L. Jarred Corn joined the Governmental Services Department at Bowman & Co. LLP in 1992. Effective July 1, 2022, he was elected to managing partner.
L. Jarred Corn joined Bowman in 1992. – BOWMAN & CO. LLP
Corn was admitted to partner at the Voorhees-based accounting and management consultancy in 2007. According to Bowman, he has provided audit and consulting services for numerous government entities and nonprofit organizations, including with the cities of Newark and Camden, and the Delaware River Port Authority. His areas of expertise include: the audits of municipal governments, school districts, private schools for the disabled and nonprofit organizations; authorities, including fire districts; and federal award and state financial assistance programs.
Many of his audit engagement clients are subject to the requirements of the Uniform Guidance, Bowman said.
Corn has also played a part in developing and leading in-house continuing professional education seminars on topics ranging from the implementation of generally accepted accounting principles for governmental entities, school district accounting and auditing, and New Jersey municipal accounting and auditing.
He is a past participant in Governmental Accounting Standards Board-hosted roundtables and has served as a member of several peer review teams. Corn is licensed to practice as a Certified Public Accountant, Public School Accountant and Registered Municipal Accountant in New Jersey. A member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants, he serves on the Governmental Accounting and Auditing Interest Group for the latter.
Corn’s election followed news from earlier in the month of a trio of promotions and one new hire at Bowman, all effective July 1:
Evan Palmer
Palmer was promoted to partner. He started his career with the Governmental Services Department in 2007 and specializes in the audit of county and municipal governments, school districts, charter schools, and fire districts of the State of New Jersey.
Dennis Skalkowski Formerly a senior manager in the Commercial Services Department, Skalkowski was named partner. His area of expertise includes audit and accounting services for not-for-profit organizations, joint insurance funds, county insurance commissions, medical practices, retail, wholesalers and contractors.
William Reilly IV, Jonathan Wascovich and Ralph Picone Reilly and Wascovich, already colleagues at the firm, were named to the position of senior manager. Picone, meanwhile, joins the firm with the same title.
Bowman also has offices in Woodbury and Moorestown.
Business consulting firm EisnerAmper will merge the partners and staff of accounting and advisory firm Raich Ende Malter & Co. LLP into its team, the company announced June 16.
Financial terms of the deal, which is expected to be finalized this summer, were not disclosed.
Founded in 1972, REM brings 200 professionals and 45 partners/principals to EisnerAmper. The firm serves clients from its headquarters in New York City, as well as from offices in Florham Park; Long Island; Hollywood, Fla.; and the Cayman Islands.
REM offers audit, attest, tax, family office and business advisory services across myriad industries, including real estate, financial, manufacturing, professional services, technology, hospitality, franchising and media.
Christopher Loiacono, EisnerAmper’s vice chair of services, said the combination of the firms enhances EisnerAmper’s key services areas, in addition to adding “interesting industry groups.”
“Adding 245 experienced professionals adds a tremendous amount of brainpower to the firm that will add real and immediate value to our clients,” Loiacono said in a statement.
REM Managing Partner Ellis Ende added that the partnership provides REM’s “family of accounting professionals an innovative culture in which they can thrive and prosper.”
EisnerAmper is headquartered in New York and has offices around the world, including three in the Garden State – in Iselin, Merchantville and Princeton.
The New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants is recognizing 41 of its members as Ovation Award winners.
The honorees were announced during the organization’s 2022 Convention & Expo held June 16.
Awards are distributed in seven categories, in addition to the Lifetime Leader Award, which this year was bestowed upon Michael Polito, a retired partner from Deloitte & Touche LLP of Parsippany.
Polito is a past president of NJCPA (2001/2002) and has served on the board of trustees and as a chair of the Finance Committee, New Jersey Uniform Accountancy Bill Committee and Professional Conduct Committee. The award celebrates an NJCPA member “who is credited with extraordinary contributions to the accounting profession over the course of their career.”
