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Jim Bares ​
Sr. Vice President - Robert Half

Jim Bares is a Sr. Vice President with Robert Half, having  served over thirty five years in the financial talent solution lines for contract and direct placement. Previously, he served in contract staffing branch management and regional permanent placement leadership. Currently, he provides senior level financial, human resource and business process contract and subject matter expert solutions to the market. He has a BBA from the University of Notre Dame, with a concentration in accounting.  He is a former Arthur Andersen auditor and tax accountant, who then worked for Milbar Corporation in financial, credit, risk and general management. He is a former board member of a local IMA Chapter and is currently active with FEI (Financial Executives Institute) and FENG (Financial Executives Networking Group). 

Paul Barnhurst ​
Founder - The FP&A Guy

Paul has over a decade of hands-on experience in financial analysis, forecasting, budgeting, and business strategy. His real-world expertise and approachable teaching style have made him a sought-after trainer and mentor, helping professionals at all stages of their careers develop the skills needed to succeed in today’s fast-paced business environment. He is also the host of three popular finance podcasts that discuss FP&A, financial modeling, and the future of finance as it relates to finance and technology. Paul’s academic credentials include a Master of Science in Information Management and an MBA in Finance. He also holds the prestigious FPAC (Financial Planning & Analysis Certified Professional) certification from AFP and is recognized as an Advanced Finance Modeler (AFM) by the Financial Modeling Institute (FMI). These qualifications reflect his dedication to mastering the technical and strategic elements of financial planning. 

Lisa Barrow ​
Vice President, Research Department - The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

Lisa Barrow is a vice president in the Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, leading the department’s regional analysis and outreach group. Before joining the Research Department, Dr. Barrow was a senior economist and economic advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and an affiliated researcher at the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. Her research focuses on a variety of education issues, including the impact of attending a selective high school on student outcomes, a randomized evaluation of computer-aided algebra instruction in large urban school districts, and evaluations of performance-based scholarship impacts on academic outcomes and student time use at the college level. Her prior research on school choice, education production, and the earned income tax credit has appeared in numerous economic and policy journals. Barrow has also served as senior economist on the White House Council of Economic Advisers, a visiting assistant professor at the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, and a visiting lecturer at the Irving B. Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. Barrow holds a BA in economics from Carleton College and an MA and a Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University. 

Justin Breidenbach ​
Assistant Professor of Accounting - Capital University

Justin Breidenbach is an Assistant Professor of Accounting at Capital University, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate accounting courses. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration (Accounting) and a Master of Accountancy from Bowling Green State University. A CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), he previously taught at Ohio Wesleyan University and Lake Erie College. At Ohio Wesleyan, he also served as Faculty Director of The Woltemade Center for Economics, Business, & Entrepreneurship. Justin owns Breidenbach Consulting Services LLC, providing accounting and tax services to individuals and businesses across various industries. Since 2013, he has specialized in accounting and regulatory consulting for the cannabis industry, advising cultivators, processors, and retailers on CFO services, tax compliance, internal controls, and licensing. He regularly presents at domestic and international conferences on the state-legalized cannabis industry and professional ethics. 

Patrick Brogan ​
CPA, CIA, CISA, CFE, CRMA

Patrick is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Information Systems Auditor, Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified in Risk Management Assurance with over 27 years of experience in Auditing and Accounting through various industries including the Big 4 (Ernst & Young), Financial Services, Manufacturing, Oil and Gas and Not-for-profit. His background is extensive with a record of increasing responsibility, innovation and accomplishment in technology and sustaining corporate viability. 

Shelly Chadwick ​
Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer - Materion

Shelly Chadwick is Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Materion, overseeing global accounting, financial reporting, procurement, internal audit, tax, treasury, and investor relations. Appointed in 2020, she is an executive officer driving strategy to support Materion’s transformation into a global advanced materials solutions provider. Previously, Ms. Chadwick was Vice President, Finance and Chief Accounting Officer at Timken and held CFO roles at Eckart America, Noveon, Inc., and BF Goodrich. She earned a B.S. in Business Management and Finance from Westfield State University and an MBA in Finance from Anna Maria College. Ms. Chadwick serves on the board of Applied Industrial Technologies and the Great Lakes Science Center. She is also a member of the Manufacturer’s Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI). 

