Speakers

Scott J. Allen, Ph.D., is an award-winning educator passionate about working with people at all levels and across industries. He serves as an instructor in SMU’s Cox School of Business Executive Education and spent more than 18 years as a professor of management. His areas of expertise include leader development, the future of work, and executive communication.

Scott has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He’s the co-author of several books, including The Little Book of Leadership Development: 50 Ways to Bring Out the Leader in Every Employee; Emotionally Intelligent Leadership: A Guide for College Students; Discovering Leadership: Designing Your Success; and Captovation: Online Presentations by Design. Scott hosts Phronesis: Practical Wisdom for Leaders, ranked among the world's top 2.5% of podcasts. Along with the podcast, he publishes a weekly newsletter called The Leader's Edge.

Scott frequently serves as a keynote speaker. In addition, he consults, facilitates workshops, and leads retreats across industries. Recent engagements include Lubrizol, Key Bank, Progressive, Nestle, EY, Siegfried Group, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Sherwin Williams, Whiting-Turner, Toyota Motor North America, Lexus, Gee Automotive, Crestron, NASA-Glenn, Elbit America, Oatey, Dominion/Enbridge, Endeavor Energy Resources, TransAlta, FedEx Custom Critical, Thompson Hine LLP, Nordson, and Cleveland Clinic.

Scott served on the board of the International Leadership Association, Association of Leadership Educators, and Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society. He was named an ILA Fellow by the International Leadership Association in 2021.

Koltin Consulting Group, Inc. is a Chicago-based consulting firm that specializes in working with professional and financial services firms in the areas of practice growth, practice management, human capital, and mergers and acquisitions.

Highly sought for his ability to engage and inspire audiences, Allan enjoys delivering keynote addresses at conferences throughout the professional services industry. His passion is facilitating strategic planning retreats for firm leadership and partners. His specialties include strategy, governance, profitability, compensation, growth, human capital, succession, and mergers and acquisitions.

For the last twenty-four years, Allan has been named by Accounting Today as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the accounting profession. In 2023, he was listed as the “Second Most Influential” in the profession. For the past twenty-three years, Allan was voted as one of the Most Recommended Consultants in the “Annual Survey of Firms” conducted by INSIDE Public Accounting. For the past decade, Allan has been named by CPA Practice Advisor as one of the Top 25 Thought Leaders in the profession and, in 2016, they also inducted Allan into the Accounting Hall of Fame. Allan was one of the first to be inducted into the Accounting Marketing Hall of Fame by the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM). He has also been a recipient of the National Association of Certified Valuation Analyst’s Instructor of the Year Award and winner of the Journal of Accountancy Literacy Award. Previously, he was recognized by the Illinois CPA Society with the Distinguished Service Award for outstanding service and commitment to the profession.

A nationally recognized speaker and industry analyst, he has appeared on CNN, WGN and FOX TV and has been quoted frequently in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, USA Today and New York Post, as well as Bloomberg News, BBC World Service, Business Week, Forbes and Reuters. He has also spoken nationally and internationally at hundreds of conferences, including those held by the AICPA, international CPA associations and state CPA societies.

Previously, Allan was the CEO of PDI Global, which was the largest provider of marketing products and services for CPA firms. Allan sold PDI Global to H&R Block in 1998, buying it back in 2008, and then selling it to Thomson Reuters in 2011. Prior to that, Allan was a partner in the Chicago-based CPA firm of FERS, where he served as leader of the Investment Banking and Law Firm Services Groups. At age 27, Allan had the distinction of being named the youngest partner in the history of the firm and was also a member of the Fim’s Executive Committee. FERS was acquired by H&R Block in 1998.

He is a founding member of The Advisory Board, a think tank for the accounting profession. For 20 years, The Advisory Board hosted the Winning Is Everything Conference. Allan has served on various advisory boards, including SS&G, Outsource Partners International (OPI), the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM), The National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA), and H&R Block (HRB Business Services).

Koltin is the author-editor of three books for professional services firms: CPA Firm Merger Strategies That Work, CPAs That Sell and the AICPA’s Marketing a Consulting Niche. He serves or has served on the editorial advisory boards of CPA Practice Advisor, the Journal of Accountancy, Accounting Today, Inside Public Accounting and Law Firm Management.

Allan attended both the University of Wisconsin – Madison and – Milwaukee and received degrees in accounting and marketing. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Sharon, his three children, Jack, Brian and Julia, and his two dogs, Bucky and Cody. His hobbies include travel, chess and all sports.

