Accountancy
Highlights
Numbers tell only part of the story.
As a top-4 accountancy program at a university consistently ranked among the best in the country, it’s easy to get caught up in numbers. But like all good accountancy programs, we’re more interested in the story the numbers tell.
Your Notre Dame accountancy story will be defined by human interaction: between professor and student, between peers, between you and the people, you serve during your time at Notre Dame.
A member of the Federation of Schools of Accountancy
An ethical approach
Yes, our rigorous curriculum will prepare you to solve complex accountancy challenges. But more importantly, the solutions you devise to these challenges will be informed by a deep sense of ethics strengthened during your time at Notre Dame.
TAPping into your expertise—and your servant’s heart
Through the Tax Assistance Program (TAP) you’ll have the opportunity to provide tax preparation services to low-income individuals. In the process, you’ll gain real-world experience—and help local community residents receive much-needed tax refunds.
Once a Domer, always a Domer
The strength, accessibility and engagement of the Notre Dame alumni network are virtually unparalleled. We take care of own, during and after your time on campus.
This wealth of diverse experiences creates accomplished—and satisfied—graduates. In fact, Notre Dame ranks No. three on national alumni satisfaction surveys. There we go with the numbers again.
Department Administration
Brad Badertscher
Deloitte Foundation Department Chair of Accountancy
Brad Badertscher is the Deloitte Professor of Accountancy. Brad teaches an accounting research class as well as Corporate Financial Reporting, an elective in the MBA program. Badertscher earned his MBA and PhD in Accounting from the University of Iowa.
Brad researches financial accounting issues, focusing on financial report quality. In recent papers, he examined fair value accounting, tax aggressiveness, and private firm accounting. Brad has published in The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting & Economics, Journal of Accounting Research, Review of Accounting Studies, Journal of Management Accounting Research, and Accounting Horizons. Brad was a former Editor at The Accounting Review and reviews for many of the top accounting and finance journals.
Contact: (574) 631-5197 or bbaderts@nd.edu
Colleen Creighton
Assistant Department Chair and Associate Teaching Professor
Colleen Creighton is an Associate Teaching Professor and an instructor for undergraduate and graduate tax and accounting courses in the undergraduate and Master of Accountancy programs. She currently teaches the Introductory Managerial Accounting course, Wealth Planning Taxation, Partnership Taxation, Tax Accounting Periods and Methods and is the director of the Tax Assistance Program.
She is a Certified Public Accountant with more than 35 years of professional experience including 30 years with Deloitte Tax LLP. Her professional experience outside public accounting included the management of the financial consulting group within a large financial institution and the management of the trust department within a private family office.
Colleen has a BBA in Finance from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Science in Taxation from DePaul University. She also has a Certified Financial Planning certificate.
Contact: (574) 631-3299 or ccreight@nd.edu
Barb Westra
Administrative Assistant
Contact: (574) 631-7324 or bwestra@nd.edu
Accountancy Advisory Board (AAB)
The Accountancy Advisory Board is comprised of professionals across a variety of practices and specialties. Advisory board members work to advance accounting curricula through topic and skill suggestions and serve as mentors and support systems providing advice and recommendations to faculty and students.
Partner, Financial Services-Banking & Finance
KPMG LLP
PROFESSIONAL
John specializes in accounting and auditing for large, multinational commercial and investment banks as well as consumer finance businesses. John is an Audit partner in KPMG’s national office, its Department of Professional Practice in New York, the firm’s technical advisory group serving its clients and personnel in the areas of accounting, regulatory and auditing issues. His focus has been on the development of tools, training and guidance to assist engagement teams in the execution of our audits. Such work has been primarily focused on our banking clients and internal control over financial reporting in the areas of the allowance for loan losses, fair value measurements, and other areas of accounting estimates. John is also an Engagement Quality Concurring Review (EQCR) partner serving a number of public company audit client across the US. Lastly, John is the Advisory Service Line Risk Management Partner overseeing much of the non-IT attestation work performed by the firm’s advisory practice, principally our securitization agreed upon procedures and Regulation AB work.
EDUCATION
University of Notre Dame, BBA degree, accountancy
Licensed CPA, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, New York, and New Jersey
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
John is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
John is a member of the Society of Certified Public Accountants in New York, California, and Illinois.
Managing Director
Deloitte
PROFESSIONAL
Stacey Cloutier is the Lead Talent Director serving the Deloitte Advisory business. She is responsible for the strategy and delivery of Talent services for 15,000 professionals. She leads a team of Talent professionals, connects with all facets of the Talent and business organizations, and is a member of Deloitte’s National Talent Leadership team.