Rob Choromanski ​
Partner - EY

Rob Choromanski is a Partner with EY in its Americas Professional Practice Group and Northeast Ohio audit practice. He has over 16 years of client service experience in several industries including diversified industrial products, aerospace manufacturing, and consumer products. In addition to currently serving clients, he supports EY’s professionals in the US to navigate audit methodology, policies, and practices in addition to providing consultative support in its Americas Professional Practice Group. From July 2020 through July 2022, he served a two-year term as a Professional Accounting Fellow in the Office of the Chief Accountant of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) supporting activities that provided advice on domestic and international auditing issues. 

Ted Christy ​
Senior Manager, Audit - KPMG

Ted is a Senior Manager in KPMG’s Audit practice and was a founding member of the audit practice’s ESG Center of Excellence. Ted is a collaborative and team-oriented leader in KPMG Cleveland’s Audit practice. Eleven years of experience providing financial statement audits and is responsible for the execution of reporting and assurance procedures related to ESG subject matter. Most recently, Ted has spent the last 4 years developing the US firm’s resources and capabilities in ESG, including the execution of a variety of ESG reporting and assurance engagements. 

Shelby Collins ​
Founder - WNY Research Solutions

Shelby has devoted her career to accounting research and finds great joy in sharing these skills with others. Shelby currently works as a consultant assisting companies with new standards adoptions and technical accounting research. Prior to her current role, Shelby taught the accounting research course at the University at Buffalo for seven years and authored a highly regarded textbook, Skills for Accounting Research (5th edition). Her early career experiences with many facets of accounting research, from a position at the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) as a postgraduate technical assistant, to KPMG's Accounting Advisory Services group, to a position in accounting policy at Exelon Corp in Chicago, have led her to appreciate research from many perspectives. Shelby is a CPA and holds a Masters in Accounting from the University of Georgia. 

Tiffany Crosby ​
Chief Learning Officer - The Ohio Society of CPAs

Tiffany Crosby is the Chief Learning Officer for The Ohio Society of CPAs. She is responsible for organizational development, workforce development, learning, and DEI. Crosby is also one of OSCPA’s premiere instructors for ethics. Prior to her work with the society, she was the Founder and President of Petra Learning LLC, a professional training and development company. Additionally, Crosby was an Executive Director in the Advisory Risk Practice of Ernst & Young, LLP. She spent more than 13 years at EY leading various types of internal audit, internal control, finance, and enterprise risk management projects. She has helped numerous companies define and implement processes and procedures to comply with new financial accounting standards, strengthen governance processes, and reduce costs. Crosby teaches financial management and business leadership classes as an adjunct faculty member at Southeastern University. She previously taught financial accounting and managerial accounting as an adjunct faculty member at Columbus State Community College (CSCC). Crosby is a CPA licensed in Pennsylvania and Ohio. She received a B.S.B.A. in Accounting from Duquesne University and MBA from Franklin University and is a doctoral student in Southeastern University’s Organizational Leadership Program. 

John Durbin ​
Director, Valuation Advisory  - Stout’s 

John is a Director in Stout’s Valuation Advisory practice with 14 years of business valuation experience and currently serves as the Cleveland region Business Valuation team lead.  He provides valuation services to public companies and private equity backed clients for numerous purposes, including purchase price allocations (ASC 805), goodwill impairment testing (ASC 350), stock-based compensation (ASC 718), divestitures, and corporate and strategic planning.  Prior to joining Stout, John worked in sell-side equity research for a boutique firm providing investment research coverage of publicly traded companies. 

Scott Emmett ​
Associate Professor, School of Accountancy, Arizona State University

His research examines how producers and consumers of financial disclosures make judgments and decisions, often focusing on the influence of disruptive technologies in those settings. Much of his research uses experiments and applies theories from psychology to understand how cognitive and motivational forces lead decision makers to deviate from the behavior predicted by classical economic theories. Professor Emett he has won multiple teaching awards, including the 2020 AAA Innovation in Accounting Education Award, the 2021 AAA Innovation in Auditing and Assurance Education Award, and the 2023 Arizona Society of CPAs Excellence in Teaching Award. 