Lucia is the driving force behind the adoption of new technologies at our firm. She stays up to date on advancements and works with firm leadership to develop and implement strategic plans that align with our goal of enhancing the client and employee experience.

Lucia comes to James Moore with nearly a decade of experience and forward-thinking leadership in technology, public accounting and tax law matters. Her notable achievements included the market launch of revolutionary tax software and building a large specialty tax practice at a top 50 accounting firm. Lucia’s knowledge of technology, strategic partnerships, teambuilding, public accounting and tax law provides our firm with a new and unique perspective on client service and operations.

Outside of James Moore, Lucia is active in local bar associations and their respective boards. She also volunteers with Project Youth, Step-Up and other organizations focused on mentoring and empowering underprivileged youth in their journeys toward college.

Louis C. Grassi, CPA, CFE is the Chief Executive Officer of Grassi Advisory Group, Inc. Lou has extensive experience in tax, accounting and consulting. Lou takes a proactive role with clients, performing such value-added services as profit-enhancement studies, operational reviews, performance benchmarking, forensic accounting, incentive compensation programs, estate and succession planning, corporate restructuring, and corporate/family retreat facilitation. Lou’s counsel has proven instrumental to the success of many companies and High Net Worth families.

Lou’s leadership, drive for success, and dedication to providing clients with high quality services has grown Grassi from a zero-base firm to being ranked the 55th largest Firm in the country, and the top 17th Largest Firm in the New York area by Crain’s New York Business. IPA has also recognized Grassi as a “Best of the Best Firms” for 10 consecutive years. The firm was also recognized by Crain’s New York Business as one of the 50 Fastest Growing Businesses in
New York City, and was ranked as the Best Place to Work by several publications.

Lou has received a number of industry accolades, including his CPA peers voting him the “Most Admired Peer”, as awarded by INSIDE Public Accounting (IPA). Lou was named one of “America’s Top 200 CPAs” by Forbes, one of the “Managing Partner Elite” by Accounting Today Magazine and was also recognized as an “Outstanding CEO” by a number of NY-area publications.

Lou was the former Chair of Moore North America, part of an international association of more than 300 independent accounting and consulting firms. As a nationally recognized expert, Lou is also frequently called upon as a lecturer and business advisor for companies and industry trade organizations. He has authored numerous local and national articles, also serving as a contributing editor to the Corporate Controller’s Manual. Lou was an adjunct professor at Columbia University teaching a graduate-level course in finance and accounting.

He has served as an executive board officer for the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), and he is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Lou also serves on numerous committees and task forces within the industries that the firm serves. He is a Board Member of the Young Presidents Organization and appears in both the national and international Who’s Who Directory of Finance. Lou was a member of the Editorial advisory board of CPA Managing Partner Report, The CPA Journal, and other industry publications.

Actively involved in his community, Lou serves on several Not-for-Profit Boards. He serves as a Board Member of the Northwell Cancer Institute, Futures in Education, Lifetime Chair of EAC, Nassau County Comptrollers, Transition Team and Audit Committee Member. Additionally, Lou serves on the Board of Flushing Financial Corp and on BRT Realty.

Beth Kieffer Leonard is Partner-in-Charge of the firm's Minnesota office. Beth served as Managing Partner at Lurie, LLP from 2007 to 2022, before the firm joined EisnerAmper. At Lurie, she focused on the firm’s strategy, expanded both service offerings and geography and actively served the community, supporting the advancement of women and minorities, as well as the local start-up ecosystem.

Beth has strengthened the Twin Cities business community for female CEOs and leaders by playing a pivotal role in bringing two national professional associations to Minnesota. She co-founded and expanded the Women’s Business Development Center – Minnesota (WBDC-MN) and played a significant role in launching six Minneapolis chapters of the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO).

Active in several civic organizations, Beth has earned recognition from numerous national and regional associations, including “Women in Business Champion” from the Small Business Administration – Minnesota and the Advocacy Award from the Women’s Business Development Center in Chicago. The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal recognized Beth as a 2021 Most Admired CEO. She was also a recipient of the “2017 Most Powerful Women in Accounting” award by CPA Practice Advisor and was inducted into the NAWBO Minnesota Women Business Owners Hall of Fame in 2018.

