George Georgiades,
CPA

George has more than 25 years of experience in public accounting, including seven years with the former international public accounting firm Ernst & Whinney. He currently has his own firm and consults exclusively with CPA firms on technical accounting, auditing, and financial reporting and disclosure issues. He is the author of Miller Audit Procedures, GAAS Practice Manual, GAAP Financial Statement Disclosures Manual, and the GAAS Update Service and has contributed to several other publications. A graduate of the University of Toledo, he is a member of the AICPA and the California Society of Certified Accountants.

H. David Sherman

H. David Sherman is a CPA and tenured Full Professor of Accounting at Northeastern University’s College of Business Administration. He has served on the faculty of the MIT Sloan School of Management and as a visiting faculty member at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France. In August 2004, David was appointed for a one-year term as an Academic Fellow in the Division of Corporation Finance of the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. He is the co-author of Profits You Can Trust—Spotting and Surviving Accounting Landmines as well as of “The Audit Committee's New Agenda” in the June 2009 issue of the Harvard Business Review.

David has been an invited speaker on shareholder reporting issues at national professional meetings and academic meetings in the United States, Europe, and China. He also works on managing service productivity and the use of a technique referred to as “Data Envelopment Analysis.” His book Service Productivity Management —Improving Service Performance using Data Envelopment Analysis, published in 2006, includes applications to financial services, health care, and government services. He served as a director and manager of several businesses and has consulted on financial performance issues with major corporations, banks, and the Financial Accounting Standards Board.

David Sherman is the author of our publication, Interpretations of Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (formerly known as Interpretations of FASB Statement 157). David is the principal advisor to Accounting Research Manager on International Financial Reporting Standards and updated the international content in ARM’s Accounting Standards.

Suzanne M. Holl,
CPA

Suzanne is manager of Loss Prevention Services at CAMICO. She has more than 13 years of accounting experience. Her background includes health care administration in the fields of accounting, benefits administration and human resources. She is a licensed CPA and graduated with a BS in accounting from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Prior to joining CAMICO, she was Director of Employee Benefits and Health Services at a large children’s hospital based in Fresno.

Michael A. Crawford,
CPA

Mike has more than 25 years experience in public accounting and is the chairman of Crawford & Associates, P.C. an Oklahoma City CPA firm that specializes in providing professional services solely to governmental entities around the world. Mike is a Past President of the Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants’ (OSCPA), past chairman of various OSCPA committees, and a member of the Oklahoma Accounting Hall of Fame. He is the Vice Chairman of the Governmental Accounting Standards Advisory Council (GASAC) and is recognized as a frequent lecturer and author of various AICPA technical publications. He is a current co-author of Governmental GAAP Guide, Governmental GAAP Practice Manual and Governmental GAAP Update Service.

Ron Klein,
JD, CFE

Ron is the president of CAMICO Services, Inc., a subsidiary of CAMICO Mutual Insurance Coverage that provides resources and loss prevention and risk management issues to CPAs. Educated as an accountant and an attorney, Mr. Klein holds a BS in business administration and a JD. Before joining CAMICO, he was a controller, a practicing attorney and a vice president of finance in the real estate syndication industry. He is a member of the California Society of CPAs’ Committee on Professional Liability and a frequent speaker.

D. Scot Loyd,
CGFM and CPA

Scot has more than 21 years experience in public accounting and is a partner in the firm Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk & Loyd, LLC, a CPA firm headquartered in McPherson, Kansas. Scot is the partner-in-charge of a diversified governmental practice that provides services to states, counties, cities, schools and other miscellaneous government entities. He has been a contributor to the standard setting process through his active involvement as a member or Chair of several of the AICPA Task Forces and Committees and Mid-America Intergovernmental Audit Forum Committees. These committees include the AICPA Professional Ethics Executive Committee (PEEC) (Current Member); Partnering for CPA Practice Success (PCPS) Technical Issues Committee (TIC) (Past Government Accounting and Auditing Zone Chairman); and AICPA Governmental Accounting and Auditing Committee. He is a current co-author of Governmental GAAP Guide, Governmental GAAP Practice Manual and Governmental GAAP Update Service.