Thomas
“We are particularly pleased to honor Mike in this way as he embraces the very epitome of leadership,” said NJCPA Chief Executive Officer Ralph Albert Thomas. “Throughout the years, Mike has always been one to give his time and energy to inform CPAs about issues that are important to the profession while also creating ways colleagues can connect.”
According to NJCPA, Polito has also played a key part in writing and teaching the organization’s ethics course since its launch in 2022. He’s also helped to raise more than $500,000 for the NJCAP Scholarship Fund, where an award is distributed annually in his name.
Of the remaining Ovation honorees, Thomas remarked, ““It’s an honor to award these prestigious individuals and celebrate their many accomplishments and dedication to the accounting profession. It is particularly rewarding to be able to do that in-person this year.”
Here are the rest of the 2022 NJCPA Ovation Award Winners:
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Keri Fleming — chief people office People Officer, Mazars USA LLP Al-NeshaJones — partner and founder, ASE Group PatriceTurner — audit professional, Deloitte
Marcum LLP and Friedman LLP, two national accounting and advisory firms with a presence in New Jersey, are in advanced talks of merging.
Per the discussions, Friedman will merge into Marcum, resulting in a national top-12 firm with approximately $1 billion in annual revenue and more than 3,400 associates. The merger is anticipated to close in summer 2022.
Both firms rank high on Accounting Today’s list of top firms with Marcum as No. 15 and Friedman, which has been in business since 1924, as No. 33. According to the May 3 announcement, the merger will deepen the firms’ capabilities in service areas including public company audit and assurance, digital assets, cybersecurity, real estate, construction and other advisory services. It will also create one of the largest firms serving Chinese companies listed on the U.S. stock markets.
The merger will give Friedman clients access to expanded services, such as strategic information technology consulting and wealth management. And, it will enable the combined firm to enhance and scale investment in technology, talent and innovation.
“Marcum and Friedman share common roots in the New York area, extensive histories of exceptional client service, similar employee-oriented cultures, and a commitment to leading in emerging growth areas in our profession. We view this transaction as a very natural fit and are excited about our shared future together,” said Jeffrey Weiner, chairman and chief executive officer of Marcum, who will maintain both roles.
According to Frederick Berk, co-managing partner of Friedman, that firm has experienced record growth, hiring and revenues over the past two years.
“Friedman has been fortunate during its history to grow through selective mergers, the addition and retention of great clients, and the thoughtful contributions of employees at every level of our firm,” said Harriet Greenberg, co-managing partner of Friedman. “Joining with Marcum is the next logical step in that evolution. Our complementary practices and entrepreneurial mindsets form a powerful foundation for long-term strategic growth.”
Bederson LLP’s headquarters at 100 Passaic Ave. in Fairfield. – BEDERSON LLP
Bederson LLP’s litigation team has worked from its own office for more than 10 years, but as of the start of the month the staff is now operating together, from one space.
The full service accounting and advisory firm announced the move of its litigation team from West Orange to the company’s headquarters in Fairfield on May 2.
The consolidation at 100 Passaic Ave. comes as Bederson celebrates 85 years in business. The addition of the 13-person contingent from West Orange brings the Fairfield location’s total headcount to 50. According to the firm, the office is designed to promote efficiency and direct access to its specialized practices.
“Although we have managed two locations, we have always operated as one firm with a shared culture and vision,” Managing Partner Mark Mazza said in a prepared statement. “With this consolidation, we look forward to driving that vision and delivering an even greater level of service with our unified team.”
In Fairfield, a customized space was constructed for the litigation team that connects via a walkway to the firm’s other departments. According to Bederson, the dedicated space allows the unit to operate independently, while also offering immediate access to all its services.
Historically, the litigation team was based in West Orange because its growth dictated the need for more office space. When Bederson relocated its headquarters to a larger office complex, the move afforded enough space to bring the entire team together.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story indicated that Bederson’s 11-person litigation team moved to the Fairfield office; that was incorrect, the team is comprised of 13 people. The story was updated at 6:01 a.m. EST on May 4, 2022.
PKF O’Connor Davies LLP, a full-service certified public accounting and advisory firm with offices in New Jersey, appointed its first chief digital officer. The new position is part of the company’s digital transformation and “reflects the outsized role analytical decision making plays in today’s business environment,” the firm said in the April 28 announcement.
