Clifton Gunderson, with a new CEO and headquarters, has now shuffled its top management.
The firm named a new chief business officer, chief practice officer, general counsel, managing partner of valuation and forensic services, and a firmwide director of assurance. On Monday, Krista McMaster took over as CEO, making her the first female CEO of a top-ranked CPA firm, and the firm moved its headquarters from Peoria, Ill., to Milwaukee (see
The firms new chief business officer is Todd Craft, who has worked for the past three years as firmwide director of tax services. In his new role, Craft will advise the team on decisions that affect the strategic and operational direction of the firm, and provide leadership and direction to the firms internal technology, growth strategies and human resource services and initiatives.
Anita Ford has been named chief practice officer. She joined the firm in 1992 and has worked for the past four years as general partner in the firms Racine, Wis., office. In her new role, she will advise the team on decisions that affect the strategic and operational direction of the firm. She will also lead the firms client-service strategic initiatives and provide direction to the firmwide directors of assurance, tax, entrepreneurial business services, valuation and forensic services, financial services, and consulting services. Ford will also provide direction to the firms in-house counsel.
John Shutkin has been named general counsel for the firm. In his new role, he will be responsible for directing and overseeing a wide range of legal matters. Prior to joining the firm, Shutkin served as general counsel at Shearman & Sterling LLP. He also spent 18 years with KPMG.
Yassir Karam has been promoted to managing partner of the valuation and forensic services practice. In his new role, he leads the firms national VFS group in providing valuation, forensic accounting, transfer pricing and financial modeling services to a variety of public and private companies. He joined the firm in 1998 and became a partner in 2005.
Cathy Schweigel has been named firmwide director of assurance. In her new role, she will be responsible for maintaining and promoting the firms assurance services. She joined the firm as partner in November 2006, and has served as partner-in-charge of the Schaumburg, Ill., office.
The firm also announced the approval of 16 new partners: Mark Evans and Scot Nelson in Albuquerque; Michael Drexler and Phil McCollum in Phoenix; Mark Dalbey in Peoria; Mike Setchell in Dixon, Ill.; Rob Nowak in Oak Brook, Ill.; Craig Wierson in Des Moines, Iowa; Art Arbuckle in Indianapolis; Matthew Birkelien, William Early, Jennifer Leary and Thomas Rey in Baltimore; Paul Niedermuller and Robert Blodgett in Greenwood Village, Colo.; and Kimberly Anderson in Madison, Wis.
