Professionals on the Move is a round-up of recent hiring and promotion announcements from around the profession.
Zone & Co Welcomes Steven Bachert as Chief Revenue Officer to Drive Global Expansion and Revenue Growth
Zone & Co, the leading provider of ERP-expanding software solutions for the CFO’s office, recently announced the appointment of Steven Bachert as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). With over three decades of experience driving transformational growth and scaling revenue operations across global markets, including work with venture capital and private equity-backed companies, Bachert will lead Zone’s go-to-market strategy to accelerate its next phase of growth and expansion.
Bachert’s proven expertise in scaling organizations to achieve maximum profitability, aligning revenue strategies with market opportunities, and fostering high-performing teams makes him uniquely positioned to guide Zone through its ambitious growth journey. As CRO, he will oversee all revenue-generating functions across Zone’s global markets, including sales and partnerships.
Bachert joins Zone from Expana, where he served as Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Commercial Officer, leading global teams in high-growth commodity pricing and intelligence solutions for the food and non-food industries. Prior to Expana, he was Chief Revenue Officer at Enfusion, playing a key role in driving the company’s successful 2021 IPO. At FourKites, he spearheaded astronomical growth, onboarding 350 Fortune 1000 clients and increasing valuation by over $1 billion during his tenure.
Throughout his career, Bachert has consistently excelled at aligning go-to-market strategies with market opportunities, driving exponential ARR growth, and fostering unified, customer-focused organizational cultures. His leadership at Enfusion saw the global revenue organization grow to over 200 team members across five continents, with a 75% year-over-year growth rate and a valuation increase of over $1 billion. Similarly, at FourKites, he drove the company’s rapid ascent to unicorn status, delivering impactful results for clients like Walmart, Unilever and Kraft Heinz.
RSM Bolsters Commitment to Audit Quality with Formation of Audit Quality Board
RSM US LLP (“RSM”) – the leading provider of assurance, tax and consulting services for the middle market – has established an Audit Quality Board.
Composed of three independent board members, the RSM US Audit Quality Board is an advisory body responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of quality control and system of quality management matters within the firm’s assurance practice. The members of the Audit Quality Board will also offer advice and recommendations on audit quality related aspects of the firm’s operations, culture, governance and risk management.
Members of the Audit Quality Board are:
Tracey Golden – Golden is a past chairman of the boards of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. She has more than 40 years of industry experience and is a former Big 4 partner where her roles included global risk executive, national regulatory and inspections leader, national quality assurance partner and engagement quality control reviewer. Golden previously served as a professional accounting fellow at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Dave Sullivan – Sullivan is currently a member of the Public Interest Oversight Board, the global independent body that seeks to improve the quality and public interest focus of the international audit, assurance and ethics standards formulated by the international standard-setting boards. He is a former Big 4 partner where his roles included global audit and assurance quality leader and national managing partner – quality and professional practice. Sullivan, who has 40 years of industry experience, also serves as an advisor to large CPA and consulting firms on matters of audit quality. He was previously a practice fellow with the Financial Accounting Standards Board.
Dan Sunderland – Sunderland is currently professor of practice in the accounting group at Northeastern University and a frequent advisor on PCAOB QC 1000 implementation and other accounting, audit and governance matters. He is a former Big 4 partner where his roles included chief auditor, national professional practice director, lead audit partner and lead engagement quality partner. Sunderland has 42 years of industry experience and previously held leadership positions with the auditing section of the American Accounting Association and with the Center for Audit Quality, where he chaired the research advisory board.
Seasoned Business Advisor and Renowned ‘Corporate Athlete’ Joins Bennett Thrasher
Bennett Thrasher, a nationally acclaimed full-service accounting and advisory firm, is reinforcing its commitment to client success and high-caliber advisory solutions by welcoming Durran Dunn as partner in its Risk Advisory Services practice, leading Risk and Controls. As a recognized leader on Forbes’ 2024 list of America’s Top CPA Accounting Professionals, Dunn brings decades of global consulting and accounting experience, helping companies advance in today’s fast-paced environment.
Dunn’s extensive background spans public accounting and industry leadership roles, giving him a practical, solutions-oriented perspective on clients’ challenges. He is a licensed CPA and a certified internal auditor. Dunn specializes in advising publicly traded and privately held companies across industries such as manufacturing, technology, media, entertainment and healthcare.
Dunn actively contributes to the advancement of the profession through his service on the board of directors, as treasurer, and finance chair for NABA Inc. (formerly the National Association of Black Accountants), as well as through his participation on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Board of Examiners (AICPA BoE), the Georgia Society of CPAs’ Accounting and Auditing Advisory Council and the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). Dunn is a sought-after speaker, frequently presenting thought leadership on risk and controls, emerging technology, personal development and leadership topics on both local and national stages.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Dunn is known for his lifelong commitment to health and fitness. A USA Track & Field (USATF) Masters national and world champion, and Athlete of the Year award recipient, Dunn’s athletic accomplishments extend to being a World Series Champion with the Atlanta Braves where he donned the full spandex uniform as a sprinter on the warning track in the entertaining RaceTrac’s “Beat the Freeze” promotion.