Stacey brings over 25 years of experience including providing audit services for external clients, serving as the Director of MBA Career Development at the University of Notre Dame and holding various Talent leadership roles. She has a diverse toolkit of talent-related competencies including Acquisition, Performance Management, Off-shoring, Strategy & Communications, Resource Management, Inclusion, and Career Planning & Development.
EDUCATION
Stacey holds a BBA in Accounting from the University of Notre Dame.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Stacey has served on the Board of the Junior League of South Bend, is an instructor for the Human Resources Certification Institute, and is the Lead University Partner for the firmwide relationship with the University of Notre Dame.
PERSONAL
She resides in Granger, Indiana with her husband David
Tax Partner
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
PROFESSIONAL
Ann Marie is a CPA and tax partner in the Chicago office of PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP where she specializes in corporate taxation and accounting for income taxes. Most recently, Ann Marie works with clients to get the most out of their tax functions through optimizing processes, utilizing human capital strategically, maximizing investments in technology and leveraging data for reporting and strategic tax decision making. Ann Marie is a frequent speaker on tax accounting and technical topics, and has appeared on PwC webcasts on tax function operations and driving performance.
EDUCATION
Ann Marie achieved a Bachelors of Business Administration in Accountancy cum laude with a minor in Theology and a M.S. in Accountancy magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
She currently serves on Notre Dame’s Accountancy Department Advisory Board and teaches a course, Accounting for Income Taxes, in Notre Dame’s M.S. in Accountancy program.
PERSONAL
Outside of work, Ann Marie enjoys travel, golf and other outdoor fun, all things Notre Dame and spending time with her extended family. She is also a sacristan, lector and Eucharistic minister in her parish, Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph, on the Near North side of Chicago.
Associate Director
Moody’s Analytics CRE
PROFESSIONAL
Natalie Ambrosio Preudhomme is an Associate Director at Moody’s Analytics on the Commercial Real Estate thought leadership team, where she does research and outreach focused on climate and ESG. Natalie’s publications and presentations explore the intersection between climate change and financial real estate metrics. Her work helps investors, lenders and developers integrate climate and ESG data into their decision-making. Previously Natalie led climate-related thought leadership at Moody’s ESG Solutions which she joined through the acquisition of Four Twenty Seven, a leading provider of data on physical climate risk for financial stakeholders.
At Four Twenty Seven she led communications and editorial strategy, leveraging her background in climate adaptation, communications and environmental sciences to translate technical information into actionable insights for climate risk assessment and resilience-building across sectors. Previously, Natalie helped develop an assessment of U.S. cities’ vulnerabilities to climate change and their readiness to adapt, at the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN).
EDUCATION
Natalie holds a B.S. in Environmental Science and a Certificate in Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy from the University of Notre Dame and a Certificate in Climate and Investing from the CFA UK.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
She currently serves on Notre Dame’s Accountancy Department Advisory Board and is a member of the American Society of Adaptation Professionals.
PERSONAL
Natalie lives in Bainbridge Island, WA, with her husband, Alexander, who she met at Notre Dame. Outside of work she spends as much time as she can outdoors, hiking, camping or honing her amateur birdwatching skills.
Managing Director in Deals
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Cloud Technical Accounting
PROFESSIONAL
Eric works as part of Google Cloud’s Technical Accounting team. He provides technical accounting support for large or complex contracts with customers, documents first of kind situations, and collaborates with Alphabet Technical Accounting to drive accurate financial reporting across the segment. In addition to the reactive support, he develops proactive resources such as decision aids and a documentation library to drive scalability in decision making across judgmental areas.
Prior to Google, Eric worked in Grant Thornton’s Accounting Advisory Services practice. He primarily led teams assisting clients with implementation of, and ongoing compliance with, ASC 606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers.
EDUCATION
University of Notre Dame – Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA), Financial Reporting and Assurance – 2014
University of Notre Dame – Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Accountancy – 2013
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Licensed CPA (IL)
Member, AICPA
PERSONAL
Eric and his wife Taby are relocating to the Twin Cities of Minnesota from Chicago. They look forward to colder winters and the slower pace of the suburbs.
Managing Director
Andersen LLC
PROFESSIONAL
Ellen was promoted to Managing Director in the Private Client Services practice of Andersen in 2010. She specializes in sophisticated income and estate tax planning for high net worth individuals, families and family offices. Her areas of expertise include income tax planning and compliance, succession and estate tax planning, carried-interest planning, and charitable gifting. Ellen has extensive experience with partnership, gift, estate, trust, foundation and individual taxation. She collaborates closely with her clients, attorneys and investment advisers to develop, implement and maintain personal tax planning strategies that address their evolving needs and objectives, from both a tax-efficiency and a wealth-transfer perspective. Ellen’s clients include owner operators of businesses, highest-level executives of public companies, professional athletes as well as founders and managers of private equity, hedge and venture capital funds. Ellen has been designated as a Global Elite Advisor by ALM and has held various leadership positions within her firm.