Jan R. Williams,
Ph.D., CPA

Jan is the Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting and Dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he has been on the faculty since 1977. Formerly, he was on the faculties of the University of Georgia and Texas Tech University. He received a Ph.D. in business administration, major in accounting, from the University of Arkansas and is a CPA licensed in Arkansas and Tennessee.

Dr. Williams has, for many years, been actively involved in the AICPA, and several other professional organizations. Throughout his career, he has taught continuing professional education for CPAs. In 1994, Dr. Williams received the Outstanding Accounting Educator Award from both Tennessee Society of CPAs and the AICPA. He was president of the American Accounting Association in 1999-2000 and has authored or co-authored five books and more than 70 articles and other publications on issues related to financial reporting and accounting education.

Mark S. Beasley

Mark is a Professor in the Department of Accounting and the Director of the Enterprise Risk Management Program at North Carolina State University, in Raleigh, N.C., where he teaches auditing courses in the undergraduate and masters programs. Dr. Beasley received a BS in accounting from Auburn University and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in North Carolina and has worked in public accounting, where he was an Audit Manager with Ernst & Young. Dr. Beasley also worked as a Technical Manager with the AICPA’s Auditing Standards Division, in New York City. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the American Accounting Association, the Institute of Internal Auditors, and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

Dr. Beasley actively conducts research related to financial statement fraud, corporate governance, and auditor quality. His work has been published in journals such as the Journal of Accounting Research, Contemporary Accounting Research, Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, Accounting Horizons, Journal of the American Taxation Association, Journal of Accountancy, and The CPA Journal, among numerous others. Dr. Beasley currently serves on COSO’s Enterprise Risk Management project Advisory Council and the AICPA’s Antifraud Programs and Controls Task Force. He has previously served on Auditing Standards Board task forces, including the SAS No. 99 Fraud Task Force. Dr. Beasley is the co-author of several continuing education courses, an auditing textbook, and an auditing casebook.

Joseph Carcello

Joseph is a William B. Stokely Distinguished Scholar and a Professor in the Department of Accounting and Information Management at the University of Tennessee. Dr. Carcello has published over 30 articles in academic and professional journals. He is the co-author of a funded research study by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) of the Treadway Commission titled Fraudulent Financial Reporting: 1987-1997, An Analysis of U.S. Public Companies. Dr. Carcello also is the co-author of a research monograph published by the AICPA's Auditing Standards Board titled Fraud-Related SEC Enforcement Actions Against Auditors: 1987-1997.

Dr. Carcello has taught continuing professional education courses for two Big 4 accounting firms, the AICPA, the Institute of Internal Auditors, the Institute of Management Accountants, and the Tennessee and Florida Societies of CPAs. He was a member of the Independence Standards Board’s Task Force on Accepting Employment with an Audit Client. Dr. Carcello currently serves on the Institute of Internal Auditors’ Board of Research Advisors.

Ric Rosario,
CPA, CFE

Ric is vice president of Risk Management Services at CAMICO. Mr. Rosario worked at John F. Forbes & Co., in the audit division. He later joined a start-up real estate venture as controller and completed his tenure as CFO. He is a part-time lecturer on accounting at Notre Dame de Namur University, Belmont, CA. He earned his BS in accounting and attended a two-year MBA program.

Judith Weiss

Judith has an M.S. in Accounting from Long Island University, Greenvale, NY and an M.S. in Education from Queens College, Flushing, NY. After several years in public accounting and private industry, she worked as a technical manager in the AICPA’s Accounting Standards Division, where she helped industry committees to develop Audit and Accounting Guides and Statements of Position. As a senior manager in the national offices of Deloitte & Touche LLP and Grant Thornton LLP, she was involved in projects related to standard-setting by the FASB and the AICPA. Ms. Weiss has followed the work of the EITF since its inception and has attending its meeting regularly since 1991.

Since 1993, Ms. Weiss has combined her extensive experience in the development and implementation of accounting and auditing standards with her technical writing background in writing project related to accounting standards. She has contributed to several books in the area of accounting and auditing. She also has co-authored articles on accounting standards for several publications, including the Journal of Accountancy, The CPA Journal, The Journal of Real Estate Accounting and Taxation, and the Journal of Corporate Accounting and Finance.

