People & firms on the move: GT names seven industry leaders, promotes 66 more

September 4, 2020 10:46 AM

KPMG hosts 17th annual Ideation Challenge; Withum relocates Philadelphia office; and more CPA news.

BURUNDI

CN & Associates entered a collaboration agreement with Andersen Global to become a member firm of the international association.

CALIFORNIA

James Vinograd

James Vinograd (pictured) was hired as a client accounting services manager at Lavine, Lofgren, Morris & Engelberg, San Diego.

Kellan McConnell was promoted to assurance partner at Marcum, Costa Mesa.

CONNECTICUT

Robert Coro and Michael Discepolo were promoted to advisory partners in New Haven, and Timothy Landry and Theodore Lucas to assurance partners in Hartford, at Marcum.

FLORIDA

Cohn, Michael

Abacus Worldwide, Miami, and JHI have merged, continuing as Abacus Worldwide. (Read the full story.)

Andrew Alan was promoted to advisory partner and Saud Salim Khan to assurance partner in the Fort Lauderdale office, and John Bonk to tax and business partner in Miami, at Marcum.

HAITI

GECA entered a collaboration agreement with Andersen Global to become a member firm of the international association.

ILLINOIS

The living room in Grant Thornton's Chicago headquarters

Grant Thornton, Chicago, appointed seven new leaders in the firm’s industry practice: Bryan Benoit, national managing partner, energy; Sean Denham, national managing partner, services; Amy Flynn, national leader, life sciences; Bob Hersh, national managing principal, manufacturing and food & beverage; Simon Jewkes, national managing principal, retail; Alex Rhodes, national managing partner, hospitality & restaurants; and David Tyler, national managing principal, health care. Additionally, the firm admitted 30 partners and principals, and promoted 36 professionals to managing director. The full list is available

here

.

Audrey Levin and Yamil Serur were promoted to partners, tax and business, at Marcum, Deerfield.

Diane Yetter, founder of YETTER, Chicago, was named the 2020 Woman Business Owner of the Year by the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners.

The Sales Tax Institute, Chicago, launched a new membership this month specifically for sales tax professionals, the Sales Tax Nerd Community, an online network of sales tax professionals who want to grow their sales tax expertise and connect with peers.

MASSACHUSETTS

Derek White was promoted to assurance partner at Marcum, Boston.

Botkeeper, Boston, announced a virtual book launch event Sept. 16 for the “Botkeeper For Dummies” book. The book was authored by: Botkeeper’s Jody Padar, VP of strategy; Byron Patrick, vice president of growth & success; Chris Mahl, president & CRO; and Enrico Palmerino, CEO and founder. More information is available here.

NEW JERSEY

Jennifer Shimek was named managing principal in the Short Hills office at KPMG.

Hubert Klein, partner and practice leader for the financial advisory services group at EisnerAmper, Iselin, was appointed to the American Institute of CPAs’ National Accreditation Commission for 2020-21. Additionally, forensic, litigation and valuation services senior manager Kriste Rodriguez was named to the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts 2020 40 Under 40 list, recognizing professionals’ accomplishments in the valuation and financial forensics profession and service to the community.

NEW YORK

The offices of KPMG in Chicago

Tannen Maury/Bloomberg

KPMG, New York, hosted its 17th annual Ideation Challenge, a hackathon-style competition for business and STEM students to have hands-on experience with technology amid COVID-19. This year’s winners were the team from the Indian Institute of Technology, recognized for their solution that brings disruptive innovation to the mining industry, helping enable safer and more sustainable extraction using a custom algorithm. The team will receive $50,000 in seed funding to bring their idea to market with coaching and support from KPMG professionals.

Matthew Jahrsdoerfer was promoted to assurance partner and Luis Leon to partner, tax and business, in the New York City office, and James LaRocca to assurance partner in the Melville office, at Marcum.

Michael Bentivegna, manager, forensic, litigation and valuation services at EisnerAmper, New York, was named to the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts 2020 40 Under 40 list, recognizing professionals’ accomplishments in the valuation and financial forensics profession and service to the community.

NORTH CAROLINA

Blackman & Sloop, Chapel Hill, was named one of the 2020 Best Employers in North Carolina by Business North Carolina.

OHIO

Marcum promoted to partner: Joseph Compton, advisory, in the Cleveland office; Kyle Rohrig, assurance, in Akron; and Amy Gibson and Marie Lenarduzzi, tax and business, in Mayfield Village.

PENNSYLVANIA

The Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs, Philadelphia, acquired Michigan-based CPA Crossings, an online learning provider for CPAs, which will operate independently and leverage PICPA’s administrative resources and executive oversight.

Withum completed the relocation of 30 staff members to a new location in Center City Philadelphia, at 1835 Market Street.

UNITED KINGDOM

HLB, London, released its “Unconscious Bias Awareness Study,” which studied the impact of unconscious bias on career progression and is available here.

VIRGINIA

Brown Edwards CEO Jason Hartman is included in Virginia Business magazine’s Virginia 500 — the 2020 Power List, in the professional services sector.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Maria Gollayan was promoted to advisory partner and Aaron Fox to tax and business partner, at Marcum.