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2024 Accounting Power 50: A – H (updated)
NJBIZ STAFF//June 24, 2024//
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Listen to this articleKaren Artasanchez
A WilkinGuttenplan shareholder and partner in the tax department, Artasanchez brings over 30 years of public accounting experience to the table. Artasanchez, who is also part of the firm’s International Tax Group, has extensive expertise in providing high-level tax consulting, strategic planning, and compliance services to closely held businesses and their owners – with clients including emerging and established businesses in sectors such as manufacturing, life sciences and pharma, professional services, and more. In addition to experience dealing with multinational businesses, Artasanchez has developed expertise in mergers and acquisitions. She has been a mainstay on this power list over the last few years – reflecting her contribution to the state’s accounting sector and beyond. “My favorite part of the culture at WG is that all levels of staff have input into what the future of our firm will look like – everyone’s ideas are discussed,” said Artasanchez. As for her advice to the next generation of CPAs and advisors? “As long as you never stop asking questions or challenging the status quo, every day will be different than the one before – and you will learn something new every day.”
James Blake
The co-regional managing partner for Forvis Mazars has over 30 years of experience providing attest, tax and advisory services – primarily to privately owned businesses and private equity firms in the manufacturing and distribution sector. For more than a decade, Blake has been a member of the firm’s Executive Board. In his role at Forvis Mazars, Blake focuses on the operational components of the firm’s strategic plans. He oversees the Service Line Leaders, Office Managing Partners, and several of the leaders of operational support functions. A regular on lists like this, Blake is also coveted as a news source and speaker – appearing at executive-level seminars, industry events, conferences and more. Blake is an active member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants – serving in leadership roles for both organizations.
James Bourke
Bourke serves as a partner and managing director of Withum’s Advisory Services practices, which includes areas such as management consulting, cyber and information security, business advisory, transactions/M&A advisory and more. He is also a member of the firm’s board and its Operations Committee. He serves as the Global Advisory and Technology Leader for HLB International, responsible for helping guide over 300 HLB member firms around the globe in the areas of technology and expansion of advisor services. Bourke regularly graces and tops lists such as this and was recently named by Forbes Magazine as one of the Top 200 CPAs in America. An active member of both the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants and the AICPA, Bourke has served in leadership roles for both organizations, including as a past president for the NJCPA. He is a sought-after global speaker on a number of areas pertaining to accounting, technology and business – and has keynoted and presented at conferences and events around the world.
Harry Carpenter
Carpenter, who joined Citrin Cooperman in 2012, serves as the New Jersey practice leader and co-chair of the firm’s Cannabis Advisory Services Practice. In this role, Carpenter brings more than 20 years of experience to the firm’s Livingston office – specializing in audits, reviews, compilations and consultation on general accounting, business strategy, operations, budgeting and internal controls. His specialized knowledge of the issues related to the emerging cannabis industry has made Carpenter a featured speaker and panelist at some of the sector’s top events – and a sought-after news source and industry expert. A CPA and partner, Carpenter provides services to private clients in a number of specialized industries like manufacturing and distribution, staffing, real estate, construction, architecture and engineering, and life sciences. He is also one of the co-leaders and co-founders of the firm’s Rainmakers Program and participates significantly on the firm’s Scholarship, Campus Recruiting, Staffing, and other committees and initiatives.
Anthony Castellano
An assurance practice leader at BDO LLP USA, Castellano oversees day-to-day operational aspects of the national accounting and consulting firm’s local assurance practice at its offices in Woodbridge and Cherry Hill, which range from compliance to quality to people development. With more than 23 years of accounting, auditing and business advisory experience, Castellano has served both public and private companies throughout the U.S. and internationally across numerous industries, particularly retail and consumer products. His background also includes serving U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reporting companies. At BDO, Castellano acts as lead audit partner on several public company engagements, working on complex matters like public debt offerings, equity offerings and debt restructuring. Across the country and in over 160 nations, BDO professionals provide assurance, tax and advisory services for a diverse range of clients.
Jeffrey Christakos
A tax partner at Christakos & Co. PC for more than 30 years, and a senior investment advisor at Westfield Wealth Management LLC for 20-plus years, Christakos bridges the gap between practice and theory as an Accounting and Wealth Management professor at Seton Hall University. He has taught accounting and wealth management courses at Seton Hall University as well as Monmouth University, where he was a specialist professor and served as chair of the Department of Accounting. Christakos is frequently interviewed as a financial expert by national and New Jersey media outlets. He has written articles for CNBC.com and has presented his investment strategies on their Power Lunch program. Christakos is a Seton Hall alum, having earned a BSB in Accounting from the Stillman School. He also holds an MST in Taxation from St. John’s University, and an MBA in Finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He is currently enrolled in Texas Tech University’s School of Financial Planning pursuing graduate studies in Financial Health and Wellness.