Warren Ruppel

Warren Ruppel began his career in 1979 with KPMG Peat Marwick after graduating from St. John’s University, New York. He served numerous audit clients, including many not-for-profit organizations and governments that received federal financial assistance. In 1989, he joined Deloitte & Touche to specialize in audits of not-for-profit organizations and governments.

Mr. Ruppel has since served as the CPO of a not-for-profit organization subject to the requirements of A-133, as a partner in a small CPA firm, and as an assistant comptroller for accounting for a large municipal government. He has written and conducted numerous training courses and seminars over the course of his career and is widely published in the areas of not-for-profit and governmental accounting and auditing. In addition, he has taught for the NY State Society of CPAs and has been an Adjunct Lecturer of Accountancy at the Bernard M. Baruch College of the City University of New York.

Mr. Ruppel is a member of the AICPA and the NY State Society of CPAs, where he serves on the Not-for-Profit Accounting and Governmental Accounting and Auditing Committees. He is a former president of the NY chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants. He is also a member of the Special Review Committee of the Government Finance Officers Association.

Robert J. Sonnelitter, Jr.
CPA

Robert is the Director of Quality Control at Miller Ellin & Company, LLP in New York City. He has led the quality control and accounting and auditing technical functions at several CPA firms and has more than 32 years of experience in public accounting, industry, and accounting and auditing research. Mr. Sonnelitter’s experience includes nine years with a major international firm, which he left as a senior audit manager, and several years as a Project Manager at the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). He provides expert services regarding accounting and auditing matters in litigation as well as providing research services on difficult accounting and auditing issues for clients and CPA firm partners.

Mr. Sonnelitter has published articles on accounting and has provided comments concerning proposed accounting or audit standards to the FASB and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB).

Xenia Ley Parker
CIA, CISA, CFSA

Xenia is an IT auditor with over 22 years of experience. Principal of her own firm since April 2000, Xenia joined Marsh, Inc., as Vice-President, Compliance Enterprise Technology Group, in 2004. In 2006 she assumed the position of Senior Audit Director, MMC, with global IT audit responsibility. With Coopers & Lybrand LLP for 14 years and Ernst & Young for three, she served clients in telecommunications, financial services, retail, manufacturing, and nonprofit organizations.

Xenia has developed and implemented audit methodologies, risk assessment tools, seminars, policies and procedures, and collateral material for internal and external auditors. With CBS Inc. for six years, she was Associate Director, Production, of the UNIX-based data center for CBS/AT&T Venture One, one of the earliest online services tests, which evolved into today’s Prodigy.

Ms. Parker developed the IT content in the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) study, Internal Control—Integrated Framework, has written numerous Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) and Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) monographs, and is author of the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office (CIAO) U.S. Department of Commerce reports “Information Security Governance: What Directors Need to Know” and “Building, Managing and Auditing Information Security,” the e-Risk Primer, and co-author of the Handbook of IT Auditing, 1st through 3rd editions. A frequent presenter at major conferences, Xenia was adjunct Assistant Professor of Information Systems at New York University for four years. Member of the IIA and ISACA, Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and Certified Financial Services Auditor (CFSA), she is on the IIA’s International Professional Conferences Committee (formerly on Advanced Technology), and the Board of Governors, IIA New York chapter. Xenia received the International IIA 1993 Auditing and Technology Award and New York Chapter Lifetime Achievement Award, among others.

Paul J. Sobel
CPA, CIA

Paul has 27 years of auditing experience at four Fortune 500 companies and a major international public accounting firm. He is currently Vice President, Internal Audit for Mirant Corporation, an international energy company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to his current job, he was Vice President, Risk Assessment for Aquila, Inc., an international energy company based in Kansas City, Missouri. His responsibilities at these two companies included developing and implementing Enterprise Risk Management techniques and directing internal audit activities. He is a frequent speaker on ERM topics at conferences around the country, and achieved Distinguished Faculty honors as an instructor of seminars for the Institute of Internal Auditors.

During his career with Arthur Andersen, Paul gained extensive experience performing and managing financial statement and risk-based internal audits. He was active in firm-wide initiatives, including the development of the firm's risk assessment methodology and training. He also contributed to and instructed the firm's risk consulting essentials course, and participated in the development of a risk management diagnostic tool.