Steve Antico, who has spent nearly a decade with the firm as its director of client relations, will be responsible for leveraging technology and creating value from the firm’s data assets to drive growth, scalability and data-driven insights.
Our Firm has long recognized the power and potential of data to shed light on our work and drive better decisions for our organization and, most importantly, for our clients.
— Kevin Keane, PKF executive chairman
“Steve has been a champion of data-driven decision making for years, and he’s committed to ensuring the technological tools at our team’s disposal allow us to remain innovative across our services and solutions,” Keane continued. “I have no doubt Steve’s new role will provide immense value to the Firm as he spearheads our ongoing digital transformation.”
Antico
As the firm’s director of client relations, where he was responsible for establishing a centralized client relationship management function, he designed and implemented processes and technology solutions to manage the firm’s accounts receivable and collection activities, while also launching a CRM-generated alert system identifying at-risk engagements and accounts.
Before joining PKF, Antico served as the president and chief operating officer for a provider of outsourced commercial accounts receivable and collections management solutions. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University at Albany and an MBA in corporate finance from Pace University.
“I’ve always believed that when organizations utilize data to inform decisions and optimize performance, they place themselves in the best possible position to succeed and outpace the competition,” Antico said. “In this new role, I look forward to maximizing the impact of our digital assets and enhancing a data-driven mindset across the Firm.”
PKF O’Connor Davies’ Garden State offices are in Cranford, Livingston and Woodcliff Lake. Its additional U.S. offices are located across New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Florida, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Accountants are supposed to be the guardians of financial records. But what happens when an accountant decides to pull a fast one? It’s not common, but accountants occasionally fall prey to the Dark Side and rip off their clients, employers or others.
In February, for example, a Camden County woman was charged with embezzling $3 million dollars from a New Jersey-based company where she was the senior accountant, accounting manager and senior financial shared services manager, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger. – DEPOSITPHOTOS
In February, for example, a Camden County woman was charged with embezzling $3 million dollars from a New Jersey-based company where she was the senior accountant, accounting manager and senior financial shared services manager, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.
The 49-year-old Atco resident worked in the accounting department of the company from 2011 to 2018. She allegedly embezzled from the business — which was not named by Sellinger — by charging “significant amounts” of personal expenses for herself and her family on the company’s corporate credit cards issued in the name of another individual, and on a department-issued card.
The alleged fraudster concealed her personal use of the corporate credit cards from her employer and directed payment of personal expenses from corporate funds without the employer’s knowledge. In addition to the alleged theft, the accountant is charged with attempting to evade $514,801 of federal income taxes from 2015 through 2018.
How can a company guard against something like this? James O’Brien can talk about combatting fraud. A partner at Grassi and the Forensic, Litigation Support & Valuation Services Leader at the firm, O’Brien uses his financial expertise to protect business owners from inappropriate and/or unauthorized financial activity, and routinely assists clients with improving their financial operations by strengthening internal control processes.
Start out small
He said that business owners can easily protect their financial operations with “something as simple as regularly analyzing their company’s bank statement transactional detail.”
That’s because a financial institution “is an independent third party that records where money is coming from and how it flows out of the company,” he noted. “So examining checks and reconciling a bank statement each month — instead of simply relying on summary level information — can alert [businesses], especially small- and medium-sized ones, to the possibility of inappropriate and/or unauthorized transactions.”
The accounting function “records transactional information to present in financial statements like the P&L, or income statement, and balance sheet,” O’Brien said. But the financial statements “don’t let you see the granular details of a transaction. I’ve seen cases where a person committing inappropriate activity prepared a very nice report, but no one looked behind the curtain to verify the details, and there were serious consequences for the company.”
In one case, he said, “the bookkeeper at a healthcare company recorded transactions to legitimate vendors in the payables system; however, the checks were written directly to the bookkeeper. When the investigation was finished, it was determined that the bookkeeper misappropriated $4.5 million. The unauthorized activity went undiscovered for over six years.”