Ellen is a contributor to the treatise Tax Economics of Charitable Giving. She has also been published in the periodical Taxation of Exempts, co-authoring an article with ND Professor James Wittenbach.
EDUCATION
Syracuse University, BS Accounting
University of Notre Dame, MS Accountancy, Tax track – recipient of Academic Excellence Award, class valedictorian
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
CPA
AICPA
Larry Kraus Family Office Tax Institute, Advisory Board Member since inception
ND Accounting Advisory Board
Partner, Accounting Principles Group
CPA (Illinois)
Grant Thornton LLP
PROFESSIONAL
Ryan is a partner in Grant Thornton’s Accounting Principles Group. He began his career in Grant Thornton’s Chicago audit practice and currently works in the firm’s national office, helping audit teams resolve technical accounting issues in areas including leases, debt and equity transactions, and derivatives and hedging.
EDUCATION
Ryan graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a BBA and MS in Accountancy, and is a member of the Accountancy Department’s Advisory Board.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
He is a CPA (Illinois) and a member of the AICPA and Illinois CPA Society, for which he has served as chairman of the Accounting Principles Committee.
PERSONAL
Ryan has given numerous presentations, and authored several publications, on a variety of accounting topics including leasing and debt and equity transactions.
CPA-Tax Partner
Crowe LLP
PROFESSIONAL
Mr. Brecht joined Crowe in 2006 and has worked extensively with private equity groups to provide tax services in a range of areas. He has provided tax services including fund income tax compliance, mergers and acquisitions advice, and tax consulting.
Prior to joining Crowe he worked for Ernst & Young, LLP in Chicago, where he worked on tax compliance engagements for privately and publicly held companies. During his career, Mr. Brecht has focused on private equity groups investing primarily in the middle market including transaction advisory services, fund tax services and portfolio tax services. He is part of the firm’s tax leadership group for delivering tax services to the private equity industry. He has extensive experience in working with clients to optimize the tax impact of various exit structures.
EDUCATION
Master of Science, Accounting – University of Notre Dame ‘02
Bachelor of Business Administration – University of Notre Dame ’01
Certified Public Accountant, CPA
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Indiana CPA Society
PERSONAL
Part of the local community and proudly married to Christina Brecht (Tatay), who I met while at Notre Dame. We are parents to our wonderful daughter, Elisabeth (age 7). Past President and Treasurer of the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley. Avid golfer.
Chairman & CEO
Burke America
PROFESSIONAL
Bob is the Founder and Chairman of Ladder Up, one of the country’s largest financial services companies for the working poor. Bob also founded Burke America, a Chicago-based private holding company that owns and operates technology-enabled parts solution businesses. Bob was awarded the Chicagoan of the Year by Chicago magazine in 2012 and is an active member of the Young Presidents Organization.
EDUCATION
Harvard Business School MBA
University of Notre Dame BBA
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Young Presidents Organization (YPO)
Catholic Charities
Partner
Deloitte Tax LLP
PROFESSIONAL
Steven has been with the Chicago office investment management practice for over 14 years working primarily with private equity and venture capital investment funds, alternative investment vehicles, family offices, and operating partnerships. He also oversees the firm’s delivery of tax services and industry initiatives to private equity firms in his role as the Deloitte Private US Tax Leader for Private Equity.
As a federal tax partner, Steve works closely with his clients on structural and tax compliance matters, including evaluating tax considerations when launching a new fund/and or co-investment, structuring foreign and domestic investments in order to achieve optimal exit strategies including implications to ultimate shareholders, and providing efficient and streamlined investor tax reporting. Steve helped develop the Deloitte’s Private Equity
Fundamentals I national tax training program and has facilitated the training multiple years.
EDUCATION
Steve holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accountancy (2008) and a Master of Science in Accountancy with a specialization in Taxation (2009) both from the University of Notre Dame.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Steve is a Certified Public Accountant and holds an active license in Illinois. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Illinois CPA Society.
PERSONAL
Steve lives in Chicago with his wife and two children. Outside of work, Steve serves on the board of Imerman Angels, a non-profit with a mission to provide comfort and understanding for all cancer fighters, survivors, previvors and caregivers through a personalized, one-on-one connection.