David Eyman ​
Entrepreneurship Business Core Instructor

David Eyman is an Entrepreneurship Business Core Instructor and a specialist in innovation and creativity. With 20 years in Industrial Design and product invention, he leverages creativity to drive action, facilitate culture change, and implement design thinking across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. His mission is to enhance life experiences through the creative process. In addition to teaching, David has led social change and creative visioning programs for Ohio communities, including Wyoming, Springfield Township, Lockland, Cincinnati, and Middletown. He holds a B.S. in Industrial Design from the University of Cincinnati's DAAP and an M.S. in Creativity and Change Leadership from SUNY Buffalo State.  

Ben Franjesevic ​
Director - Protiviti

Ben is a Director with over 17 years of experience focused on helping organizations assess and manage their technology risk. Ben has supported engagements in numerous areas including AI/ML, robotic process automation, process mining, cybersecurity, data analytics, IT governance, IT general controls, system development, and asset management. He has worked with organizations in various industries acting in roles across the three lines of defense. Ben helps to support Protiviti’s Next Gen Internal Audit initiatives globally, is a member of Protiviti’s global AI governance and risk management center of excellence, serves as a leader for Next Gen enabling technologies, and is a frequent speaker on topics including AI / ML, process mining, advanced analytics, Agile audit, and RPA risk and control. Prior to joining Protiviti in 2012, Ben worked for the Internal Audit Department of a local government entity where he was responsible for leading and executing operational and IT audits. 

Sarah Gampo, CPA, CIA  ​
Internal Audit Director - ºÚÁÏÍø

Sarah is the Internal Audit Director at ºÚÁÏÍø. She has been in that role since March 2020 leading a collaborative internal audit function focused on risks and continuous improvement. She has been in internal audit for the past 14 years. Prior to that she worked for several years in public accounting. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). She holds a Master of Science in Accounting and Bachelor of Business Administration both from ºÚÁÏÍø. 

Ashley B. Gibson ​
Chief Financial Officer - Eikon-X

Ashley B. Gibson, CPA, CMA, CSCA is the CFO for Eikon-X and leads the Finance & Accounting practice. Ashley has over 13 years of experience in executing finance transformation initiatives for publicly-held, private, and not-for-profit clients around the world. Ashley aligns finance organizations with robust strategies to maximize operational efficiency and effectiveness by harnessing technological capabilities to deliver business insights. Ashley graduated from Southern Illinois University with a BS in Accountancy (magna cum laude) and a Master of Accountancy with a concentration in Auditing & Accounting Information Systems. She also received her MBA from Texas A&M University. Ashley is a published author on numerous thought leadership pieces, is a public speaker, and has served on numerous not-for-profit boards. 

Stacy Gilbert ​
Chief Accounting Officer & Corporate Controller - KeyBank

Stacy Gilbert is the Chief Accounting Officer & Corporate Controller at KeyBank and oversees financial accounting operations and technical accounting, external reporting, capital markets controllership, credit and credit risk controllership, and finance risk & controls. With over 25 years of accounting and financial reporting experience with publicly traded financial institutions, Stacy began her career as a public accounting auditor at KPMG in Cleveland, Ohio. She originally joined Key in 2002 where she had various responsibilities in accounting policy and KeyBank Capital Markets accounting operations. In 2008, Stacy had an opportunity to join FirstMerit Corporation, a $25B financial services company, where she led the automation of the company’s SEC reporting process and was promoted to assistant corporate controller before returning to Key in 2016. Since re-joining Key, she has held increasing responsibilities over accounting operations, accounting policy and external reporting. Stacy earned her B.B.A. in accounting from Cleveland State University and is an active certified public accountant in the State of Ohio. 