The then-outside accountant who was responsible for reconciling the company’s bank statement, did not look at copies of the canceled checks “and only relied upon the in-formation that was recorded in the QuickBooks transactional activity,” he added. “The bookkeeper was coding the checks to legitimate vendors, so the fraud was not uncovered until we were brought in — and the bookkeeper eventually pleaded guilty to fraud.”
In addition to bank reconciliations, businesses can take other steps to limit opportunities of insider fraud, he said. “Set appropriate internal controls in place, and understand what employees know about the potential weaknesses. For example, the person who approves purchases may set up a ‘dummy’ company and then approve the company’s in-voices for phantom goods or services that are never received.”
Confidence in the accuracy, timeliness and relevance of performance data “is critical to effectively optimizing corporate activities and communicating reliably to the capital markets,” said former FASB Chairman Robert Herz, in a white paper he co-authored with Montvale-based Institute of Management Accountants President and CEO Jeff Thom-son, and Brad Monterio, who currently serves as an executive vice president at the Institute of Internal Auditors. “In the financial reporting ecosystem, confidence is bolstered in part by the implementation and application of effective, integrated internal controls — controls established using the Framework developed by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.”
Internal controls are especially important now, given the current “great resignation” trend. “There are often fewer people doing more jobs, so it’s more difficult to uncover this kind of inappropriate and/or unauthorized activity,” explained O’Brien. “Substantiating the appropriateness of the transactional activity is paramount to limiting exposure to inappropriate and/or unauthorized activity. Finally, a proper insurance policy can cover the losses associated with inappropriate and/or unauthorized activity and usually pro-vides for some level of coverage for the investigative expenses associated with documenting the loss.”
Financial reporting used to be about historical results—but business owners and stakeholders increasingly want their trusted advisers to look forward. NJBIZ spoke with some accounting leaders to find out how the profession is changing, and what it means for business owners.
Rotenberg
“The complexity of financial reporting has increased significantly over the last few years, and having to implement new revenue recognition, lease rules, and disclosures has been challenging for companies,” noted Neal Rotenberg, partner-in-charge of Marcum’s Saddle Brook office. “The changing landscape of state and local taxation has not only caused tax compliance challenges but also financial disclosure issues.”
The changes have affected both private and public companies, he said. “Although public companies usually have more resources in their accounting departments to handle the new rules, they are subject to more disclosure requirements than private companies,” he explained. “In addition, public companies must assess the effectiveness of their internal controls over financial reporting in their annual reports to the SEC.”
The profession is going through a lot of changes, Rotenberg added. “There is just more to know in accounting. Areas of accounting are becoming more specialized. Our practice has focused on specific industries so that our professional staff working on engagements will understand the nuances of the clients’ businesses.”
Educational institutions are doing their part to help prepare the next generation of CPAs, according to Rotenberg, who sits on the accounting advisory board at Syracuse University. “Like many other schools, Syracuse University has been active with its alumni in public accounting to make sure their programs keep up with the changing environment,” he said. “We need more students, though. There is a large demand for accountants in both public accounting and the private sector.”
And as business becomes more tech-driven, the accounting profession has kept up. “Marcum is hiring people with degrees in a number of fields, he noted. “Technology is driving the modern audit practice, and complexity in new technology-driven financial products is causing a shift to find ‘non-accountant’ professionals who have expertise in these areas. For instance, financial statement audit efficiency has increased the need for data science and data analytics professionals; and as cryptocurrency use expands, professionals who understand blockchain technology are needed to assist auditors.”
The competitive business environment is also driving changes in the profession, noted Goldstein Lieberman and Co. LLC CEO Phillip Goldstein. “CPAs don’t just take a historical look at a business’ activities,” he said. “Clients want us to be strategic advisers, and we do that, with activities like analyzing business segments for divisions that are winners and losers, digging into product lines to identify loss leaders, and providing M&A studies and real-time information so owners can run their companies even better.”
A digital revolution
Goldstein
Why is this change happening now? Goldstein cited the digital revolution as a catalyst. “It used to be that you’d send a [postal] mail to someone and wait three days for a response,” he said. “Now people want answers instantly. Business is moving faster, and CPAs are keeping pace with it.”