Mike DePrisco
As president and CEO of the Institute of Management Accountants, DePrisco brings more than 30 years of leadership experience to his role. He leads IMA’s expansion as one of the most influential finance and accounting professional associations, with a global network of some 140,000 members in 150 countries, and more than 350 professional and student chapters. Recently, DePrisco was appointed to the American Accounting Association Foundation board, is a member of the American Society of Association Executives CEO Group and its planned stakeholder/pipeline group, the Future Accountant Stakeholder Symposium Sponsoring Organization. Most recently, he oversaw the creation and rollout of IMA’s new Strategic Vision, an ongoing enterprise transformation to redefine the direction of the organization to ensure IMA’s relevance to members, organizations, and academic stakeholders for decades to come. DePrisco’s interest is squarely on the long-term sustainability and success of IMA, with member value at the center. This new vision broadens IMA’s reach to all business professionals and focuses on providing a dynamic experience for IMA’s global community. Before joining IMA, DePrisco served as the COO of the global Project Management Institute (PMI), where he provided executive leadership, supporting more than 2 million certification holders, 680,000 members, and 300 chapters from more than 200 countries. DePrisco led a diverse global team with a focus on membership and community growth and retention, certification, digital products, and successful execution of major initiatives. He also served as interim President and CEO in 2021-2022. Before PMI, DePrisco spent 20 years in various leadership and executive roles in higher education in the U.S. DePrisco earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and has earned additional certifications in international business and digital strategy.
Nicole DeRosa
DeRosa is a Tax partner at Wiss, in the firm’s Florham Park office, and is a valuable resource for “all things tax.” As a Power 50 honoree the last several years, she brings more than 16 years of public accounting experience to the table and specializes in taxation for closely held businesses and individuals. In addition to working with clients in a variety of sectors, she teaches various continuing education courses for Surgent CPE and speaks nationally about personal branding at various accounting conferences. DeRosa serves as a trustee on the New Jersey Society of CPAs’ board for the 2024/25 term and is active on the Content Advisory Board as well as on various interest groups within the Society. This past year, she was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award by Raritan Valley Community College, was recently named as one of America’s Top 200 CPAs by Forbes and is a recipient of the AICPA’s Outstanding Young CPA Award, which recognizes CPAs for their contributions to the accounting profession and community service work. DeRosa is extremely passionate about giving back to the profession through extensive volunteerism and contributions to various professional organizations. Through her social media platforms (@ZumbaCPAchick), she strives to help break the accounting stereotype by showcasing and promoting the profession for future generations. In her spare time, DeRosa teaches Zumba at Life Time Fitness, and regularly volunteers at the Somerset Regional Animal Shelter.
Andrea Diaz
A partner at SKC & Co. CPAs, Diaz has been with the firm since 2020 – specializing in working with entrepreneurs in all aspects of their businesses. She focuses on developing strong relationships with her clients to fully understand their business models and keep them profitable – while focusing on growth strategies and keeping personal goals in line with business outcomes. Diaz is frequent contributor to accounting and industry publications – a regular news source and speaker at events, seminars, and conferences, and a perennial award winner for her work, often recognized in publications such as NJBIZ and others. An active member of the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants – Diaz holds the designation of Accredited in Business Valuations from the AICPA. Diaz is also active in the Morris County Chamber of Commerce and New Jersey Business & Industry Association – and volunteers with several community organizations, including serving on the board of Girls on the Run NJ East.
Howard Dorman
A longtime national sector leader for the audit, tax and advisory firm Mazars USA’s (now Forvis Mazars) Food & Beverage group, Dorman spent more than 40 years of experience serving clients in the sector at all levels of the supply chain, providing advisory, accounting and tax service. During his time at the former Mazars, Dorman led a team of 20 professionals providing tax and accounting services to around 250 clients in the food and beverage space, including importers, manufacturers, distributors, exporters, food service, and retail and restaurants, including franchisors and franchisees. Dorman was also a member of such groups as the New Jersey Food Council the New Jersey Food Processors Association – and provided connectivity and thought leadership to the F&B sector through speaking engagements, podcasts and other outreach efforts.
