Professional Speaker Series

Offered Fall and Spring semesters, the Professional Speaker Series (ACG3802) is designed to expose students to technical topics and emerging issues in accounting, business, and in related professions such as law. Guest speakers will provide a practicing professional’s insights regarding technical issues and concerns affecting the accounting profession. Some sessions will relate to professional career planning, and the speakers will discuss various specialty areas, unusual occupations, unique firm practice structures, or non-traditional career opportunities.

Attendance is limited to those students who have registered for the course or have advanced approval from the course coordinator. The course may not be repeated.

Spring 2024

Crowe

6:15-7:30pm, GER 126

Speakers: Tomas Birriel, Charles Johnson, and Brian Zophin

Topic: Opportunities in Public Accounting

Tomas Birriel

Tomas Birriel

Tomas Birriel is an audit senior manager at Crowe LLP. He’s been with the firm for 12 years and his primary focus is the healthcare industry.


Charles Johnson

Charles Johnson

Charles Johnson graduated from the University of Florida with both his bachelor’s and master’s in 2018/2019, respectively. He has been with Crowe since graduating, so a little over four years. He is currently a senior staff member with an industry specialization in healthcare. However, he has had the opportunity to work on a variety of clients.


Brian Zophin

Brian Zophin

As a Certified Public Accountant and audit partner with more than 24 years of experience, Mr. Zophin serves as the Tampa Bay Office Managing Partner. His audit experience includes providing services to both public companies and private businesses ranging from start-ups to entities with over $1 billion in revenue.

Mr. Zophin has provided professional services to clients in the healthcare, technology, manufacturing, distribution, hospitality, and restaurant industries. His experience includes assisting clients with public and private offerings, registration statements, employee benefit plan audits, agreed-upon procedures, and internal controls projects.

Grant Thornton

6:15-7:30pm, GER 126

Speakers: Jarrod Huntley, Amanda Shere, and Shannon Swain

Topic: Creating a Path in Accounting That’s Your Own

Jarrod Huntley

Jarrod Huntley

Jarrod Huntley is a state and local tax manager at Grant Thornton. He’s been with the firm for five years. He is a CPA, and holds a bachelor’s in accounting, which he received from Kennesaw State University. He is a member of the Gator Bowl Committee, which helps generate an economic impact and growth within Jacksonville through professional and amateur sports, including helping organize the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and the annual Florida-Georgia football game.

Amanda Shere

Amanda Shere

Amanda is a Sr. Associate overseeing the university recruitment efforts in Central & North Florida markets at Grant Thornton. Her unique professional background includes over 13 years in property & casualty insurance, higher education, career services, and recruiting. She is a Gallup-certified Strengths Coach and Certified Professional Resume Writer as well as an active member in the National Association of Colleges and Employers and regional Florida Association of Colleges and Employers. Amanda holds a bachelor’s in communication and sociology as well as a master’s in Higher Education Student Affairs.

Shannon Swain

Shannon Swain

Shannon Swain is a Sr. Audit Associate at Grant Thornton in Orlando, Florida. She started with Grant Thornton in 2020, and her experience includes audits of large accelerated public filers. Shannon holds a bachelor’s in accounting from UF as well as a master’s in accounting from Florida Atlantic University. In her free time, Shannon enjoys spending time with her Australian Shephard and watching musicals at the local theaters.

Marcum

6:15-7:30pm, GER 126

Speaker: Michael Balter

Topic: The New Generation of Public Accounting

Michael Balter

Michael Balter

Michael Balter serves as regional managing partner for the Southeast. Additionally, he is Assurance Services leader for the Southeast region and is a member of Marcum’s Executive Committee.

Mr. Balter joined Marcum in 2014 with more than 25 years of client service experience in the construction, manufacturing, distribution, and service industries.

Mr. Balter holds an MBA from Florida Atlantic University and a BS in Accounting from the University of Florida, where he serves on the Accounting Advisory Board. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA), and the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) – South Florida. He is also a Board member and past president of the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) and is chairman of the FICPA Construction Conference.

