Promotion Watch ’24: Plante Moran Welcomes 25 New Partners and Two Other Guys

Posted on by Going Concern News Desk
Stack of hands. Unity and teamwork concept.

The Midwest’s favorite accounting firm announced earlier this week that 25 of its brightest stars have reached the very top of the ladder so join us in giving them a salute.

  • Matthew Bohdan, risk and accounting advisory services, Southfield
  • Eric Bowers, Plante Moran Financial Advisors, East Lansing
  • Amanda Carrigan, risk and accounting advisory services, Denver Tech Center
  • Alicia Cole, wealth management, Detroit
  • Ben Cote, tax, Denver Tax Center
  • Adam Counts, assurance, Southfield [Ed. note this has to be one of the best accountant names in history]
  • Ryan Defer, tax, Chicago
  • Stephen Eckert, tax, Chicago
  • Ryan Fedricks, Plante Moran Financial Advisors, Auburn Hills
  • Alan Gallatin, tax, Southfield
  • Dana Hullinger, tax, Southfield
  • Curt Hurd, assurance, Southfield
  • Rachelle Jeselnik, tax, Chicago
  • Matthew Keigher, assurance, Auburn Hills
  • Chad McCoy, tax, Chicago
  • Amber Mitchell, assurance, Cincinnati
  • Sara Montgomery, wealth management, Denver Tech CenterStephen Palmer, tax, Columbus
  • Laura Parish, tax, Chicago
  • Shawn Riley, Plante Moran Financial Advisors, Southfield
  • Mark Sommerfeld, tax, Grand Rapids
  • Justin Switzer, tax, Ann Arbor
  • Colin Taggart, cybersecurity, Southfield
  • Alisha Taranek, tax, Ann Arbor
  • Jessica Wiltjer, tax, Grand Rapids

So if we managed to add correctly, tax comes out on top with 12 people followed by assurance with four, Financial Advisors with three, risk and accounting advisory with two, wealth management also with two, and cybersecurity with one.

In addition to these 25, two people were promoted to affiliated entity members:

  • Jonathan Grossman, Plante Moran Trust, Chicago
  • Zack Otte, Plante Moran Realpoint Investment Advisors, Denver Tech Center

“We’re excited to welcome these incredible professionals to our partner group,” said Jason Drake, Plante Moran managing partner. “This group of leaders has already added so much value to the firm and there is no doubt they’ll continue to contribute to Plante Moran’s overall growth, success and culture.”

Plante Moran promotes 25 new partners and two new affiliated entity members [Plante Moran]

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Credentials for Accountants: Certified in Financial Forensics

If you’re the type that enjoyed spy shows as a kid and loves scoping out financial statements like CSIs love autopsying dead bodies, you might want to consider a CFF (Certified in Financial Forensics) when you grow up. Anyone considering this designation may want to add CFF to the end of their name with a CFE or CFA. If you’re looking at a CFF, you might want to hurry up and decide before future CFFs are required by the AICPA, starting September 1st, to pass the CFF examination.

In May of 2008, the AICPA introduced the CFF as a professional credential that combines specialized forensic accounting expertise with the core knowledge and skills that make CPAs among the most trusted business advisers.


Education Requirements
Becau ential that represents an extensive knowledge base, CPE is an important component to qualify for and renew a CFF designation. New CFFs are required to demonstrate a certain amount of Lifelong Learning (based on the point system below) and must complete 60 hours every 3 years with renewal of the credential.

Professional Requirements
In order to qualify to become a CFF, CPAs must be an AICPA member in good standing, have five years professional experience in the field of accounting and must score at least 100 points on the application (points based on professional experience, knowledge, lifelong learning and forensic accounting credentials already held). Only CPAs can apply as a valid, unrevoked license to practice public accounting is a requirement as well.