Partner
Ernst & Young LLP
International Tax Senior Manager
Deloitte Tax LLP
PROFESSIONAL
Keith is a Senior Manager in the International Tax practice of Deloitte Tax LLP with over eight years of client-serving experience in the Carolinas market. He has more than eight years of experience in providing international tax planning across various industries assisting the multinational enterprises through compliance, consulting, and provision services. He provides value to clients by understanding their global tax profiles, business operations, and financial goals, identifying areas for opportunities to achieve organizational objectives, and driving efficiencies related to reporting obligations.
Prior to rejoining Deloitte in 2018, Keith spent 2 years as a professional golfer. During his tenure as a professional golfer, Keith participated in tournaments organized by various organizations and associations including the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Latin America, and Advocates Professional Golf Association. Keith is registered as a CPA in North Carolina.
EDUCATION
Furman University – B.A., Economics and Accounting (2012)
University of Notre Dame – M.Acc., Tax Services (2013)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
North Carolina CPA
AICPA
PERSONAL
Keith resides in Charlotte North Carolina with his wife, Lisbeth Early (UNC, 2012) and daughter Noah Eloise Early (1 year). Outside of work Keith volunteers with the First Tee and the HV3 Foundation as well as continues to participate in national, state, and local amateur golf tournaments.
Partner
Americas Deputy Vice Chair – Tax
Ernst & Young LLP
PROFESSIONAL
Martin currently serves as EY’s Americas Deputy Vice Chair—Tax, overseeing strategy and operations for the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and Israel. His focus includes setting strategic direction for the Americas Tax Practice in the areas of markets, client service, financial performance, talent, and professional quality.
Prior roles included Tax Managing Partner – US East Region and Americas Tax Talent Leader. He began his career as a financial auditor and transitioned to specialize in international tax with the EY National Tax Practice.
He currently is a member of the EY Global Tax Executive Committee and the Americas Tax Leadership team. He spent seven years on the Americas Inclusiveness Advisory Council and was Executive Sponsor of the technology committee that first introduced intelligent automation at EY.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Martin is active in organizations related to youth job programs and education, including the AICPA Learning Advisory Board; Champions of Quality Education; the Advisory Council of Our Lady of Grace School; the Business Advisory Board of Norfolk State University; and Department of Accountancy Advisory Board, University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business. He also has guest lectured at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Virginia on tax, technology, and future of talent themes.
PERSONAL
In his recently published book, Humanity Reimagined: Where we go from here, he explores the accelerating convergence of people and technology and the opportunities and challenges these developments represent. Published in 2021, the book has won 3 prestigious book awards, including best business book of the year. Martin lives in New York City with his wife and daughters. He is an active marathon runner, enjoys skiing with his family, and is a proud Notre Dame football fan. Connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn
Partner-in-Charge, National Mergers & Acquisitions
Marcum LLP
PROFESSIONAL
Ken is a Partner in Marcum’s Advisory & Consulting Services Group with over 30 years of experience in the public accounting profession. Ken serves as the engagement partner on many of the firm’s audit and tax engagements and has overall responsibility for client service to ensure our services are delivered accurately, timely and on budget.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Business Administration – Accounting
University of Notre Dame
Master of Business Administration, With Distinction – Finance and Accounting
DePaul University
Additional post-graduate coursework – Accounting
Northwestern University
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
AICPA / OSCPA / NACVA / EPI / CGMA
PERSONAL
Married, 2 children
Managing Director, Global Head of Internal Audit
R.J. O’Brien
PROFESSIONAL
Bill Harrington serves as the global leader of the Internal Audit function at R.J. O’Brien (RJO) in Chicago. RJO is the oldest and largest independent Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) in the US, and it is the only remaining original member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The company has global locations in London, Paris, Dubai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Toronto.
Prior to this role, Bill was in professional services for over twenty-five years serving financial services clients from both an audit and consulting perspective as a Partner at PwC in their Risk Assurance practice and as a Partner at FGMK, LLC in their Risk & Controls practice.
EDUCATION
Bill has a B.S. from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Bill has been involved with the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) in Chicago, having served on their Board of Directors as a Program Director, Vice-President and President. He has also served on the Board of Directors for the Chicago Chapter of the Risk Management Association (RMA).
PERSONAL
Bill and his wife Becky live in Frankfort, Illinois and have three children – Rachel, Matthew, and Adam.
Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer
The Procter & Gamble Company
PROFESSIONAL
Matt has worked at The Procter & Gamble Company for 20 years. Matt’s responsibilities at Procter & Gamble have included category finance leadership, country finance leadership in Mexico and internal audit. Matt currently leads the corporate accounting and regional controller organizations at The Procter & Gamble Company including all technical accounting consultations, adoption of new accounting pronouncements and the external financial reporting. Prior to joining Procter & Gamble, Matt was a Senior Audit Manger at Deloitte in Cincinnati, Brussels and New York City.