At the same time, he added, “Businesses are utilizing new metrics that are often specific to the industry and the needs of the user. For example, supermarkets used to focus on department-specific metrics like turnover, retail sales per square foot, and gross profit. Today, there are new KPIs [Key Performance Indicators] that they require.”
According to industry publications, these new indicators include metrics like fulfillment cost per order — direct labor required to pick, pack and hand over each order and interface with customers, as well as indirect labor like processing returns — and extra packing supplies, allocated facility costs, delivery service providers, and the cost of managing online order sites and applications.
To keep with these and other changes, firms like Goldstein Lieberman have expanded their hiring beyond traditional accountants, according to Goldstein. “As our role has dramatically changed, we’re increasingly hiring individuals with IT consulting, business consulting, HR and other backgrounds,” he said. “We work with a variety of industries that have specialized needs, so we need people with skill sets that can satisfy those needs. It’s all part of an evolution”
Sungsoo Kim, a professor of accounting at Rutgers School of Business–Camden, also acknowledged the updates. “The emergence of innovative technologies has changed the manner in which audits are conducted, and with it, the role of the CPA, especially over the last five years or so,” he said.
And auditors are increasingly integrating analytics software into their field work, “to help them perform substantive testing and derive inferences about the financial data they are examining,” he added. “The nature of the audit has also changed because auditors can now, in many cases, test entire populations of data instead of examining relatively small samples. What this means for CPAs is that they are now able to perform audits that are more effective and more efficient than ever. However, it also means that CPAs are being challenged to quickly learn new technologies in order to perform their work. In the last few years there has been a boom in clients seeking guidance on issues relating to emerging technologies such as blockchain, digital assets, and cryptocurrencies.”
Educational institutions are helping to prepare students for the technological revolution in accounting, observed Ethan Kinory, assistant professor of accounting at Rutgers School of Business–Camden. “We have introduced a new course in audit analytics,” he said. “Students in that course learn about audit data analytics and apply this knowledge to financial data using tools such as Alteryx, Mindbridge, and Tableau. At the graduate level, we expand on these core skills by teaching tools that enable students to perform robotic process automation and process mining. Collectively, students now graduate with much more technical agility and a higher level of preparedness for the profession. Together with the audit analytic course we also introduced Accounting Analytics and reintroduced an Accounting Information System course to deal with these rapid technological changes in the accounting profession.”
The increased responsibilities aren’t a fit for everyone, however. “Consistent with the trend [national studies indicate fewer students choosing accounting majors], we are also seeing a decline in accounting majors at our university,” said Kim. “Accounting might never have been perceived as a fun major but it has traditionally offered relative job security and a modicum of prestige.
Despite the fact that the Big Four typically rank among the top 40 companies in the country to work for, it is no secret that the job is a demanding one. This perception, combined with the 150-credit hour requirement [to sit for the CPA exam], may be deterring more students than it had in the past because students are increasingly aware of alternative employment options that did not exist until recently.”
He added that students today have a lot of options. “The gig economy, social media, fintech, and other career paths can be enticing options to entrepreneurial students who might otherwise have pursued accounting,” said Kim. “Compared to demanding prep for CPA exam there are some easy jobs — such as the high-tech area — that are available without any rigorous certification preparation.”
Ralph Thomas — CEO and executive director of the New Jersey Society of CPAs — has had a ringside seat to the changes and challenges buffeting the accounting profession. “The accounting profession has been evolving for years, but the pandemic gave CPA firms a chance to really show that they’re about more than audits and taxes,” he said. “It was a rushed process, and accountants were a big help to small business who had to deal with applications for stimulus payments — counseling them on forms and processes, and on required information and who to contact. Businesses will continue to look to their CPAs for more help navigating different kinds of issues, and CPA firms, in turn will continue to offer more advisory services.”