Paul's career has also included the Audit Director position at Harcourt Brace publishers in Orlando, Florida, and the International Audit Manager position with PepsiCo, based in Purchase, New York. He is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and is active in the Institute of Internal Auditors, both at the national and local levels.

Frank M. Burke
J.D., CPA

Frank lives in Dallas, Texas, where he is Managing General Partner of Burke, Mayborn Company, Ltd., a private investment firm holding interests in real estate, banking, electronics, publishing, and commercial fishing. In addition, through Burke, Mayborn Company, Ltd., he provides consulting services to companies engaged in oil and gas, equipment rental, real estate, cable television, and newspapers. Mr. Burke serves, or has served, on thirteen public company boards of directors and audit committees, chairing nine of the audit committees. He also serves, or has served, on numerous private company and not-for-profit boards.

Prior to the creation of Burke, Mayborn Company, Ltd. in 1984, Mr. Burke was a partner in Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. (now KPMG) and served as Chairman-Energy Group for Peat Marwick International, having as one of his responsibilities meeting with boards and audit committees worldwide. He also served on the board of directors of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. for six years. Over the past 30 years, Mr. Burke has written seven books and over one hundred articles on various business, financial, and tax subjects. In 1977, he drafted the terms of the original limited liability company legislation enacted in Wyoming, and in 1981 obtained the first ruling from the IRS regarding the partnership status of the Wyoming limited liability company. Mr. Burke received his BBA and MBA from Texas Tech University and his J.D. from Southern Methodist University.

Dan M. Guy
Ph.D., CPA

Dan lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he has a practice limited to litigation services, specializing in auditor malpractice and ethical issues. He frequently testifies about auditing and accounting matters when retained as an expert by both plaintiffs and defendants. He completed an 18-year career with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) in January 1998, where he was Vice President-Professional Standards and Services, having overall responsibility for, among other things, the Auditing Standards Board and international auditing matters. During his tenure at the AICPA, Dr. Guy was significantly involved in developing the authoritative standards on audit risk and materiality, fraud, illegal acts, internal control, and communication with audit committees. He is the author of eleven books, including Practitioner’s Guide to GAAS, The Guide to International Standards on Auditing and Related Services, and Ethics for CPAs: Meeting Expectation in Challenging Times.

Prior to joining the AICPA as Director of Auditing Research in 1979, Dr. Guy was a professor of accounting at Texas Tech University and a visiting professor at the University of Texas at Austin. He was also in public accounting with Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. (now KPMG). He received his Ph.D. at the University of Alabama. In 1998, he received the John J. McCloy Award for outstanding contributions to audit quality in the United States. The Public Oversight Board that monitors the SEC Practice Section of the AICPA’s Division for CPA firms presented the award. In January 2001, he received the Distinguished Service in Auditing Award from the Auditing Section of the American Accounting Association.

Michael F. Garczynski
CPA

Michael F. Garczynski, CPA, is a partner in Carbis Walker LLP’s Health Care Services Group. With almost 20 years of experience in public accounting, his background includes providing assurance and advisory services to clients within the health care industry. Mr. Garczynski has also served as the accounting and auditing coordinator for Carbis Walker LLP, which included monitoring the Firm’s system of quality control, as well as being the coordinator of employee benefit plan audits for the Firm.

Mr. Garczynski has extensive experience auditing health care organizations and adding value throughout the audit process specifically relating to complex accounting transactions, financial reporting, and internal controls. He regularly makes presentations to boards of directors and professional groups and has written articles on a variety of topics affecting the health care industry.

Mr. Garczynski is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. He also represents the Firm as a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), and the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). He is currently serving as the president-elect on the board of directors of the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of HFMA.

Eric Wallace
CPA

Mr. Wallace, CPA, is a partner in Carbis Walker LLP, where he has served on the firm’s management board and as the firm’s construction industry coordinator. Mr. Wallace’s practice base is diverse both in types of specialized contractors and developers and in geographic areas, including Pennsylvania, New Mexico, North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, and Colorado.

