Grant Thornton Names New OMP
Chicago-based Grant Thornton LLP (FY12 net revenue of $356.5 million) named Kullen Birkeland as OMP of its Southern California practice, effective Aug. 1, 2014. He will oversee the growth and operations of the Los Angeles, Irvine and San Diego offices.

Kullen Birkeland
Birkeland most recently served as the firm’s West region tax practice leader, and also previously served as the leader of the Southern California and the Minneapolis tax practices. He will succeed Jacqueline Akerblom, who has served as OMP of the firm’s Southern California practice since 2012 and will continue to serve as MP of the West region.
“Kullen has played a key role in driving the strategy and leading the growth of Grant Thornton’s West region tax practice for the past two years,” says Akerblom. “We’re confident that his extensive knowledge of tax issues combined with his strong leadership skills and experience will be integral to the continued growth and success of our Southern California practice.”
Birkeland, with more than 25 years of public accounting and industry tax experience, has assisted clients in solving many complex tax and business issues, including the tax structuring of mergers and acquisitions, foreign tax planning, and state and local tax minimization.
Cherry Bekaert Welcomes New Risk Advisory Principal
Richmond, Va.-based Cherry Bekaert LLP (FY13 net revenue of $125.9 million) admitted Derrick Sturisky to the firm as a principal in the risk advisory group.

Derrick Sturisky
Sturisky will help clients build enterprise risk management and operating frameworks that result in reducing risk, increasing confidence, upgrading compliance, improving performance and/or lowering cost. Based in Cherry Bekaert’s Atlanta office, he will work with manufacturing, transportation, consumer goods, financial services and energy clients.