Professionals on the Move is a roundup of recent hiring and promotion announcements from around the profession.
Aprio Welcomes 2025 Partner Class
Aprio, the 25th largest business advisory and accounting firm in the U.S., recently announced the promotion of 13 professionals to the partnership, effective Jan. 1. 2025.
With diverse industry experience and a shared commitment to Aprio’s people-first approach, these new partners are poised to deliver meaningful results and shape the firm’s continued success.
The newly promoted 2025 partners include:
- Madeleine Batson, Wealth Management, Tax
- Gary Bedsole, Transaction Advisory Services, Tax
- Carl Budenski, International, Tax
- Emily Cheshire, Technology, Managed Services
- Stacy Cullen, Nonprofit, Tax
- Chelsea Dorfeld, Professional Services, Tax
- Jacelyn Ferriell, Government Contracting, Managed Services
- Sarah Garcia, Private Client Services, Tax
- Grant Gooding, Real Estate | Affordable Housing, Audit
- Chris Henderson, Manufacturing & Distribution, Tax
- Kevin O’Brien, Private Client Services, Tax
- Marcus Oglesby, Insurance, Audit
- Casey O’Keefe, Technology, Audit
Bennett Thrasher Elevates Top Talent: Five Leaders Promoted to Partner to Drive Growth and Client Success in 2025
Bennett Thrasher, a nationally acclaimed full-service accounting and advisory firm headquartered in Atlanta, is pleased to announce five partner promotions across its executive team, Financial Reporting and Assurance (FR&A) and Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) practices.
These promotions reflect Bennett Thrasher’s commitment to recognizing and rewarding talent, fostering growth, and delivering outstanding service to its clients nationwide.
Charlsie Pritchett has been promoted from Senior Manager to Partner in Bennett Thrasher’s FR&A practice. Her industry experience includes manufacturing and distribution, employee benefit plans, captive insurance, and professional services. Charlsie is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in Georgia and an active alum of Auburn University. She also completed the International Financial Reporting Standards certificate program through the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
Evan Ottaviano has been promoted from Director to Partner in the TAS practice, assisting private equity and strategic clients with due diligence for mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. His expertise spans buy-side and sell-side accounting and financial due diligence across industries including construction, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, real estate, technology and telecommunications. Evan is an instructor for financial diligence courses in the M&A Source certification program and a member of the Georgia Society of CPAs Information Technology Advisory Council.
Michael Hoover has been promoted to Partner while continuing to serve as the firm’s Chief Growth and Strategy Officer. Michael leads business development, talent acquisition, and other strategic initiatives linked to the firm’s overall growth goals. He excels in implementing revenue strategies across various national service lines in complex operational settings and thrives on building and guiding teams through demanding industry initiatives.
Shawn Roberts has been promoted from Senior Manager to Partner in FR&A, bringing over 15 years of experience providing accounting and auditing services to large and middle-market clients in both the public and private sectors. Shawn is a leader in the real estate industry group and has expertise in navigating the complexities of the various real estate property types. Shawn received his Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and Master of Accountancy from the University of Georgia. He is a CPA licensed in the state of Georgia and is a member of the AICPA.
Spencer Rees has been promoted from Director to Partner in TAS, where he assists strategic acquirers, including private organizations and publicly traded companies, with financial due diligence on investment opportunities. He is actively involved with M&A organizations, including the Association for Corporate Growth and the Alliance for Merger and Acquisition Advisors’ Atlanta chapter, where he serves on the executive leadership committee. Spencer is a graduate of the University of Georgia earning both a BBA and MAcc in Accounting and is a CPA licensed in Georgia.
For more information, contact: ellie@babbitbodner.com
KNAV’s Navneet Sharma recipient of 40 Under 40 Award
KNAV, a global accounting and advisory firm that delivers a full spectrum of financial services, recently announced that Navneet Sharma a partner with US Assurance – KNAV CPA LLP has been honored with the 40 Under 40 award by ICAI, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
Centri’s Amanda Zeigler Promoted to Chief Marketing Officer
Centri Business Consulting, LLC, recently announced the promotion of Amanda Zeigler to Chief Marketing Officer, effective January 2025. Amanda has been an essential member of the firm since she joined in 2019 as a Director and later became the Vice President of Marketing. She brings over 25 years of marketing experience to Centri.
Since joining Centri, Amanda has been instrumental in developing and enhancing the firm’s strategic marketing initiatives and brand awareness. She leads the Marketing function, providing strategic oversight for content development, social media, events, and public relations initiatives to reinforce Centri’s brand strategy and visibility. She is responsible for crafting innovative and effective marketing plans that enhance brand recognition, drive demand, and foster growth across Centri’s industry and service practices.
Amanda received a B.A. in Communications with a concentration in Public Relations from Shippensburg University. She is an active member of the Association of Accounting Marketers and the PICPA’s Marketing Roundtable group.
Forvis Mazars announces sponsorship of pro golfers Mackenzie Hughes and Alexa Pano, and golf broadcaster Ian Baker-Finch
Forvis Mazars, one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the United States, recently announced sponsorships with two-time PGA TOUR winner Mackenzie Hughes, LPGA Tour winner Alexa Pano, and longtime golfer and sports commentator Ian Baker-Finch.
Hughes has made history as the first player ever to win tournaments on PGA TOUR Canada, the Korn Ferry Tour, and the PGA TOUR. A native Canadian now based in Charlotte, North Carolina, he is a two-time PGA TOUR champion and was a member of the 2024 Presidents Cup International Team.
Pano turned professional in 2022 and accomplished a milestone just a year later by claiming her first LPGA Tour victory at the ISPS Handa World Invitational in 2023. At only 19 years old, she demonstrated exceptional talent, a feat that earned her the Rookie of the Year award. Hughes and Pano will wear the Forvis Mazars logo on their apparel while competing at respective tour events this year.
Baker-Finch is a retired pro golfer and winner of 17 professional events worldwide, including the 1991 Open Championship. He has been the lead golf analyst for CBS Sports since 2007 and is known for his insightful analysis and commentary. Baker-Finch will be a brand ambassador for Forvis Mazars through this sponsorship agreement.
Centri’s Max Heller Promoted to Partner
Centri Business Consulting, LLC, recently announced the promotion of Max Heller to Partner, effective January 2025. Max joined Centri in October 2022 as a Managing Director and leader of the firm’s M&A Advisory Practice. He has over 20 years of experience in merger and acquisition consulting, providing M&A advisory services to private equity firms, venture capital firms, family offices, and strategic/corporate clients.
Max has been instrumental in the growth and expansion of Centri’s M&A Advisory Practice. He has advised clients with value-added services, including buy-side due diligence, sell-side due diligence, sell-side consulting, sell-side readiness, buyer valuation support, working capital analysis/support, restructuring advisory, and strategy and legacy consulting. Throughout his career, Max has consulted on over 600 transactions, with enterprise values ranging from $2 million to $6 billion.
Max holds a B.S. in Accounting from Susquehanna University. He is a board member and the former treasurer of the Philadelphia chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and serves as a board member and local leadership of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Exit Planning Institute (EPI).
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Tags: Firm Management, promotions