Mr. Wallace is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), where he served on its Private Company Financial Reporting Task Force, which investigated the issues surrounding a separate due process for private company GAAP, culminating in the new Private Company GAAP Committee, in 2006, and on the AICPA Council (2004–2008). He is also a member of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), where he served as past chairman of Accounting & Auditing Procedures Committee and on the PICPA Council (2002–2004), and is President Elect for 2008–2008. He is a member of the Contractors Association of Western Pennsylvania (CAWP), the Masters Builders Association of Western Pennsylvania, and the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) (having served on its Tax & Legislative Affairs Committee as co-Chairman from 2004 through 2006), and he currently serves as representative on the national Tax and Fiscal Affairs Committee of the Association of General Contractors (AGC).

Mr. Wallace has testified as an expert witness on a broad range of contractor tax and accounting issues in construction-related court cases in venues such as bankruptcy, district, and local courts in several states, and he has represented numerous contractors before the IRS, U.S. DOL, and various state revenue departments. Mr. Wallace has published numerous articles in newsletters, books, and other media.

The ARM Group has also entered into consulting agreements with the following notable accounting professionals to help maintain the currency and relevancy of ARM:

Esther Mills
CPA

Esther Mills is the lead contributor to our interpretation, Accounting for Variable Interest Entities. She is president of Accounting Policy Plus (www.accountingpolicyplus.com). Her firm provides consulting services and litigation support, including expert testimony, on U.S. and international accounting and financial reporting issues. She also consults on Sarbanes-Oxley internal control, compliance, and governance issues. Esther has over 20 years of experience advising on complex accounting issues, specializing in the financial services industry.

Prior to starting her consulting firm, Esther was a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, where she was responsible for the Transaction Advisory, Accounting Policy, and Financial Reporting groups. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Esther held similar roles at Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs. Esther is a CPA and began her career as an auditor with KPMG, including two years as a senior manager in their Milan office.

Esther has also held leadership roles in several industry organizations, including acting as Chairperson of the Accounting Committee of the American Securitization Forum and the Bond Market Association. She has also served on a number of regulatory working groups, including the IASB Financial Instruments Working Group and the FASB Financial Statement Presentation Project.

Esther is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School.

Jeffrey H. Ellis

Jeffrey H. Ellis, of Huron Consulting, is the lead contributing author who updates the content in our publication, Accounting for Leases — Interpretations of U.S. GAAP.

Jeff was the principal author of this publication when he was a partner in Arthur Andersen’s PSG. Jeff is a frequent member of working groups that assist the FASB.

Nina T. Dorata
CPA

Dr. Dorata earned a Ph.D. in accounting from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in 2003. She holds a B.S. in Accounting and a M.B.A. in Taxation from St. John’s University. Dr. Dorata is a certified public accountant in New York. Dr. Dorata is the author of our publication, Accounting for Business Combinations, Goodwill, and Other Intangible Assets—Interpretations of U.S. and International Accounting Standards.

Before joining the faculty at St. John’s University, Dr. Dorata taught at the State University of New York at the College of Old Westbury, where she served as chair of the Accounting and Business Law Department. Additionally, Dr. Dorata taught at St. Joseph’s College. Dr. Dorata has taught numerous courses in financial and managerial accounting on both graduate and undergraduate curriculums.

Dr. Dorata’s professional experience includes working as an auditor for Price Waterhouse & Co. where she provided services to clients in the financial services and manufacturing industries. She was an Assistant Vice President of Corporate Accounting for E.F. Hutton & Co. Inc. and a Director of Financial Reporting at Staff Builders Inc.

Dr. Dorata’s research interest is primarily financial reporting and capital markets. She has presented numerous papers to academic forums and has published in peer reviewed journals such as Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance, Journal of Applied Business Research, Managerial Finance, Accounting Forum, Review of Business, and The CPA Journal.

Dr. Dorata is a member of the AICPA, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the American Accounting Association.

James F. Green

James F. Green is the lead contributing author who updates the content in our publication, Derivatives and Hedging — Interpretations of U.S. GAAP. He is also the lead contributing author, supported by John E. Stewart, who updates the content in our publication, Financial Assets and Liabilities — Sales, Transfers, and Extinguishments: Interpretations of U.S. GAAP.