As CPA firms gear up to meet the demand for these enhanced skills, the NJCPA is helping out with its educational foundation and a variety of courses. “We keep up with changes and then we educate members on technology and other issues,” Thomas said. “We also assist them with ways to bring aboard non-CPAs who have a thorough under-standing of the technology that CPAs firms increasingly have to utilize.”
Having a good outside accountant can mean a lot for a business — just look at the hoops companies had to jump through to apply for the federal Paycheck Protection Program loans and grants during the height of the COVID pandemic. But accounting services are not a commodity. There are differences between CPA firms, and finding a good one can take a bit of digging.
Hochman
“CPAs generally must meet certain educational requirements and must pass a national Uniform CPA Examination,” said Michael Hochman, a partner at Grassi and co-leader of the firm’s New Jersey market. “But the difference between one CPA firm and another often comes down to their expertise and service offerings. Smaller businesses in particular often require assistance in more areas, since they don’t have the resources to address everything.”
Grassi works with a spectrum of business and other organizations, ranging from small to large, “but our ‘sweet spot’ encompasses our major niches, including construction, manufacturing-distribution, health care, not-for-profit, and financial services,” he noted. “Our expertise includes traditional areas like audit and tax, but we also offer consulting services — which are increasingly in demand — like CFO advisory, HR outsourcing and M&A due diligence.”
Before taking a new client, Hochman said the firm ensures the two are “in synch” on goals and objectives. “We have to be comfortable with each other,” he explained. “We get to know them and they get to know us.”
There’s often some sort of existing connection, he added. “While some potential clients find us through the Grassi website, many connect with us through referrals from clients, or from banks and attorneys. We’re also out in the marketplace, presenting at industry seminars or through webinars, so some groundwork and basis for trust already exists. And as we work longer with a particular client, the bond with them gets even deeper and stronger.”
Ferreira
A company that’s looking into a CPA firm should consider whether it offers an “integrated team and approach to meet your needs,” explained Paula Ferreira, the New Jersey office managing partner at Mazars. “We all offer services like compliance, and financial statement and tax return preparation, but the differentiators involve a firm’s ability to understand a business and whether the firm can offer strategic value to clients.”
The firm tends to shy away from “strictly transactional” relationships. “We don’t target individuals or companies that just want us to file a 1040 or other tax return. That doesn’t add value. Instead, we pursue long-lasting, deep strategic relationships.”
Mazars connects with new clients primarily through referrals, according to Ferreira. “New clients are also referred to us though our partnerships with other professionals, such as law firms, bankers, and insurance agents.”
Goldstein
Some companies build a reputation by their laser focus, according to Phillip Goldstein, CEO of Goldstein Lieberman and Co. LLC. “We are a B2B [business-to-business] CPA firm,” he said
“We don’t do municipalities, or nonprofits, or school districts. Many CPA firms take on a wide range of clients, but we prefer to focus our activities and we’ve demonstrated an expertise in those services and we’re known for them.”
In one instance, he said, a specialized bridge painting company had to get bonded — “painting a bridge can be a $100 million project” and the bonding company specifically called for Goldstein’s firm to do the certified audit. “We cleared the deck and started on the audit the next morning,” he noted.
Has his firm ever rejected a potential client? “Yes, it happens” said Goldstein. “If they’ve got a bad reputation, or if they’re looking to do something unethical. If they’re too demanding, or arrogant, I’ll also cut ties. The fee we could get is not worth the risk of losing my own people.”
WithumSmith+Brown PC in Princeton and Sax LLP in Parsippany are among the top accounting firms nationwide according to Accounting Today’s 2022 Top 100 list, released March 10.
Wiss & Co. in Florham Park, Untracht Early in Florham Park, and Sobel & Co. in Livingston, were dubbed firms to watch.
Withum, under Managing Partner and CEO Bill Hagaman, nabbed the No. 24 spot on the list. The firm’s 1,316 employees — including 985 accountants — brought in $318.81 million in 2021, an increase of 24.05% over the prior year.
Sax LLP nabbed the No. 87 spot, rising from its 2021 ranking as No. 92. Under Managing Partner Joe Damiano, Sax’s 188 employees, including 105 accountants, brought in $55.5 million, a 15.63% change over last year.