Patrick Gilmore ​
Partner - Deloitte

Patrick Gilmore is a Partner with Deloitte in its national office, where he specializes in matters pertaining to SEC rules and regulations related to financial reporting. Patrick joined Deloitte in 2021 after 17 years on the staff of the SEC in the Division of Corporation Finance. Prior to joining Deloitte, from 2017 until his departure, Patrick served as the Deputy Chief Accountant in the Division of Corporation Finance’s Office of the Chief Accountant at the SEC, where he led the staff in providing technical accounting and reporting support for the Division’s disclosure review program, led various rulemaking efforts, and answered interpretive questions and waiver requests related to the form and content of financial statements to be included in SEC filings. During 2020, Gilmore also served as the Acting Disclosure Review Program Director, where he oversaw the Division’s selective review of transactional and periodic filings. He spent the earlier part of his career with the SEC in various management and staff positions in the Division of Corporation Finance’s Office of the Chief Accountant and the disclosure review program in the computer and software industry group. Gilmore earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Towson University and is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the AICPA. 

Jeff Harnden ​
Director, Accounting and Reporting Advisory - Stout

Jeff is a Director in Stout’s Accounting and Reporting Advisory practice with over 20 years of technical accounting, financial reporting, and controllership experience. Jeff currently serves as the Cleveland region Accounting and Reporting team lead. He provides advice and technical accounting support to public companies and private equity backed clients across a wide range of industries for numerous purposes, including business combinations and asset acquisitions (ASC 805), asset impairments (ASC 350 & ASC 360), stock-based compensation (ASC 718), divestitures including held-for-sale and discontinued operations analysis, and financial statement preparation.  Before joining Stout, Jeff worked as the corporate controller for a publicly traded metals company and a private equity back gaming company. Jeff spent the first 12 years of his career with a national CPA firm in their audit and technical accounting advisory practices. 

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Managing Director, Valuation Advisory - Stout

Rob is a Managing Director in Stout’s Valuation Advisory practice with more than 25 years of business valuation experience. He provides valuation services to clients for numerous purposes, including purchase price allocations (ASC 805), goodwill impairment testing (ASC 350), acquisitions and divestitures, corporate and strategic planning, estate and gift taxation, and for litigation related matters. Rob holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Accredited Senior Appraiser – Business Valuation (ASA) designations. 

Gaurav Hiranandani ​
Senior Associate Chief Accountant, OCA - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 

Gaurav Hiranandani is a Senior Associate Chief Accountant in the Office of the Chief Accountant (OCA) at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In this role, he serves on the leadership team for OCA's accounting group, focusing on accounting and financial reporting matters relating to financial assets, derivatives and hedging, debt and equity, consolidation, compensation, income taxes, and crypto assets. The accounting group's activities include responding to accounting consultations from registrants, auditors, and SEC staff regarding complex financial reporting issues; overseeing the activities of the Financial Accounting Standards Board; monitoring the activities of international accounting standard setters including the International Accounting Standards Board; and communicating key technical accounting issues to stakeholders. Prior to joining the Commission, Gaurav worked in various industry technical accounting and financial reporting roles, first at Coinbase, Inc. and then at Stripe, Inc. Before that, Gaurav served in multiple roles at Ernst & Young, LLP, including within audit, advisory and the national practice. Gaurav is a graduate of George Mason University. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the Commonwealth of Virginia and New York, as well as a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Tim Holmes ​
Practice Director - Robert Half Cleveland 

Tim Holmes is a Practice Director with Robert Half Cleveland, the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm. He has been with the company for 10 years in the Management Resources practice. Tim provides firms with guidance and solutions for accounting, finance, compliance, M&A, transformation, and ERP improvements. In addition, he has participated and led hundreds of employee interviews and feedback debriefs for accounting professionals and employees, giving him a wide-ranging perspective on employer requirements and career opportunities within the accounting & finance space across Northeast Ohio. Before moving to the US in 2012, he lived in the UK, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Sudan. He graduated with a BA and followed with a Master’s degree in International Development from the University of Liverpool. Tim also has an accounting-focused MBA from Warwick Business School. He has a passion for travel, international culture, English soccer, and is married with two creative and highly energetic young daughters.

