People and firms on the move: KPMG hires 10 to tax practice

March 20, 2020 3:42 PM

BPM provides coronavirus online resource center; BKD debuts virtual chief information officer advisor services; and more CPA news.

Additionally, a number of industry events have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. An updated list of those postponements is available here.

CALIFORNIA

George Haynes was hired as a partner in the tax asset management practice and Kate Law was hired as a principal in the state and local tax practice at KPMG, San Francisco.

Expensify, San Francisco, is matching families on nutritional assistance for up to $50 of grocery purchases to help with the city’s shelter in place order in response to the coronavirus. The company has redirected all funds to its Expensify.org hunger cause and is asking for contributions.

BPM, San Francisco, is offering a free online resource center to help clients navigate the questions and concerns presented by the coronavirus pandemic.

Sophia Velastegui, chief technology officer for operation applications at Microsoft, has joined the board of directors at BlackLine, Los Angeles.

CONNECTICUT

Gregory Chambers

Gregory Chambers (pictured), senior consultant at Blumshapiro, West Hartford, was appointed commissioner of the City of Hartford’s LGBTQ+ Commission.

The Board of Trustees of the Financial Accounting Foundation, Norwalk, is seeking nominations for new members to join the FAF Board of Trustees and the Private Company Council that advises the Financial Accounting Standards Board. Nominations are due April 30, and a full job description and application details are available here.

MISSOURI

Garret Layman

BKD, Springfield, announced a new service for BKD Cyber, virtual chief information officer advisor services (BKD vCIO), created to offset the cost of hiring a full-time CIO and offering key services like IT strategic planning, IT operational oversight, IT steering committee participation, disaster recovery planning and testing and exam and IT testing preparation

NEW YORK

KPMG, New York, announced new hires: Mohamed Jabir as a principal in the global mobility services practice; Wendy Rowls as a managing director in the business tax services practice’s ASC 740 Center for Excellence; Aaron Shafer as a managing director in the state and local tax practice; and Brett Thompson as a principal in the economic and valuation services practice. In other firm news, KPMG partnered with Thomson Reuters and three universities to develop an interactive case study to help modernize the skills of tax and accounting students. (Read thefull story.)

TEXAS

Whitley Penn was named the 16th largest accounting firm in the Austin area by Austin Business Journal based on the number of CPAs, a ranking four spots higher than 2019.

Invoiced, Austin, announced it is offering its accounts receivable automation solution to nonprofits in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.The new program is effective immediately and will be free for up to six months, until Sept. 16.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Rose Jenkins

Rose Jenkins (pictured) was hired as a managing director in the Washington national tax’s international tax group at KPMG.

The Taxpayer Advocate Service, independent organization within the Internal Revenue Service, is marking 20 years of service, having begun in March 2000 as a way to help and advocate for taxpayers. A special page was designed to celebrate 20 years of advocacy.