“I am extremely proud of the firm’s growth these past few years. Being a part of Accounting Today’s leading national and local firms list is something we are extremely proud of,” said Damiano, whose firm also ranked as No. 17 in the Mid-Atlantic region. “It validates our firm’s commitment to continued growth, stellar client service, and successfully serving our clients as their number one advisor.”
As one of the list’s firms to watch, Wiss’s 271 employees brought in $44 million in revenue last year. Untracht Early, with 168 employees, brought in $33.38 million, and Sobel & Co.’s 180 employees brought in $31.85 million. Accounting Today’s report said that several of last year’s firms to watch rose to the top 100 this year.
Wiss, Untracht Early, and Sobel & Co. ranked No. 20, No. 24, and No. 25 respectively, on the list of top Mid-Atlantic firms. WilkinGuttenplan in East Brunswick; Smolin Lupin & Co. in Fairfield; Bowman & Co. in Voorhees; Rosenberg Rich Baker Berman in Somerset; and Cg Tax, Audit & Advisory in Tinton Falls followed.
Leon Grassi joined Sax LLP as chief marketing officer and head of business development, effective Feb. 1.
The Parsippany-based tax and business advisory services provider announced Grassi’s addition on Feb. 21.
Damiano
“We are thrilled to welcome Leon to our team to help us drive business development efforts and expand Sax’s overall marketing presence,” said CEO and Managing Partner Joseph Damiano in a statement. “With his extensive knowledge and experience in both industries, it is clear that he will be an asset to the Sax team and can excel our firm’s brand to the next level.”
Grassi has nearly two decades of marketing and business development experience, working across industries including media and publishing, consumer electronics, IT and accounting. According to his LinkedIn profile, his past work experience includes stints as vice president of marketing and sales for The S3 Agency in Boonton, senior vice president of marketing for Mahwah-based DSM and director of marketing and business development at Smolin Lupin & Co. in Fairfield.
Grassi
“I am ecstatic to be a part of a firm that is making some big moves in the industry. Sax has such a tremendous breadth of consulting services and a dynamic staff that I am proud to represent,” Grassi said in a statement with his hiring announcement. “I look forward to developing and implementing an overall marketing strategy for the firm, directly engaging and managing the marketing team, and translating the company’s business objectives into strategies that drive revenue.”
According to Sax, Grassi has been recognized among New Jersey’s Best Marketing & Communications Professionals. He is also chair of the committee that puts on the American Cancer Society’s northern New Jersey golf outing; Grassi’s team has raised more than $4.5 million cancer research in the past 10 years.
PKF O’Connor Davies LLP announced that Hackensack-based Simon, Tapper, Edelman & Wilner PA joined the company, one of the nation’s largest accounting, tax and advisory firms.
“We’re excited by the ongoing growth of the firm, and we truly believe our culture, approach and infrastructure has made PKF O’Connor Davies a destination for like-minded professionals,” Kevin Keane, executive chairman at PKF O’Connor Davies, said in a prepared statement released Feb. 11. “With their many years of experience offering one-on-one accounting and tax support to a diverse set of clients, the team at STE&W is the perfect addition to the PKF O’Connor Davies team. I look forward to welcoming them and their clients to the firm.”
The addition of STE&W — which provides personalized tax, consulting and accounting services to individuals and businesses — is the latest in a line of recent acquisitions by PKF O’Connor Davies.
STE&W’s comprehensive suite of services includes tax; retirement; estate and business succession planning; tax preparation; IRS representation; financial forecasts and projection; cash flow and budgeting analysis; and audits, reviews and compilations.
The firm’s partners and team members will join the PKF’s Woodcliff Lake office this year.
“We’ve always approached our work with the best interests of our clients in mind, and this partnership only expands the tools, resources and expertise we have to help them succeed,” Jay Edelman, partner at STE&W, said in the statement.
STE&W partner Stuart Tapper added, “Client relationships have always been the foundation of our business, and PKF O’Connor Davies’ shared belief in the value of high-touch service is one of the many reasons why this partnership is poised for success.”
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