Professionals on the Move - April 2022

Professionals on the Move is a round-up of recent promotions and career news in and around the profession.

Melanie Barnes Joins Sikich as Audit Partner

Sikich, a global company that specializes in technology-enabled professional services recently announced that Melanie Barnes has recently joined Sikich as an audit partner in the company’s assurance practice. Barnes has more than 17 years of experience providing technical accounting expertise and helping for-profit companies maintain compliance requirements and achieve their strategic visions.

Before joining Sikich, Barnes was a director at Navistar Inc. Prior to joining Navistar, she spent more than a decade at Grant Thornton LLP, working in various roles supporting a diverse mix of companies – from private equity-owned organizations to family-run businesses. She joined Navistar in 2017 where she served initially as a senior manager of technical accounting. Barnes was named director in 2020. She earned both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in accountancy from Wake Forest University.

Xero appoints Chris OʼNeill as Chief Growth Officer

Xero, the global small business platform, recently announced the appointment of Chris OʼNeill to the newly created role of Chief Growth Officer, joining Xeroʼs global executive leadership team.

Reporting to Xero CEO Steve Vamos, Chris will be responsible for the strategic direction and operational performance within Xeroʼs newly-created Applications & Services division, which represents part of Xeroʼs small business platform. The Applications & Services division includes Financial Services, Payroll, Planday and the Ecosystem/Xero App Store. Chris will also lead the strategic development of Xero in the Americas – including US and Canada – working closely with Xero President Americas, Tony Ward.

Chris joins Xero having served as a senior executive, board member and investor for a number of global technology companies, including Google and Evernote. He also has deep leadership experience in global and North American consumer and enterprise markets.

Xero President Americas Tony Ward will continue to lead Xero in the Americas, reporting to Chris, as well as being a key member of the global customer leadership team led by Chief Customer Officer Rachael Powell who is responsible for the global sales and marketing functions. Chris is based in San Francisco, and started with Xero on 4 April 2022.

UHY Hires Robert Boesiger as Managing Director

UHY Advisors, (UHY), one of the nation’s leading accounting and professional services firms, recently announced that Robert F. Boesiger, CPA, JD, LL.M. has joined the team as Managing Director in its Detroit Office.

Boesiger has an extensive list of legal and financial accomplishments in the areas of estate planning and wealth transfers, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, minority business enterprises, private capital transactions, and taxation.

Boesiger will lead UHY’s Estate Strategy and Trust practice. He will help UHY clients to create effective estate tax and asset protection strategies that can include a variety of tools, such as trusts, advanced estate planning strategies, insurance policies, and other methods.

He received his Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Michigan State University, his Juris Doctorate from the University of Detroit School of Law, and his Masters of Laws, LL.M.-Taxation, from Wayne State University Law School.