Sean Humphreys ​
Managing Director - Protiviti

Sean is a Managing Director in Protiviti’s Internal Audit and Financial Advisory practice. As the Market Leader for the firm’s Northeast Ohio practice based in Cleveland, he brings over two decades of diverse experience, including Management experience with a large Fortune Global 500 organization, to lead the firm’s client services across Northern Ohio and Eastern Michigan. In that role, Sean helps connect our client organizations with dynamic advisory teams to help them solve critical business challenges.

Joyce T. Joseph, DBA ​
Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)

Joyce T. Joseph, DBA, joined the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) on July 1, 2023. Her first term concludes June 30, 2028, when she will be eligible to be considered for reappointment to a second term. An accomplished financial leader, Dr. Joseph brings to the Board substantial expertise in technical accounting and a unique depth of understanding of the standard-setting process and its relevance to the financial investor, having previously served on the FASB’s Investor Technical Advisory Committee and on the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s Standing Advisory Group.  Prior to joining the FASB, Dr. Joseph spent nearly two decades leading research and analysis on current and emerging financial accounting and reporting matters with an investor and user perspective, first as a managing director at S&P Global Ratings before founding Capital Accounting Advisory and Research, LLC. She also was a vice president at JP Morgan Chase & Co., leading Securities and Exchange Commission reporting and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, and an assistant professor of professional practice at Rutgers University. She began her career at KPMG LLP auditing financial institutions before joining Deutsche Bank, becoming assistant vice president with controllership responsibilities. Dr. Joseph was a board member on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Board of Examiners, setting policy for the CPA exams and shaping the future of the accounting profession and its members. She is a member of the AICPA, National Association of Black Accountants, and CFA Society New York. Dr. Joseph holds a Doctor of Business Administration degree from Rutgers University, a Master of Business Administration degree from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Pace University. She is a certified public accountant (CPA), a chartered global management accountant (CGMA), and a Standard & Poor’s certified credit ratings analyst – Financial Institutions Industry.  

Lindsey Kiser ​
Lead Accounting Specialist - Rea & Associates, Inc.

Lindsey joined Rea & Associates in 2019 and serves clients from our New Philadelphia office. As a Lead Accounting Specialist, she provides comprehensive support for clients' accounting needs, with particular expertise in optimizing both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop platforms. Known for her exceptional dedication to client success, Lindsey builds strong relationships by taking the time to understand each business's unique challenges and goals, consistently going above and beyond to ensure clients receive personalized attention and practical solutions that drive their business forward. Her technical knowledge, responsive service, and attention to detail have made her a trusted advisor for businesses seeking to improve their accounting efficiency and financial clarity. 

Terri Kolo​
Executive Director of Finance Transformation - Northwest Bank

Terri Kolo is the Executive Director of Finance Transformation at Northwest Bank. In this role, she leads initiatives to innovate and streamline finance processes and operations, focusing on efficiency and continuous improvement. Prior to joining Northwest Bank, Terri spent 25 years in accounting and auditing roles with increasing responsibility at Hyland Software, a $1 billion software company based in Westlake, Ohio, and KeyBank, an $185 billion bank based in Cleveland, Ohio. While at KeyBank, Terri played a pivotal role in several transformation efforts, including the selection and planning phases of a reconcilement platform replacement project, the implementation of Workday financials, and the design and implementation of Archer Audit software. Terri began her career in public accounting at Deloitte. She holds a B.B.A. from ºÚÁÏÍø and an M.B.A. from Case Western Reserve University, and she is an active Certified Public Accountant in the State of Ohio. 

Steve Kraynak ​
U.S. Director - SumProduct.com

Steve Kraynak joined SumProduct.com as the U.S. director after more than a decade as a product manager for the Excel team at Microsoft, where helped craft many features in Excel, including new worksheet functions like IFS & TEXTJOIN, Data from Picture, Excel for Mac, user experience improvements like Smooth Scrolling, and many others. Kraynak has been a featured presenter at Microsoft Ignite, Excelapalooza, Excel Summit South, Excel Virtually Global, Microsoft Business Applications Summit (MBAS), EuSpRIG and others. He also has years of experience working with Excel prior to joining Microsoft, in both the software and vaccine manufacturing industries, where he made his mark by using desktop tools such as Excel to automate and simplify many business processes. Kraynak has a passion for listening to customers and helping them succeed by making the most of technology and their data, especially by using Excel.  