Gary Shamis is a highly experienced and accomplished business advisor, entrepreneur, and Certified Public Accountant with over 40 years of experience in the accounting and consulting industries. As the Managing Director of Winding River Consulting, Gary provides strategic guidance and support to accounting firms, helping them navigate the complex challenges of the modern business landscape.

Throughout his career, Gary has worked with hundreds of accounting firms across the United States, ranging from small local practices to large international organizations. He has a deep understanding of the challenges facing the industry, and has helped countless firms overcome those challenges and achieve long-term success.

Gary is a recognized thought leader in the industry and a frequent speaker at industry events. He has authored numerous articles and publications on topics related to accounting firm management, leadership, and growth. He is passionate about helping accounting firms achieve their full potential and has dedicated his career to this mission.

Prior to founding Winding River Consulting, Gary was a co-founder of SS&G, a top 50 accounting and consulting firm, where he served as Managing Partner for over 30 years. Under his leadership, the firm grew from a small local practice to a regional powerhouse with multiple offices and a diverse portfolio of clients.

Gary is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Akron.

With his extensive knowledge, experience, and passion for the industry, Gary has earned a reputation as a trusted advisor and mentor to accounting firm leaders across the country. He works closely with his clients to develop customized strategies that drive growth and profitability, and he is committed to helping accounting firms thrive in the face of the challenges and opportunities of the modern business world.

I am a certified public accountant with more than eight years of experience in helping real estate investors and business owners build tax smart portfolios. I founded Hall CPA, a boutique accounting and consulting firm that specializes in serving the needs of the real estate industry. We have worked with more than 1,000 clients to provide candid, intelligent counsel and add value to their bottom line.

Drew Hendrickson, CPA, is Shareholder and Practice Leader of LBMC’s Cybersecurity practice. Hendrickson has more than 19 years of experience as a security professional helping clients manage risks in today’s ever evolving security landscape and building resiliency in their security programs to respond and get their business back up and running in the event of an incident.​ LBMC’s Cybersecurity practice offers security services in compliance, consulting and technical testing among others and focuses on Fortune 500 to mid-size enterprises in the healthcare, technology, retail, and manufacturing industries as well as the federal, state and local government space. Hendrickson has worked with the AICPA to lead and educate other CPA firms on best practices for SOC reporting and he has assisted in the development and delivery of training materials for cybersecurity courses. Hendrickson serves on several boards and committees with a focus on security and accounting education.

As a dancer turned “product person” turned “people person,” I firmly believe that each of us is on a personal journey to marry our passion, purpose, and highest potential. I’ve dedicated my career to helping individuals, teams, and organizations see new possibilities, clarify their vision, and realize their dreams. This personal passion is reflected in Ascend’s mission to honor and maintain the independence of the firms we partner with, while reimagining what’s possible and helping each other succeed through shared community and support.

My favorite Ascend value is “Bring the Sunshine.” While none of us can show up with 100% positivity every day, this value emphasizes our effort to explore creative solutions and to enjoy the journey with our colleagues just as much as we enjoy celebratory milestone moments.

I am grateful for the educational and professional experience that has led me to Ascend. In addition to studies at Columbia University (BA, Sustainable Development and Dance) and Stanford (MBA), I have built and scaled culture and strategy programs at Alpine Investors and have advised top C-suite leaders across private equity, hedge funds, and F500 companies on talent strategy, talent selection and the development of high performers as an executive at ghSMART.

I am a “West coaster” (from California) living out East (in Boston) with my husband and 14-pound cavapoo pup. On the weekends you can find me out on a run, catching up with a good friend on the phone, or dancing to music as I try a new healthy recipe in the kitchen.

As the founder and CEO of Spiirall, Danielle’s role is to lift employees and leaders from where they are professionally to where they want to go. Using a proven approach developed through working with accounting firms throughout the country, she and her team are action-oriented client partners. The Spiirall team works together to identify and solve leadership underperformance, morale and turnover problems, lack of clarity in direction and goals, and constructive feedback needs. Managing these elements of the employer/employee puzzle leads to huge peace of mind and opens the door to explore exciting new ways to encourage and develop talent.

Danielle brings more than twenty years of experience in leadership training, culture development, and human resources consulting to her role, which she combines with a no-nonsense, yet infectious passion for developing talent.

After a few years of college, Danielle made the difficult decision to press pause on pursuing her degree to focus on raising her children. Danielle attributes much of her professional success to the training opportunities provided by her previous employers. She has personally been the beneficiary of exceptional training programs and is deeply committed to creating boundless opportunities for others through Spiirall’s learning experiences.