Fort Worth Accounting Firm Mesch, PLLC Elevates Cyrus Wagner III and David Molenda to Name Partner Roles
Fort Worth-based accounting firm Mesch, PLLC announced elevations to name partner for two key leadership team members: Tax Manager Cyrus Wagner III and Audit Manager David Molenda. The two new partners will join Managing Partner Derick Mesch and Partner and Founder Fred Mesch in sharing leadership duties and strategic guidance roles for the firm.
Founded in 1981, Mesch provides private individuals, entrepreneurs and growing companies with advisory business and wealth management services, tax services, transaction support, and assurance and audit capabilities.
The transition to a partner-led model for the tax and audit departments signals the firm’s ongoing commitment to hands-on client service from every employee, all the way up to the highest levels. That dedication to service has built the company a strong local reputation over the last 40 years. The move also signals a commitment to specialized service areas — such as audit and assurance — that are typically only found in much larger national and international firms.
Newly named partner Cyrus Wagner III joined Mesch seven years ago as tax manager. Previously, he served as tax manager at BDO USA, LLP.
New partner and audit manager David Molenda recently celebrated 25 years with the firm, having joined the audit department in 1999.
Cyrus Wagner III earned BBA and MS degrees in accounting from Texas Tech University. David Molenda earned a BBA degree in accounting from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). Both Wagner and Molenda are licensed CPAs and members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Molenda is also a member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA).
Baker Newman Noyes Announces Six New Principals Across Practices
Baker Newman Noyes (BNN), a nationally recognized top 100 accounting and advisory firm, is pleased to announce six new principal promotions in its Boston, MA; Woburn, MA; Manchester, NH; and Portland, ME, offices.
Courtney Francis, Meredith Fuller, Chris Hussey, Stephanie Joyce, Jiten Kariya, and Kelly Pelletier, have all been promoted to principal, effective January 1, 2025.
Francis, CPA, of Scarborough, ME, provides tax and accounting services to high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and their related businesses. She specializes in helping clients with complex tax issues, including transactions, integration of entities with individuals and trusts, and qualified small business stock (QSBS). Francis is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Maine Society of Certified Public Accountants (MECPA). She holds bachelor’s degrees in business administration and accounting & finance from the University of Southern Maine.
Fuller, CPA, MSA, of Lincoln, RI, joined BNN’s assurance practice in 2016. She focuses on both public and private companies in the retail and healthcare industries, serving on audit and technical accounting engagements. She also has a focus in SOX compliance and internal control reviews. Fuller earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a concentration in accounting, and her master’s degree in accounting from Suffolk University. She has volunteered at various organizations throughout Boston and in 2021, Fuller was selected as a Woman to Watch by the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA).
Hussey, CPA, of Windham, NH, joined the firm’s Manchester office in August of 2014. Hussey specializes in serving high-net-worth individuals and family groups. He also focuses on generational family businesses. In addition to serving clients, Hussey leads the firm’s recruiting efforts for the tax department. Hussey earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and master’s in accounting from the University of New Hampshire. He is a member of the University of New Hampshire Center for Family Enterprise’s advisory board.
Joyce, CPA, JD, of Falmouth, ME, has worked in the tax department of the firm’sPortland office since 2010. Joyce specializes in tax planning and compliance for high-net-worth individuals and families, trusts and estates, as well as tax compliance for employee benefit plans. Joyce earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Syracuse University and a juris doctor from SUNY Buffalo Law School, with a concentration in financial transactions. She is a member of the New York State Bar, the Maine Society of CPAs, Maine Employee Benefit Council, and the Maine Estate Planning Council.
Kariya, CA, CPA, of North Reading, MA, has been an integral part of the firms International and Transaction Tax Practice since joining in 2019. Before his tenure at BNN, he gained valuable experience at top-tier firms in India, including a big-four firm, where he worked for over four years. With more than a decade of expertise in international and transaction tax advisory services, Kariya has advised a diverse clientele, particularly in the life sciences, technology, real estate, manufacturing and distribution, and service sectors, encompassing both U.S. and international operations.
Pelletier, JD, CPA, of Windham, ME, began her career in BNN’s tax practice in 2015. She helps to lead the firm’s Gifts, Estates, and Trusts group, a specialized team focused on high-level technical compliance and planning in the gifts, estates, and trusts practice area. Pelletier graduated from Northeastern University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in sociology. She earned her juris doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law. She is a member of the Maine and Massachusetts State Bars and the Maine Society of CPAs and serves on the board for Sexual Assault Support Services of Midcoast Maine. In 2020, Pelletier was recognized as The Rising Star in the MSCPA’s Stars Among Stars Awards.
Friedman + Huey Announces the Promotion of Ryan Wirtz to Partner
Frankfort, IL – Friedman + Huey is pleased to announce the promotion of Ryan Wirtz, CPA, MST, RSSA, to Partner, effective January 1, 2025.
Ryan began his journey with the Firm in 2012 as an intern. He specializes in trust and estate planning, focusing on fiduciary income tax issues and assisting clients in achieving their philanthropic aspirations through charitable strategies. Ryan works closely with many high-net-worth individuals and families. As a Registered Social Security Analyst, he takes the lead in helping clients approaching retirement devise strategies that optimize their social security benefits. Additionally, Ryan is actively involved in the firm’s trust and estate training for new staff.
He is a proud member of the AICPA and the Illinois CPA Society and frequently speaks on matters related to decedents, estates, and trusts
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