The CFF Exam
The exam, which will be introduced as a requirement on September 1, 2010, is a four hour, 100% multiple choice exam administered by the AICPA. It consists of the following areas and weights (check out the CSOs from the AICPA here)

Professional Responsibilities and Practice Management

• AICPA 5%

• CPA Professional Responsibilities in Civil and Criminal Matters 5%

Fundamental Forensic Knowledge

• Laws, Courts and Dispute Resolution 5%

• Planning and Preparation 5%-10%

• Information Gathering and Preserving 10%

• Discovery 5%-10%

• Reporting, Experts and Testimony 5%-10%

Specialized Forensic Knowledge

• Bankruptcy, Insolvency and Reorganization 5%-10%

• Computer Forensic Analysis 5%-10%

• Economic Damages Calculations 5%-10%

• Family Law 5%-10%

• Financial Statement Misrepresentations 5%-10%

• Fraud Prevention, Detection and Response 5%-10%

• Valuation 5%-10%

Career Options
Many with the CFF credential stick to private practice and use the CFF as a way to distinguish themselves as passionate about forensic accounting.

Compensation and Other Benefits
We all know more letters = more money but in the case of the CFF, little real data can be found on the difference in compensation for CFFs versus plain old forensic accountants. We’re guessing this is because the CFF is a relatively new AICPA credential but as time goes on and frauds get larger and more complicated, we trust that this data will be much easier to come by. As a general rule, crendentialed CPAs are more valuable simply because pursuit of a credential in one’s specialty shows a level of professional dedication adored by HR departments and managers alike.

Adrienne Gonzalez is the founder of Jr. Deputy Accountant, a former CPA wrangler and a Going Concern contributor. You can see more of her posts here

You Must Be Digitally Fit to Land a Job at PwC

For those college students who aspire to one day possess a stack of PwC business […]

Another Survey, Another Reason Parents Will Pressure Their Kids into Accounting

Welcome back, people. Stuffed with watermelon mint juleps, fireworks and Klynveldian meats, most of you probably returned to full stomachs and fuller inboxes. That said, I hope your day is as painstakingly slow as mine (HR is a beautiful thing).

My morning news feed (i.e. Caleb’s morning news round-up) contained a story that is all too familiar – graduating college with an accounting degree is a safe bet. Of course. This report could have been 10 days or 10 years old; the song and dance would be the same. Consistently one of the best (meaning safest) bets for an undergraduate degree, the report from National Association of Colleges and Employers that, “jobs in accounting paid an entry-level salary of $50,402.” (It should be noted that – rumor has it – NACE pays a circus monkey to regurgitate these statistics EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR.)

Not too shabby, 50 grand a year after college. This number obviously comes with a salt shaker, as those entering into a career in public need to factor in their location and the fact that the number is pulled upwards – at least to a degree – by private salaries. My beef is not with these numbers but with the parents, high school guidance counselors and university staff that use these numbers as a means to push their products on to naïve students. Alas, my list of Flakey Reasons You Should Be an Accounting Major:


“My (insert random acquaintance reference here) is an accountant, and he/she does just fine.” That’s wonderful for your barber’s cousin’s friend, but really the success of one accountant means nothing. Doctors are successful, as is the 15 year old kid bagging my groceries. This “Mr. Smith is successful” argument is generally used as a conservative reference to a job that is less popular. Quality of life is a relative term; so who’s happier, the produce bagger or the family tax accountant?

“You need to graduate with a degree that will earn you a job.” I understand this argument; however isn’t the point of college to study a subject which you actually like? Don’t get me wrong, I am all for being realistic about this, but the long-term consequences of studying a particular subject and focusing on an industry cannot be overlooked. This leads me to…

“You can work in any industry with an accounting degree.” I like Skittles. I am downright passionate about Skittles. Skittles are my life*. Is an accounting degree the only way to work for their producer, Mars Inc? Umm. No.

“You need a job to pay back your student loans.” No argument here, except for the one about overall crisis in higher education (you know, no big deal really). A recent CardRatings.com poll showed 36 percent of college graduates are carrying student loan debt on a credit card. Sleep soundly knowing the remaining 64 percent of the group is simply burdened by lower interest rates.

But I digress. The loans should be considered a necessary means to an end (i.e. – finding a job and career of interest). If you’re majoring in a subject so you can pay down the debt…that you took on…to earn…said degree…you’re vastly missing the point of going to college.

*Don’t judge.