Donald P. Delves

Donald P. Delves is the lead contributing author of our publication, Accounting for Compensation Arrangements. Don is founder and president of The Delves Group, a Chicago-based compensation consulting company. He consults with corporate boards and management on various compensation matters.

Don is author of Stock Options and the New Rules of Corporate Accountability (2003, McGraw-Hill) and many articles for a variety of governance, compensation, finance and accounting publications. He is also a member of the FASB’s Statement 123R Resources Group, a group organized to address Statement 123R [Codified primarily into Topic 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation] implementation issues.

Don is a CPA and holds an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago and a BA in economics from DePauw University.

Diane Kirk

Diane Kirk, of Ehrhardt Keefe Steiner & Hottman PC, is the lead contributing author who updates the content in our interpretation, “Oil and Gas Industry: U.S. Accounting and Financial Reporting.” Diane has over 20 years experience in public accounting and industry with an emphasis in the oil and gas industry. Diane is a member of the AICPA, Colorado CPA Society and the Council of Petroleum Accountants Societies, Inc. (COPAS).

The ARM Group has the publishing and technology expertise necessary to maintain and improve the functionality of ARM. Prior to joining Aspen Publishers and CCH, virtually all of ARM’s publishing and technology experts were with Arthur Andersen’s PSG, where they worked extensively with ARM. In addition, the publishing experts have established channels of communication with the standard-setters (e.g., the FASB, IASB, EITF, AICPA and SEC) to obtain authoritative materials for inclusion in ARM on a real-time basis.

Editorial Advisory Board

Dorsey L. Baskin, Jr.
Grant Thornton
Regional Partner in Charge of Professional Standards

Mr. Baskin is a member of Grant Thornton's national Professional Standards Group and the Regional Partner in Charge of Professional Standards for the South Central region of the United States. In this capacity, he is consulted on difficult accounting, auditing, and risk management matters.

Prior to Grant Thornton, Mr. Baskin spent more than 25 years with Arthur Andersen, LLP in a variety of positions, most recently in Chicago as the Managing Director of the Assurance Professional Standards Group. He was responsible for maintaining firm wide policy manuals and practice aids related to Andersen’s global audit and other attest services, and consulting on engagement matters related to firm policies and compliance with professional audit and attest standards.

Mr. Baskin also spent 10 years in Washington, D.C., as an industry technical director and regulatory liaison. Before moving to Washington, D.C., he worked in Chicago as a manager in the firm wide Accounting Principles Group and in Houston for 10 years as an auditor of banks, thrifts, REITs, trust companies, and real estate developers.

Mr. Baskin has served as a member or chairman of several American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) committees and task forces. He graduated from Texas A&M University with an M.B.A. and a B.A. (Physics).

James F. Green

James F. Green is an Illinois CPA who helps people understand complex accounting principles through his writing and by onsite training.

Previously, as a partner in Arthur Andersen LLP’s Professional Standards Group, he developed and communicated Andersen’s technical accounting positions on derivatives, hedging activities, financial instruments, securitizations, and foreign currency translation—authoring firm guidance and comment letters, participating in the U.S. and international standards-setting process, and consulting with internal and external clients.

Before joining Andersen, Jim managed and was a primary author on financial services issues for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), working with the U.S. Congress, federal regulatory agencies, private-sector standards setters, and CPAs in industry and public practice on relevant issues and proposals. Jim received a BBA in accounting from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. He joined the AICPA after six years of experience serving large publicly held financial services clients at KPMG.

Jeffrey W. Lenz
BDO Seidman, LLP
Partner, National SEC Department

Jeffrey W. Lenz, CPA, has over 27 years of diverse accounting, financial reporting, auditing, and business management experience. He is currently a partner in BDO Seidman, LLP's National SEC Department in Chicago, where he assists clients and engagement teams in preparing SEC filings and resolving accounting and reporting issues. He also monitors developments at the SEC and prepares guidance and training materials covering SEC developments. He is a member of the firm's Assurance Practice Committee and is the firm's representative on the Center for Audit Quality SEC Regulations Committee.