When not working with clients to change the employee experience in public accounting, Danielle can be found hiking, paddleboarding or playing outside in the Colorado sunshine with her husband Jordan and daughters Haley and Lauren.

Danielle lives in Loveland, Colorado where she shares an office with her dog Charley D. and cat Charlie C.

David Toth built his marketing expertise around a strong digital comprehension. Understanding the importance of data, he reasoned, should guide each step of the process, using informed decision making to adapt when and where necessary. Armed with the evidence, David challenges the status quo to drive results.

He is a strategic-thinker and believes the path to successful outcomes includes integrating technology with tried-and-true practices. As David sees it, when it comes to digital transformation there will always be new dots to connect. The challenge is having the discipline to make the connections that close the gap between marketing dollars and sales revenue.

David has served as an outsourced CMO, agency executive, and change agent for organizations in sectors from fast-growing start-ups to well established Fortune 500 companies. He has a knack for building meaningful relationships. David has found that while each business and industry is unique, the foundation to success is always the same — know your audience.

• BA, Communications, John Carroll University
• Former Member, U.S. Martial Arts Team
• United States Federal Law Enforcement Academy (FLETC)
• Certified, International Sports Science Association (ISSA)

Jennifer has over 25 years of executive leadership experience, with half of that time running her own accounting and consulting firm in Canada and the other half in a variety of global executive leadership roles at Sage.  Jennifer is currently the President of QuickFee North America and is based in Dallas, Texas. QuickFee offers market-leading financing, online payments, and A/R automation solutions to professional service firms, primarily in the accounting and legal space.

Jennifer was recognized as one of the Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Accounting by CPA Practice Advisor and the AICPA for seven consecutive years (2013-2019) and was named by Accounting Today as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People for nine consecutive years (2010-2018). Jennifer was also recognized as one of the “Top 40 Under 40” by CPA Practice Advisor for six consecutive years (2010-2015). Recognized as a thought leader, she has been a frequent and top-rated keynote speaker at industry events and business conferences.

Chris Smith is the Chief Growth Officer at QuickFee, where he leads innovative growth strategies to drive client engagement and business expansion within the accounting industry. With over 18 years of experience across the tech and financial sectors, Chris has a proven track record in revenue operations, go-to-market strategy, and sales leadership. His expertise lies in developing and executing growth strategies that resonate with the unique needs of accounting firms, helping them to leverage technology to streamline processes and accelerate business outcomes.

Kristen is the Chief People Officer (CPO) at Centri Business Consulting. She has over 20 years of experience. She joined Centri in March 2015 as a Controller, became CFO in 2018, and CPO in 2020. As CFO, she oversaw all of Centri’s finance and administrative functions to ensure reliable and accurate financial data was provided on a timely basis. In February 2023, Kristen transitioned fully to her role as CPO. As CPO, she is responsible for ensuring the firm’s core values are communicated and lived on a daily basis, as well as overseeing the strategy and process related to building and retaining an exceptional team of professionals. She started the first Centri Leadership program in 2019 and facilitates Centri’s Path to Partner Program, manages the Mentor Program, and various team engagement projects.

Prior to her time with Centri, Kristen was a Senior Manager with Baker Tilley Virchow Krause, LLP (formally, ParenteBeard LLC) for over 8 years. Kristen was a member of their Healthcare Business Services group. She oversaw multiple healthcare and not-for-profit audit engagements where she managed multiple team members, prepared and assisted in the preparation of financial statements, reviewed and prepared workpapers used to support audit opinions, prepared and assisted in the preparation of the Schedule of Expenditures and Federal Awards, as well as audit federal expenditures and provide opinions in accordance with the Single Audit Act and OMB Circular A-133. She also prepared and instructed multiple internal training sessions.

While at ParenteBeard, LLC, she participated in the Leadership, Entrepreneurialism, and Achievement at ParenteBeard (“LEAP”) program. It is a 3-year program led by Penn State instructors in which selected participants acquire the skill set necessary to become an effective leader in today’s competitive, global work environment. She was given the Rising Star Award voted on by her peers at the end of the program.

Kristen received a B.S. in Accounting from West Chester University in 2002 and is a Certified Public Accountant. She is a member of Chief.

Kristen is a mom to two boys, 13 and 11. One of her passions is snowboarding with her husband and children.