EDUCATION
University of Notre Dame, BA degree, Accountancy
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Matt participates in Financial Executives International’s Committee on Corporate Reporting. Matt is a member of the AICPA and Ohio Society of CPAs.
Chief Financial Officer
Goodwill of Orange County
PROFESSIONAL
Elizabeth Jensen is a CPA with over 25 years of experience in public accounting as well as in the private sector. Currently, Elizabeth is the Chief Financial Officer for Goodwill of Orange County. In her role, Elizabeth is responsible for managing the annual operating and capital budgets for the organization that includes 23 retail stores and the e-commerce platform, ShopGoodwill.com. She is also an integral part of the executive leadership team that is developing the long-term strategic plan for Goodwill.
EDUCATION
Elizabeth graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1994 with a degree in Accounting and began her career with PwC, LLP in the audit practice in the Los Angeles office. Her audit experience included industries such as retail, entertainment, higher education, automotive and oil and gas.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Elizabeth serves on the Advisory Council of the CFO Executive Summit in Orange County, CA and is a member of AFWA, the Accounting and Finance Women’s Alliance.
PERSONAL
Elizabeth lives in Newport Beach with her three daughters, two of whom attend Notre Dame and one who graduated in 2023 with her accounting degree.
Partner, Accounting Advisory
CrossCountry Consulting
PROFESSIONAL
Christina is a Partner at CrossCountry Consulting. She provides accounting, finance, and ESG advisory services to a diverse range of public and private companies. Christina previously worked in the KPMG audit practice for 14 years, primarily serving clients in the real estate industry. Additionally, she led the formation of KPMG US’s onshore shared service center. Christina is a licensed CPA in the state of Illinois and holds an Executive Certificate in Advancing Sustainability from the NYU Stern School of Business.
EDUCATION
BBA, Accountancy – Notre Dame (2008)
MSA, Financial Reporting – Notre Dame (2009)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
AICPA, ICPAS, ALPFA
PERSONAL
Christina met her husband (Mike) in the Notre Dame MSA program. They reside in Riverside, Illinois and have two young daughters (Natalie and Isabel).
Deals Director
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
PROFESSIONAL
Jessica is a Director in the Deals Practice at PwC focusing on Capital Markets and Accounting Advisory Services having more than nine years of experience in the financial services industry across a range of sectors including insurance and reinsurance companies (both in P&C and life/annuities), hedge funds, mutual funds, broker-dealers, private equity funds, and hedge fund of funds. Prior to joining the Capital Markets and Accounting Advisory services group in Chicago, Jessica spent three years in the Chicago Financial Services audit practice providing audit and accounting advisory services to property and casualty and life insurers and hedge fund managers.
Jessica specializes in technical accounting and financial reporting knowledge including: accounting for insurance contracts under US GAAP and IFRS (including LDTI and IFRS 17), consolidation, divestiture accounting, derivative accounting, principles of revenue recognition, investment accounting, segment reporting, the SEC registration process, pro forma financial statements and other various financial reporting considerations.
Jessica has worked on SEC registration/listing projects for domestic and foreign private issuers, purchase GAAP projects, carveout/divestitures projects, GAAP and IFRS conversions, and various financial reporting and transaction advisory engagements across both financial services and non-financial services industries.
EDUCATION
CPA – Certified Public Accountant
Master of Accountancy, University of Notre Dame
Bachelor of Arts, Accounting, University of Notre Dame
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Member of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Illinois CPA Society
Chief Financial Officer
Merit Energy Company
PROFESSIONAL
Ann Mennel serves as the CFO for Merit and is directly responsible for the Treasury, Accounting, Tax and Technology functions. Prior to this role, Ann was the Treasurer of Merit Energy and also acted as Manager of Merit’s Investor Relations group in which she was instrumental in raising over $2.6 billion in our partnerships. Ann started her career at Merit in our Treasury Group as Treasury & Risk Manager. In this role, she handled cash management, credit facilities and banking relationships, and risk management programs including commodity and interest rate derivatives. Ann joined Merit in 2004 after working at Arthur Andersen in the Energy Trading Consulting National Practice.
EDUCATION
Ann received her B.B.A. and Masters of Science in Accounting from the University of Notre Dame in 1999. She earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 2009 and is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the state of Texas.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
CPA (State of Texas), CFA
PERSONAL
Ann has two daughters, a freshman in high school and a fifth grader, and she enjoys volunteering with the National Charity League and at her daughters’ schools.
