburgh.

RKL, Lancaster, promoted: Robin Alexander and Kerrie Wesley to tax senior manager; Dawn Baughman to senior clinical consultant; Brayden Campbell to senior wealth advisor; Renee Chico and Steven Matus to risk management senior manager; Emerson Eckrote, Michael Martinsky and Diana Ricci to audit manager; Joel Harnly to tax manager; Jennifer Mitchell to risk management manager; and Nolan Myers and Daniel Ruppert to small business manager.

Brown Schultz Sheridan & Fritz, Camp Hill, was named one of the Central Penn Business Journal’s 2021 Best Places to Work in PA for the 18th time.

TEXAS

Victor Padilla

Victor Padilla was hired as a managing director in the forensics and litigation services practice at Weaver, Houston.

Whitley Penn announced its employee wellness program FitWhit was named an Outstanding Wellness Program finalist for the second year in a row in D CEO's 2021 Excellence in Healthcare Awards.