Ron Lewis ​
Senior Vice President & Head of Finance Shared Services - KeyBank

Ron Lewis is the SVP and Head of Finance Shared Services at KeyBank.  He brings more than 30 years of banking experience to this role.  He is responsible for Corporate Procurement, Corporate Reconcilement, Financial System Support and Information Delivery, and serves as the CFO of KeyBank’s Technology and Operations division.  Prior to his current role, he was the Assistant Controller for KeyBank responsible for Month End Close, Consolidation Accounting, and a number of other Accounting operations areas.  During his time as the Assistant Controller, he led a significant finance transformation through the implementation of Workday technology.

Wei Li, Ph.D. ​
Chair for the Department of Accounting & Associate Professor - Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship at ºÚÁÏÍø

Wei Li, Ph.D., is the Chair for the Department of Accounting at the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship at ºÚÁÏÍø. She joined the Kent State faculty in 2006 after receiving a Ph.D. from Washington State University. Li’s main research interests examine whether and how psychological and social factors influence investors’ decision making. In addition, her work has explored the areas of management financial reporting decisions and donors’ decision processes. Li’s research is international in scope. She is a co-recipient of two research grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China.  

Serena Loftus, Ph.D. ​
Assistant Professor - Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship at ºÚÁÏÍø

Serena Loftus, Ph.D., joined the faculty of ºÚÁÏÍø in 2021. Her research focuses on how managers’ language choices impact investors’ and employees’ reactions to accounting information. Her research has been published in premier academic journals and has also appeared in news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Workspan, Strategic Finance Magazine, and Investor Relations Magazine. Loftus has been nationally recognized for her teaching, including being named a Top 50 Undergraduate Business Professor for 2021 by Poets & Quants magazine. She is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA).  

Ron Marcin ​
Partner, KPMG

Ron Marcin is a Partner in KPMG’s audit Practice.  He has over 20 years of client service experience in several industries including consumer goods, retail, industrial manufacturing and financial services. Ron has experience serving clients in a number of geographic regions and his client base has ranged from large international public companies to private enterprises.  Ron currently serves as the lead partner for two public companies in the Cleveland area. Ron is a proud alumnus of ºÚÁÏÍø (2001) and currently serves as the Accounting Advisory Board Chair.

Adam Martinson ​
Tax Managing Director - Grant Thornton

Adam Martinson primarily concentrates on tax compliance and planning for privately held businesses and high-net worth individuals and families. His track record of valuable client service has helped him earn several key roles for Grant Thornton. In addition to serving as a managing director in the firm’s Cleveland office, he is a leading member of the office’s Wealth and Human Capital Solutions Team. As part of the latter role, Adam serves most of the Cleveland office’s high net-worth individuals and families, as well as both individuals and family offices in various markets across the country. He provides these clients with a wide variety of services, including personal and trust tax compliance consulting, as well as detailed guidance related to pass-through entity taxation. He is a Certified Public Accountant (Ohio) and holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Accounting from ºÚÁÏÍø.

Gina McCartney ​
Director, Internal Reporting Process & Systems - Progressive Insurance Corporation

Gina has 28+ years of insurance experience as well as system implementation experience. Her role owns Progressive’s financial systems such as the General Ledger, Cost accounting system and Planning and Forecasting. These areas are responsible for the month-end close system accounting and processing, internal profitability reporting and planning. Gina led Progressive’s significant financial transformations through the Workday Technology. She has continued to increase the usage of Workday technology with the integration of acquisitions. Gina received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Notre Dame College in South Euclid Ohio.

Steve McKechnie​
Vice President, Finance Transformation and Global BlackLine Practice Leader

Steve brings over 25 years of domestic and international experience in both corporate and consulting leadership roles working in numerous industries, in both business and IT environments. He currently leads RGP's BlackLine Practice and previously led RGP's System Selection Practice. Steve is a thought leader who takes the client's perspective to best solve their challenges. From assessments and strategy development to roadmap and framework design to leading solution implementations. Steve finds success for his clients by aligning and bridging their corporate strategies to department operations and to management of teams, while directing the portfolio of programs, resources, and budgets. Prior to joining RGP, Steve worked for Ernst & Young Consulting and Hewlett-Packard; was an independent consultant; and co-founded a start-up internet development company.