Vice President, Accounting Strategy
United Parcel Service
PROFESSIONAL
Michael leads the ongoing development, communication, and implementation of longer-term innovation and strategic plans for UPS’s global record-to-report organization, while aligning those plans with broader finance, business unit, and regulatory objectives. Prior to UPS, Michael served as Vice President, Assistant Controller for McKesson Corporation, where he led various accounting and financial systems teams through numerous modernizations. These included strategic divestitures, reorganizations of operating segments, transforming data governance and financial systems, and other priorities improving speed, depth and transparency in financial reporting and analytics.
Michael also has led various accounting and finance organizations through a number of global acquisitions, carve-outs and divestitures, including spin-outs from Intel and from Citigroup and private equity transactions.
EDUCATION
University of Notre Dame, BBA Accountancy
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Certified Public Accountant in the state of Georgia
PERSONAL
Michael enjoys spending his spare time traveling and enjoying outdoor adventures with his wife, Judy, and their three daughters, Ella, Katie, and Julianna. He also is an avid tennis player and volleyball coach.
Senior Manager, Consulting – Technology Risk
Ernst & Young LLP
PROFESSIONAL
Chantal is a Senior Manager in the Consulting practice of EY LLP (Ernst & Young LLP) with over eleven years of client-serving experience in both the Chicago and Phoenix markets. She has more than seven years of experience in providing IT audit, business internal audit, SSAE18 reporting, and 404 reporting for public and private companies in various industries. Chantal has two years of experience in the Assurance practice, assisting the Firm’s clients in financial statement year-end audits and quarterly reviews for both public and private companies. She provides value to clients by understanding their risk appetite and exposure, identifying areas of improvement in the internal control framework and providing leading practices to strengthen the environment with a US GAAP foundation.
Prior to rejoining EY in 2016, Chantal spent 2 years as a Manager of IT Internal Audit at Hyatt Hotels Corporation in Chicago, IL. Her focus included IT controls, data privacy and information security. She assisted with leading internal projects focused on IT risk from both a central and property-level perspective. Chantal is registered as a CPA in Arizona.
EDUCATION
Licensed CPA, Arizona
Master of Science in Accountancy – University of Notre Dame
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Accounting – University of Arizona
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Institute of Internal Auditors
AICPA
PERSONAL
Chantal Resides in Cave Creek, AZ with her husband and twin children. Outside of work she volunteers at St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church and does ballet.
Associate VP for Finance & Controller
University of Notre Dame
PROFESSIONAL
Andrew (Drew) M. Paluf, a 1980 Notre Dame graduate, has been controller of the University since January 1997. He was promoted to Associate Vice President for Finance in July 2010.
As associate vice president & controller, Mr. Paluf oversees seven University units – accounting & financial services, financial reporting & analysis, research and sponsored programs accounting, payroll, accounts payable, tax, and accounting operations – and is responsible for financial statement preparation and all accounting activities. He is a current board member of the University of Notre Dame in England and is responsible for several leadership teams on campus involving University-wide initiatives. The University of Notre Dame is currently ranked as one of the nation’s top twelve endowed institutions in the country.
Prior to returning to his alma mater, Mr. Paluf spent seven years in a variety of finance and corporate development positions with Ferro Corporation, a Cleveland-based manufacturer of specialty materials, including ceramics, chemicals and plastics, for industries worldwide.
Before joining Ferro, Mr. Paluf spent two years in corporate development with NACCO Industries and seven years in the Cleveland offices of Ernst & Young, both in their consulting and auditing practices.
EDUCATION
An accountancy major at Notre Dame, Mr. Paluf earned a masters of business administration degree from Indiana University in 1984 and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1982.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Currently, Mr. Paluf serves on the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Non Profit Advisory Committee. He had previously served as an ex-officio member of the American Institute for Certified Public Accountant’s Not for Profit Expert Panel. Mr. Paluf was recognized by NACUBO as the 2009 Daniel D Robinson Award winner for outstanding individual contributions to the field of College and University Accounting and Operations by his peers. In 2016, Mr. Paluf was given the Presidential Leadership Award by the University of Notre Dame.
Partner
KPMG LLP
PROFESSIONAL
Stephanie specializes in providing accounting advisory services to financial services clients specifically in the financial technology and travel, leisure and hospitality industries. Stephanie specializes in IPO readiness, integration and separation execution and planning, and technical accounting assistance. Prior to joining KPMG, Stephanie served as a Postgraduate Technical Assistant at the Financial Accounting Standards Board.
