Professionals on the Move - July 2019

Kenneth Laks of AVZ CPAs Named to Americas Board of BKR International

BKR International, a top global accounting association representing more than 160 independent accounting and advisory firms recently announced that Kenneth B. Laks, CPA, MST was appointed to the Americas Board for three two-year terms. Laks is currently a partner at Albrecht, Viggiano, Zureck & Co., P.C. (AVZ), one of the largest certified public accounting firms on Long Island, New York. Laks is a frequent presenter at BKR member conferences around the world on issues regarding international taxation, and is currently chairman of the Worldwide International Tax Committee, as well as a member of the Americas Region International Tax Committee.

Laks holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Queens College and a Master of Science in Taxation from Baruch College, and has been published in the New York State CPA Journal and New York Newsday. He was also an Adjunct Professor at Stony Brook University, teaching a course on Taxation of Business Entities.

Gumbiner Savett Inc. Announces Multiple July Promotions

Gumbiner Savett Inc., a full-service certified public accounting firm headquartered in Santa Monica, California, recently announced the promotion of several staff members.

· Helena Song, CPA was promoted to Audit & Accounting Principal. Song has been with the firm since 2007 and received her B.A. from Beijing Foreign Studies University, and has an M.S. in Accounting from Indiana University.

· Joseph Ventura, CPA was promoted to Audit & Accounting Principal. Ventura has been with Gumbiner Savett since 2011, and received his degree in Business Management and Economics from University of California, Santa Cruz.

Other promotions include Vaibhav Tandon, CPA, with the firm since 2013, (to Senior Audit Manager); Adi Siah, CPA, (to Senior Tax Manager); You Wan, with the firm since 2018, (to Audit Senior Associate) and Carlos Ubalde, with the firm since 2016, (to Business Services Supervisor).

Eric Kreuter Honored with ACFE’S 2019 Hubbard Award

Eric Kreuter, PH.D., CPA, CFE, Partner at Marks Paneth LLP, a premier accounting firm headquartered in New York City, was awarded the 2019 Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ (ACFE) Hubbard Award in recognition of his contributions to the field of fraud investigation. Dr. Kreuter received the honor for his article, “Staying cool in the deposition hot seat: How to handle an aggressive attorney’s questioning,” which appeared in the January/February 2018 issue of Fraud Magazine.

The Hubbard Award is presented annually to recognize the most significant contributions to Fraud Magazine, a publication of ACFE, as determined by the members of ACFE’s Editorial Advisory Committee.

Nathan Wechsler Announces New Professionals

The accounting firm of Nathan Wechsler & Company, PA, a full-service accounting and tax firm headquartered in New Hampshire recently announced the addition of several team members, joining the firm as associates.

The associates include:

· Callie Chase, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the Bagelli School of Business at Roger Williams University;

· Jordan Forsyth, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Concentration in Accounting and a Minor in Economics from Salem State University-Bertolon School of Business;

· Cassidy Huckins, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a Minor in Criminal Justice from Southern New Hampshire University;

· Brady Wentworth, who is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Concentration in Accounting at the University of New Hampshire. He expects to graduate in December of this year.