Prior to his service at BDO Seidman, Mr. Lenz spent five years in a similar role in the Professional Standards Group of Arthur Andersen LLP. He also worked in industry for three years as a vice president of a Detroit based automotive parts manufacturer, and for twelve years in Arthur Andersen's Detroit office.

Mr. Lenz has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Western Michigan University, and is a member of the AICPA, the Illinois CPA Society, and Financial Executives International.

Richard R. Petersen
Financial Reporting Advisors LLC
Managing Director

Richard R. Petersen is a co-founder and Managing Director of Financial Reporting Advisors LLC (FRA). Based in Chicago, Illinois, FRA provides consulting services related to accounting and SEC reporting, and litigation support services.

Previously, Mr. Petersen was a partner with Arthur Andersen LLP in its Professional Standards Group (PSG). During his 12 years in the PSG, he consulted with clients and engagement teams on complex financial reporting matters and authored interpretive guidance on topics such as consolidations, income taxes, leases and revenue recognition for Andersen's worldwide practice. He also represented the firm before various standards setters including the FASB, SEC, and AICPA.

Mr. Petersen has served as the chair or member of various Emerging Issues Task Force working groups on a wide array of topics such as consolidation, leases, income taxes and revenue recognition. He also was a member of the AICPA Taskforce on Reorganization that developed AICPA Practice Bulletin No. 11, Accounting for Preconfirmation Contingencies in Fresh-Start Reporting [Codified primarily into Topic 852, Reorganizations.] Mr. Petersen was a member of the AICPA’s Accounting Standards Executive Committee (AcSEC) from 2004 to 2008. Mr. Petersen is also the author of the CCH publication, Accounting for Income Taxes, a comprehensive guide to accounting for income taxes and is available on Accounting Research Manager.

From 1988 to 1990, Mr. Petersen was a Practice Fellow at the FASB. He was the project manager for the reconsideration of FASB Statement No. 96, Accounting for Income Taxes [Codified primarily into Topic 740, Income Taxes], and FASB Statement No. 101, Regulated Enterprises - Accounting for the Discontinuation of Application of FASB Statement No. 71[Codified primarily into Topic 980, Regulated Operations]. He also worked on issues related to business combinations and leveraged buyouts.

Mr. Petersen received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Nebraska and Illinois and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois CPA Society.

Amy A. Ripepi
Financial Reporting Advisors LLC
Managing Director

Amy A. Ripepi is a co-founder and Managing Director of Financial Reporting Advisors LLC (FRA). Based in Chicago, Illinois, FRA provides consulting services related to accounting and SEC reporting, and litigation support services.

Previously, Ms. Ripepi was a partner with Arthur Andersen LLP and was the Director of the firm's U.S. Professional Standards Group (PSG). She was also the Director of Andersen's SEC Practice. The role of the PSG within Andersen was to consult on complex financial reporting matters; establish and disseminate Andersen's policies regarding financial reporting matters; and represent the firm before various standards setters including the FASB, SEC, AICPA and IASB. Ms. Ripepi consulted and authored interpretive guidance for Andersen on a wide variety of topics including revenue recognition, income taxes, inventory (including LIFO), loss contingencies (such as environmental liabilities), and SEC rules and regulations related to both domestic and foreign registrants.

Ms. Ripepi was the chair of the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ) SEC Regulations Committee and a member of the FASB's Advisory Committee (FASAC). She also served on the Environmental Accounting Taskforce of the Accounting Standards Executive Committee of the AICPA that developed Statement of Position 96-1, Environmental Remediation Liabilities [Codified primarily into Topic 410, Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligations]. She currently serves as a reviewer of SEC content for Accounting Research Manager™.

Ms. Ripepi received a Masters of Management degree from Northwestern University's Graduate School of Business and graduated cum laude from Carleton College with a major in economics. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Illinois and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois CPA Society.