Stephen McNally ​
CFO, Treasurer & Secretary - Plastic Technologies Inc. (PTI) 

J. Stephen McNally, CMA, CPA, is the Past Chair of IMA's Global Board of Directors and continues to serve on the Global Board, the Global Board’s Global Markets Committee, and the Small Business Committee. In addition, Steve is a proud member of the IMA Toledo Chapter. Steve is CFO, treasurer, and secretary of the Plastic Technologies Inc. (PTI) Group of Companies. Based in Holland, Ohio, the PTI Group serves nearly every major consumer goods company and is recognized worldwide for sustainable packaging innovation. Prior to PTI, Steve spent a lifetime at Campbell Soup Company.

Norman Meonske ​
Meonske Professional Development Conference Founder & Kent State Professor Emeritus

Norman Meonske, Ph.D., has conducted many continuing professional education presentations for state CPA societies, corporations, CPA firms, IMA meetings, and other professional organizations. He is the recipient of IMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also the 2004 recipient of IMA’s prestigious R. Lee Brummet Exemplary Educator Award and IMA’s Ohio Regional Council’s Distinguished Service award. Meonske was recognized in 2011 as the Outstanding Educator of the Year by the OSCPA/The Ohio Region of the American Accounting Association. His prior public accounting experience was with Arthur Andersen & Co. 

Josh Messina ​
Partner - Cohen & Company

Josh Messina excels in client service, offering clear communication, consistent follow-up, and collaboration with service providers to ensure smooth business operations. He advises S Corporations, partnerships, and C Corporations in manufacturing, transportation, and service industries, including start-ups. A key focus of his work is helping clients maximize the R&D tax credit. Josh specializes in complex, multi-entity client groups with diverse ownership structures, including families, investors, and private equity. He takes a business-first approach to tax issues, guiding clients through transactions like business sales and succession planning while ensuring daily operations stay on track. He is a Certified Public Accountant (Ohio). He holds a Master of Taxation from The University of Akron and B.S. from ºÚÁÏÍø.

Kyle Moffatt ​
Partner - PwC

Kyle Moffatt joined as a partner with PwC in April 2020. He has also worked for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and held titles of Chief Accountant and Disclosure Program Director, Chief Accountant, Associate Director of Disclosure Operations, Associate Director of Disclosure Standards, and Branch Chief Accountant. Moffatt received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Maryland, College Park.  

Ron Monteiro ​
Founder & Owner - KICT Inc.

Ron is an accomplished business executive with extensive experience in the CPG industry, having held senior leadership roles (Director/VP) at Kraft Foods, Campbell’s, Kruger Products, and other leading organizations. He now runs KICT Inc., his own speaking, training, and coaching practice. Ron specializes in both virtual and in-person experiential training, delivering sessions in locations such as Nashville, San Francisco, New York, India, Vietnam, Hawaii, and Malta. He is a dynamic speaker, equally effective with large audiences (300+) and intimate groups (including executive teams), helping individuals unlock their full potential. He is also the author of the recently published book, Love Mondays, which guides individuals and teams toward greater fulfillment, joy, and productivity in their work. 

George Mount ​
Founder & CEO - Stringfest Analytics

George Mount is the founder and CEO of Stringfest Analytics, a consulting firm specializing in analytics education and upskilling. He has worked with leading bootcamps, learning platforms and practice organizations to help individuals excel at analytics. George regularly blogs and speaks on data analysis, data education and workforce development and is the author of Advancing into Analytics: From Excel to Python and R (O’Reilly Media, 2021) and Modern Data Analytics in Excel: Using Power Query, Power Pivot and More for Enhanced Data Analytics (O’Reilly Media, 2024). He is a recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award for exceptional technical expertise and community advocacy in the field of Excel. George holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Hillsdale College and master’s degrees in finance and information systems from Case Western Reserve University. He resides in Cleveland, Ohio.