EDUCATION
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, BS in Accounting and Information Systems
University of Notre Dame, Master of Accountancy
Licensed CPA in Virginia
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Stephanie is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Managing Director
Senior Vice President
Wintrust Wealth Services
PROFESSIONAL
Daniel F. Rahill is a managing director and senior vice president at Wintrust Wealth Services, where he works with clients to determine their financial objectives and develop strategies for their tax, estate, investment, philanthropic, and family capital needs. Dan works closely with shareholders and privately held businesses on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and succession planning. He also advises wealthy families on tax minimization, wealth preservation, and family office management.
Previously, Dan was with KPMG for 27 years, where he held numerous leadership roles, including tax managing partner of the Chicago Metro Business Unit and trustee of the KPMG Foundation. He served as the lead partner on many of KPMG’s high-profile multinational accounts, privately held companies, and family offices. Prior to KPMG, Dan practiced law in Chicago, specializing in tax and estate planning. He began his career in audit with Ernst & Young.
Dan frequently lectures to CPA societies, bar associations, family office organizations, trade and industry groups, and universities. He is often published and quoted in publications including Chicago Tribune, Crain’s Chicago Business, ABC7, Yahoo Finance, and the Illinois CPA Society’s Insight Magazine. Dan is a former chairman of the Illinois CPA Society and serves on three academic advisory boards and several nonprofit boards and committees.
EDUCATION
ND ’79, BBA Acct, DePaul Law: ‘85, DePaul Law LL.M. (taxation) ‘91
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
AICPA National Council; Illinois President and Board Member, American Academy of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants; AICPA Tax Management Committee; IL CPA Society Foundation; Past Chairman IL CPA Society; University of Illinois Accountancy Board; NE I
PERSONAL
Still solvent (barely) after putting four sons through Notre Dame which was well worth it.
Partner, Tax
KPMG LLP
PROFESSIONAL
Dinesh is a Tax Partner and Mid-West leader for KPMG’s Global Reward Services practice. He has 16 years of experience working with the firm’s most prestigious clients, develop and execute complex global strategies related to the movement of people across the world and the development of tax strategies as it relates to their global rewards program. He is responsible for leading teams in over 80 countries, bringing solutions to address KPMG’s Fortune 500 client’s cross-border tax and social security, global rewards, talent management, M&A tax, international assignment policy, change management, tax technology implementation, and other global HR issues.
EDUCATION
Master’s Science Accountancy – University of Notre Dame, 2006
Bachelor Business Administration Accounting – University of Notre Dame, 2005
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Member, AICPA
Member, Illinois Society of Public Accountants
Global Equity Organization
CPA, Partner
Crowe LLP
PROFESSIONAL
Pete Ugo is an audit partner at Crowe LLP. He has 25 years of audit and consulting experience with Crowe and is the leader of the firm’s national not-for-profit and higher education audit practice. He has spent his entire career working in the not-for-profit and higher education industries. His client base includes higher education institutions, foundations, cultural arts, trade and membership and other not-for-profit organizations. Pete is actively involved as a presenter at various national and state conferences related to the not-for-profit industry, chairs the steering committee for the AICPA’s Government and Not-for-Profit Conference and is a member of the AICPA’s Not-for-Profit Expert Panel.
EDUCATION
University of Notre Dame, BBA (Accountancy Major) – class of 1997
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Member of the AICPA and Indiana CPA Society
PERSONAL
Pete and his wife (Chris) live in Indianapolis and have four children – two daughters who attend Saint Mary’s College and two sons who are in high school and junior high. Pete volunteers as a Board member at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis and Junior Achievement of Central Indiana.
Seminarian
Congregation of Holy Cross
United States Province of Priests and Brothers
PROFESSIONAL
Bobby Weltner, C.S.C. is a temporarily professed seminarian with the Congregation of Holy
Cross and a current graduate student in the Master of Divinity program at the University of
Notre Dame.
Prior to joining Holy Cross in July 2020, Bobby worked for six years in Deal Advisory & Strategy
with KPMG LLP. During his first two years as an Associate with the firm, he rotated through the
Financial Due Diligence, Accounting Advisory Services, and Strategy – M&A Services teams, advising both private equity and corporate clients on various transaction-related issues. As a Senior Associate and Manager, Bobby served on the firm’s Strategy – M&A Services and Corporate Strategy teams, assisting Technology clients with operational due diligence,
organizational efficiency assessments, cost optimizations, post-acquisition integrations, and
supply chain optimizations. While he was based in New York for most of his career, Bobby
worked as an Audit Intern in Wellington, New Zealand as part of the firm’s Global Internship
Program, and he also served as a Manager in KPMG UK’s Corporate Strategy practice.
