New York-based Mazars USA (FY18 net revenue of $205 million) announced that partner Paula Ferreira will succeed Michael Coletti as the New Jersey OMP and Coletti will succeed Kathryn Byrne as the manufacturing and distribution practice leader. Both changes are effective Sept. 1.

Ferreira’s more than 20 years of experience encompass tax planning and business consulting services, augmented by her solid background in individual, corporate, partnership and LLC tax issues. In addition to her new role as the New Jersey office leader, she will continue to serve as the New Jersey entrepreneurial business services leader.

Coletti has approximately 20 years of experience providing advisory, audit, accounting and tax services, and specializes in delivering such services to domestic and international companies in industrials, food and beverage, and consumer products. He has extensive experience in advising clients on exit strategies, succession planning and restructuring. He is also experienced in relating to contractual arrangements, gross profit improvement analysis, costing and valuation of inventory, as well as debt and equity transactions.

Mazars USA also announced that partner Robert Kastenschmidt was named Mazars global consulting leader. He served previously as national consulting and advisory practice. He also serves as a member of both the global sectors and services team, as well as the global leadership team.

Kastenschmidt has over 20 years of experience providing accounting and management consulting services to clients in a range of industries, both in the U.S. and internationally. He has devised and implemented transformational business strategies while minimizing operational expenses, improving enterprise processes, and building talented teams across a variety of professional disciplines.

“As a firm, we consider consulting a critical growth area,” Kastenschmidt says. “Leading the expansion of this practice and being able to contribute to the success of both Mazars USA and Mazars Group is a real honor. Client complexity, needs and engagement size continue to increase, creating tremendous synergies between these two leadership roles.”

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Bob Kunkle

Charlotte, N.C.-based Dixon Hughes Goodman (FY19 net revenue of $462.5 million) announces that Bob Kunkle has joined the firm as director of executive coaching and development.

Kunkle will provide executive coaching to DHG’s partners and principals through their career stages, leadership roles and retirement.

“Bob will partner with our leaders to accelerate performance, maximize professional development and make high-value transitions as we continue on our journey to be the ‘Firm of the Future,’ ” says Mike Crawford, DHG’s COO.

Prior to joining DHG, Kunkle was an executive coach at a Big 4 firm. He also owned an executive and life coaching practice. “Bob has a passion for coaching people to live out their full potential personally and professionally, a complement to DHG’s people strategy,” the firms says.

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Jim Peko

Chicago-based Grant Thornton (FY18 net revenue of $1.87 billion) has named Jim Peko as the national MP of its advisory services practice.

Peko succeeds Srikant Sastry, who is credited with transforming the advisory practice into a full-service consultancy that has nearly doubled in size and revenue over the past five years.

Peko most recently served as national MP of the firm’s transaction services practice, where he guided a wide range of clients through a variety of complex transactions. The practice grew 17% annually over the last three years. Peko has served as a member of the firm’s partnership board for the past 20 months. In 2018, Consulting magazine named Peko a “Top 25 Consultant.”

“Jim has built a high-growth practice focused on creating value in a volatile market, and he has done so through innovative leadership and a people-first management style,” says Brad Preber, interim CEO of Grant Thornton. “He takes over a well-positioned advisory practice, and we know Jim will help our clients continue to grow and thrive.”

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