Mr. Balter authored the Financial Management section of the Contractors Manual for Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and recently completed his term as financial counsel for the South Florida chapter of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America. He also is a regular contributor to industry journals including Construction Focus, Construction Ink, and Building Florida.

PwC

6:15-7:30pm, GER 126

Speakers: Drew Pfeifer

Topic: GenAI: What is it, why it’s important, and how it’s being used

Drew Pfeifer

Drew Pfeifer

Drew is a Director in PwC’s Cybersecurity, Risk and Regulatory practice. He has 17 years of external audit, risk management and internal audit experience. Most recently, Drew is serving as a National Leader on Generative AI (GenAI), including leading efforts on adoption within his practice of 800+ and how organizations can adopt GenAI responsibly. Drew is a Florida CPA and graduated from FSU with a degree in Accounting and Finance. Drew and his wife live in Tampa and spend a significant amount of time traveling internationally. They spent seven weeks in Africa on a sabbatical.

FORVIS

6:15-7:30pm, GER 126

Speakers: Paul Augello, Kyla Gribbins, John Nienajadlo, Katy Nguyen, Ben Perlman, Teri Sowder, David Swartz, and Jackie Teichert

Topic: Executive Leadership

Alvarez & Marsal

6:15-7:30pm, GER 126

Speaker: Michael Kohner

Topic: TBA

Michael Kohner

Michael Kohner

Michael L. Kohner is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal Tax in West Palm Beach. He is a trusted advisor on taxation and venture capital and family offices. With more than 38 years of experience, he has worked with clients across a range of industries, including private equity, real estate, technology, professional sports, media and entertainment, distribution, crypto, NFTs, and blockchain.

Mr. Kohner, a UF alumnus, launched A&M’s Tax West Palm Beach office and coordinates the activities of tax, accounting, financial planning, and valuation professionals in serving public companies, closely held businesses, venture capital firms, high net wealth families and family offices, and corporate executives.

Andersen

6:15-7:30pm, GER 126

Speakers: Allison Davis, Meghan Fallon, and David Kris

Topic: Business Advising for a Billionaire

Allison Davis

Allison Davis

Allison Davis has over 20 years of experience serving high-net-worth individuals and ownership structures involving trusts, pass-through entities, corporations, and tax-exempt organizations. Allison has worked with companies in the real estate, agriculture, construction, and insurance industries. She has also worked with trade associations, public charities, and private foundations. Allison has assisted clients with wealth transfer planning, charitable planning, mergers and acquisitions, IRS and state audit defense, accounting method changes, private letter ruling requests, and exempt-status applications.

Meghan Fallon

Meghan Fallon

Meghan Fallon started her career at Andersen in 2018 providing tax compliance and consulting services to high-net-worth individuals, their families, and closely held businesses.

Meghan has a broad base of experience in the following areas:

• Tax planning and income tax compliance for individuals and multi-generational family groups
• Estate and wealth transfer planning and compliance services
• Tax planning and tax return compliance for trusts, partnerships, S corporations, and closely held business entities
• State and local tax compliance for inter-state businesses
• Charitable planning and trusts

David Kris

David Kris joined Andersen in 2015 to provide consulting and compliance services to high-net-worth families and their associated businesses.

David has a broad base of experience in the following areas:

• Transactional consulting for private equity/investment fund managers and their organizations
• Tax planning and income tax compliance for individuals and multi-generational family groups
• Estate and wealth transfer planning among complex family dynamics
• Tax planning and tax return compliance for trusts, partnerships, S corporations, and closely held business entities

BDO

6:15-7:30pm, GER 126

Speaker: Jim White

Topic: Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Essentials: Unlocking Value for Companies and Employees

Jim White

Jim White

Jim White is the Tax Practice Leader at BDO’s Jacksonville office and also leads the National Healthcare Tax Practice. A proud University of Florida alumnus, Jim plays a key role in recruiting from his alma mater. With 30 years of experience, he offers clients advice on business growth, tax strategies, and exit planning. His services include tax planning, strategic and succession planning, mergers and acquisitions, revenue cycle management, and enhancing entity value for entrepreneurial and middle-market clients. Beyond his professional expertise, Jim is actively involved in both professional and community organizations, contributing to the Jacksonville community.


Past Speakers