Rosemarie Sangiuolo
Financial Accounting Standards Board
Former Project Manager

Rosemarie Sangiuolo has nearly 15 years of experience in the financial services industry and in accounting standard-setting. Ms. Sangiuolo was a vice president at J.P. Morgan & Co., where she focused on technical accounting, regulatory, and financial reporting issues. Most recently, Ms. Sangiuolo worked as a project manager at the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), where she primarily addressed implementation issues associated with FASB Statement No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, and FASB Statement No. 140, Accounting for Transfers and Servicing of Financial Assets and Extinguishments of Liabilities. In that capacity, Ms. Sangiuolo has contributed to various accounting pronouncements issued by the FASB and its Derivatives Implementation Group.

Ms. Sangiuolo graduated from Fordham University with a B.A. in Economics and from New York University Stern School of Business with an M.B.A.

John E. Stewart
Financial Reporting Advisors
Managing Director

John E. Stewart is a co-founder and Managing Director of Financial Reporting Advisors, LLC (FRA). Based in Chicago, Illinois, FRA provides consulting services related to accounting and SEC reporting, and litigation support services.

Prior to his association with FRA, Mr. Stewart was a partner with the firm of Arthur Andersen LLP. He was the Director of U.S. Accounting Principles in the firm’s Professional Standards Group. In this role, Mr. Stewart consulted with clients and engagement teams on financial reporting matters; authored interpretive guidance on numerous accounting topics; and represented the firm before the FASB, SEC, AICPA, and IASB.

Mr. Stewart was a member of the FASB’s Emerging Issues Task Force for over 10 years. He also chaired or was a member of various EITF working groups on topics, such as consolidations, derivatives, financial instruments, foreign currency, hedging, leases, and leveraged buyouts. Mr. Stewart served as a member of FASB Implementation Groups on accounting for pensions (Statement Nos. 87 and 88) and income taxes (Statement Nos. 96 and 109). More recently, he was a member of the FASB’s Financial Instruments Task Force, the Derivatives Implementation Group, and the AICPA’s Financial Instruments Task Force. He is a member of the Institute of Management Accountants’ Financial Reporting Committee and the Advisory Council Executive Committee of the SEC and Financial Reporting Institute at the University of Southern California.

Mr. Stewart received an M.B.A. from Indiana University’s Graduate School of Business and an undergraduate degree from DePauw University. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Illinois. Mr. Stewart is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Illinois CPA Society, the American Accounting Association, and the Institute of Management Accountants.

Scott A. Taub
Financial Reporting Advisors LLC
Managing Director

Scott A. Taub is a Managing Director of Financial Reporting Advisors, LLC (FRA). Based in Chicago, Illinois, FRA provides consulting services related to accounting and SEC reporting and litigation support services. FRA specializes in applying generally accepted accounting principles to complex business transactions, offering clients an unbiased assessment of the accounting literature as applied to their situation. FRA also provides litigation support and expert services, and FRA’s partners participate in activities to improve financial reporting and the capital markets. In this regard, Mr. Taub is a member of the FASB’s Valuation Resource Group.

From September 2002 through January 2007, Mr. Taub was a Deputy Chief Accountant at the SEC, and twice served as Acting Chief Accountant for a total of 14 months. He played a key role in the SEC’s implementation of the accounting reforms under the landmark Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Office of the Chief Accountant, including resolution of accounting and auditing practice issues, rulemaking, oversight of private sector standard-setting efforts, and regulation of auditors.

Prior to September 2002, Mr. Taub was a partner in Arthur Andersen's Professional Standards Group (PSG). The role of the PSG within Andersen was to consult on complex financial reporting matters; establish and disseminate Andersen’s policies regarding financial reporting matters; and represent the firm before various standards setters including the FASB, SEC, AICPA, and IASB. Mr. Taub consulted and authored interpretive guidance for Andersen on a wide variety of accounting and reporting issues, including revenue recognition, business combinations, compensation arrangements, intangible assets, and investment accounting.

Mr. Taub is a frequent speaker, and is also the author of the CCH Revenue Recognition Guide, a 600-page comprehensive guide to accounting for revenue recognition published by CCH.

In April 2008, the IASB appointed Mr. Taub as a member of the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC). His appointment is effective through June 30, 2011.

Mr. Taub attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he received an undergraduate degree in economics in 1990, and won the William A. Paton Award for his performance on the CPA exam. In 2005 Mr. Taub won the SEC’s award for Supervisory Excellence. He is a licensed CPA in Michigan and Illinois and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.