Brigid D’Souza
An assistant professor at the Frank J. Guarini School of Business at Saint Peter’s University, D’Souza is a CPA with an MBA in accounting from The George Washington University. She creates original written and video content about accounting, tax and technology, and classroom-to-career readiness for aspiring CPAs at Dsouza.cpa, and weaves it into her classroom instruction and on-campus advising. D’Souza works to help her students pursue an accounting education and eventually earn their CPA. She helped Saint Peter’s launch its first-in-the-nation Work for Credit program with PwC, which is in its second year of a two-year pilot. And she also served on the NJ Society of CPA’s Pipeline Task Force. D’Souza has a fiscal literacy blog at CivicParent.org, which aims to educate and raise awareness around public finance, property tax, municipal budgets and school funding.
Tracey Early and David Untracht
The co-founders of the former Untracht Early joined Citrin Cooperman, along with their 150 partners and staff in 2022. Now, Early is the Family Office Practice leader. She provides high-touch consulting services to high-net-worth individuals, their families and closely held businesses. Outside of the office, Early’s fundraising around the PurpleStride New Jersey drive and event to end pancreatic cancer has made her No. 1 in the state and one of the top three fundraisers nationwide. Untracht is a tax partner at Citrin Cooperman. He provides strategic and transactional tax and business advisory services, as well as tax controversy representation. Untracht is a frequent presenter at tax seminars sponsored by professional organizations, including the Wall Street Tax Association, of which he is a member, and others. Together, they boast more than 70 years’ experience in the field.
Paula Ferreira
Following the completion of Forvis’ and Mazars’ union at the beginning of June, Ferreira is now assistant managing partner for the New York Metro Area at the $5 billion, Top 10 accounting firm. Before that, she was office managing partner — New Jersey for Mazars since 2019. Through her practice, Ferreria delivers accounting, advisory and tax services to privately held businesses across a range of industries as well as provides tax advisory and estate and gift strategies to individuals, business owners and family groups. she has more than 20 years in the field. In 2023, the NJBIZ Leader in Finance honoree reflected on her greatest contribution to her company’s – and clients’ – growth. “[M]y investment in the team and my solution-driven approach. Building a strong foundation, and a team that collaborates firmwide, is extremely valuable and allows us to bring out-of-the-box solutions to our clients, as well as build lasting partnerships.”
Dan Fiorentino
Fiorentino’s career has taken him up the ladder to the top at WilkinGuttenplan CPAs & Advisors. After starting with the firm as an intern, he joined full-time in 2006. At the start of this year, he was named managing director, succeeding Ed Guttenplan in the post after his 40 years of service. Fiorentino specializes in providing consulting services to clients in all business cycle phases, from operational improvements, tax planning and compliance in early stages to succession planning and due diligence work in later phases. In addition to leading the Executive Committee, Fiorentino also focuses on short- and long-term growth goals as head of the Strategic Planning Committee. “Dan’s integrity is unwavering, his accountability unquestionable, and his self-awareness and respect for others set a gold standard,” said shareholder and COO Deb Norwicke earlier this year. “A key architect in shaping the strategic trajectory of our practice groups, departments, and leadership teams, he navigates challenges with a blend of fearless resolve and empathetic wisdom. A master of tactful communication, he emboldens individuals to take calculated risks and inspires them to aspire to their utmost potential.”
Glenn Friedman
The Prager Metis CEO has been practicing since 1979 and currently serves as a partner in the Advisory Services and Tax departments at the firm. In his chief executive role, Friedman leads over 100 partners and principals and 600 team members across 18 office locations. And that team continues to expand. In January, Prager Metis widened its North Carolina presence with the addition of a more than 60-year-old accounting firm with offices in Asheville and Hendersonville. Prager Metis is also active in the Metaverse – where it was the first CPA firm to set up shop back in 2022. Both Friedman and Prager Metis are particularly involved with work surrounding Alzheimer’s disease. In 2023, the firm was honored with the Rita Hayworth Award. Built on the legacy of the Rita Hayworth Gala, the Alzheimer’s Association’s Imagine Benefit honors people, families and organizations for their efforts to end Alz. Through the PM Foundation, Prager Metis is one of the Alzheimer’s Association’s highest contributors annually.
Timothy Gearty
The “Dean of CPAs” is a partner at Gearty & McIntyre LLP CPA. Since the firm launched in 1981, it’s earned a reputation for specializing in planning, business advisory services, litigation support and forensic accounting. Gearty’s renown is widespread. He is nationally recognized as an expert and speaker. In addition to his “day job,” Gearty is the national director and editor-in-chief for the Becker Gearty CPE professional program. The course is the world’s largest accounting and tax training initiative. Gearty joined Becker in 1999. According to the company, Gearty says some of his favorite things about Becker include teaching ethics courses, improving the CPA curriculum for future accountants and inventing fun Becker mnemonics like the BAE BAE memorization technique. He is a member of the New Jersey Society of Public Accountants as well as the New Jersey and American Bar Associations. Gearty is also vice chair of the Silberman College Board of Advisors at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Dan Geltrude
America’s Accountant, Geltrude is a media fixture, commenting on everything from personal finance to the potential business fallout from former President Donald Trump’s legal woes. His expertise is rooted in experience. Geltrude founded Geltrude & Co. In 1995 to offer “pioneering and proactive” services. These days, his work is primarily focused on providing business consulting services for privately held companies and wealthy families. He has served on the New Jersey State Board of Accountancy since 2010. Geltrude is also playing a large part in an important issue plaguing the profession’s future: recruitment. A professor at Montclair State University, Geltrude is part of the adjunct faculty in the Accounting and Finance Department. His imprint, however, extends beyond MSU. In March, Rider University became the latest higher education institution in the state to launch a program offering an alternative path to 150 credits required for CPA licensure. Geltrude spearheaded the work-for-credit format, which debuted in 2022 as a collaboration between Saint Peter’s University and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Since, Seton Hall University and Withum have also collaborated on a similar initiative.
Victoria Ghafoor
Merck’s associate director, Global Vaccines Financial Planning & Analysis, Ghafoor has more than a decades’ worth of experience as a CPA. Before her current role, assumed in 2022, she served as associate director for the Global Finance Talent team. At Merck, she also plays an active role in the Global Services Women’s Network as well as with Regional Talent Committees, which aim to support talent development across regions. Generally, her experience includes the external audit of large private companies as well as internal audit. Before joining Merck in 2018, Ghafoor was with EisnerAmper LLP for seven years. Outside of work, she is a board member of Kidsbrige Tolerance Center, an education-based nonprofit located in Ewing. She is also corporate partnerships chair of the National Association of Black Accountants as well as a longtime director of the Mercer County Chapter of the new Jersey Society of CPAs.
Phillip Goldstein
One of the most respected CPAs in the industry, Goldstein is the chief executive officer of Goldstein Lieberman & Co., a full-service accounting and business advisory firm based in Park Ridge, with an additional office in Valhalla, N.Y. A hands-on leader with experience in accounting spaces, such as construction, manufacturing, real estate, medical and retail, Goldstein directly supervises a team of CPAs who support clients ranging from start-ups to international companies, with a particular focus on helping businesses that have lost their way financially. Additionally, Goldstein heads the firm’s construction services group, is a member of the law firm services group and is responsible for the planning and coordination of financial reporting services. Goldstein is also a sought-after speaker, regularly addressing large organizations and nationally known groups, as well as an author whose articles routinely appear in local, national and international outlets. Last year, Goldstein Lieberman – one of the fastest-growing firms in the region – completed a merger with Mount Kisco-headquartered Segan and Garbuio CPAs.
Michael Hochman
Hochman is a partner at Grassi where he serves as the co-leader of the New Jersey Market. He brings more than 35 years of experience to the table and guiding his clients through major life events, including start-ups, mergers and acquisitions, business exits, litigation matters, retirement and more. His leadership roles include sitting on the firm’s Executive Committee for seven years. Hochman’s work spans the spectrum with experience in tax planning and return preparation for corporations, individuals, and partnerships, maintaining a vast client base in a wide array of sectors including construction, manufacturing & distribution and real estate. He also serves as a consultant to the litigation support practice on issues such as marriage disputes, bankruptcy, and estate litigation issues. In addition to his professional work, Hochman serves on a number of organizations such as the board of directors for the Jewish Home Foundation of North Jersey and is a past board member of the United Way of Rockland County. He is also a member of the NJSCPA, AICPA, STA, NJSA, UTCA, CFMA, and CCA. With those credentials, Hochman is an important voice in the Garden State accounting and broader business communities.
Joseph Hunt
Last February, Hunt joined CLA Livingston and serves as manager. In this role, he works in the firm’s nonprofit practice helping clients with financial reporting, accounting, and business strategy related topics. The firm notes that Hunt is always focused on helping the nonprofits he works with – so that more people can be helped – through maximizing the resources available and finding solutions to expand the organization’s impact. Hunt is an active member of the Morristown Salvation Army Corps Advisory Board; the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; and the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants – serving as incoming chair of the Emerging Leaders Council and as an NJCPA Pipeline Task Force member. He recently took part in the NJCPA’s inaugural Accelerating Scholars in Accounting event. “The Accelerating Scholars provided the perfect setting for gaining the professional skills needed to succeed in the accounting industry,” said Hunt. “I left the event knowing that the group of participants was inspired to make an impact! Thank you to the NJCPA for playing such an important role in the future of our next generation.”
Updated: This list was updated to reflect James Blake’s most recent title and his company’s new name, as well as to update the new office location for Goldstein Lieberman & Co.