EDUCATION
University of Notre Dame ‘14, B.B.A., summa cum laude (Accountancy and Mathematics)
University of Notre Dame, Master of Divinity Program (Current Student, Class of 2026)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Certified Public Accountant, New York State
University of Notre Dame Accountancy Advisory Board
PERSONAL
Bobby took his First Vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience with the Congregation of Holy
Cross in July 2022, and he currently resides at Moreau Seminary in Notre Dame, IN. In addition to his work as a graduate student, Bobby serves as a Chaplain Intern at the Center for Hospice Care in Mishawaka, IN, and he co-hosts a podcast regarding the life and times of St. Edward’s Hall.
Senior Executive VP, CFO & COO
Carter’s, Inc.
PROFESSIONAL
Richard F. Westenberger joined the Company in 2009 as Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, and was appointed as Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer in March 2024. Mr. Westenberger’s responsibilities include management of the Company’s finance, enterprise risk management, supply chain, and information technology functions. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Westenberger served as Vice President of Corporate Finance and Treasurer of Hewitt Associates, Inc. from 2006 to 2008. From 1996 to 2006, Mr. Westenberger held various senior financial management positions at Sears Holdings Corporation and its predecessor organization, Sears, Roebuck and Co., including Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of Lands’ End, Inc., Vice President of Corporate Planning & Analysis, and Vice President of Investor Relations. Prior to Sears, Mr. Westenberger was with Kraft Foods, Inc. He began his career at Price Waterhouse LLP, a predecessor firm to PwC, and is a certified public accountant.
EDUCATION
M.B.A. Booth School of Business; University of Chicago
B.B.A., summa cum laude, University of Notre Dame (1990)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
AICPA; Illinois Society of CPAs; Atlanta CFO Roundtable Advisory Board; Notre Dame Accounting Advisory Board; Member, Advisory Board and past co-chair, Chicago Booth CFO Forum
PERSONAL
Personal information: Married (Betsy) with four children including Thomas, class of 2022
Managing Director, Global Head of Investment Banking
William Blair
PROFESSIONAL
Matt Zimmer is the global head of investment banking for William Blair, leading a business that has 750 employees across the United States and Europe. The team serves clients in both merger-and-acquisition advisory and growth in financing assignments.
Before being named head of investment banking in 2021, Matt led Supply Chain, Commercial Services & Technologies (“SCCS”) Investment Banking at William Blair. Prior to leading the SCCS team, from 2016 to 2021, he was head of the Services & Industrials teams at William Blair, leading multiple sector teams across the U.S. and Europe. From 2011 to 2016, Matt was based in the London office of William Blair where he advised clients across multiple sectors and geographies, and was a key contributor to the rapid growth of the firm’s international presence over that period. Prior to 2011, he was a member of the M&A team in the Chicago office for five years.
Prior to William Blair, Matt worked with Robert W. Baird & Co. in the Investment Banking Group for five years. Matt began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Chicago 1998.
EDUCATION
Columbia School of Business, M.B.A.
University of Notre Dame, B.B.A.
AAB Sustaining Members
| Name | Affiliation at time of Membership |
|---|---|
| Ken Barker | SVP, Chief Accounting Officer of Electronic Arts |
| Colleen Wolfson | Manager, Deloitte LLP |
| Jim Jaeger | Partner, Deloitte LLP |
| Tim Gray | Chairman Emeritus, Ryan Companies US, Inc. |
| Matt Barrett | Professor Emeritus of Law, University of Notre Dame |
| Richard (Dick) I. Fremgen | Retired Partner, Deloitte LLP |
| Ramon Villalpando | Assistant United States Attorney,United States Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Illinois |
| Elizabeth (Betsy) Killian | Director Risk Consulting, KPMG |
| Walter Ielusic | VP, Technical Center of Excellence Controller, General Electric Company |
| Glenn Zubryd | Principal, Rehmann |
| Thomas (Tom) E. Murphy | Partner, Crowe Horwarth |
| Norm Prestage | Partner, Ernst & Young LLP |
| Jamie Lamers | Accounting Division Manager, Allstate Investments, LLC |
| Laly Molina | FP & Strategic Initiative Supervisor, Abbott Laboratories |
| Jill Godbout | Regional University Recruiting Manager, Grant Thornton LLP |
| Mark M. Chain | Partner, National Independence Consultation, Deloitte LLP |
| Sanjay Gupta | Russell E. Palmer Endowed Professor in Accounting and Chairperson, The Eli Broad College of Business Michigan State University |
| Cynthia Smetana | CFO, The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese in Chicago |
| Michael W. Wallace | Executive Vice President & CFO, Saveolgy.com |
| Eugene J. Bastedo | Retired Vice President, Internal Audit, FedEX Corporation |
| James A. Burkhart | The Procter & Gamble Company |
| Don Bouffard | Partner, Crowe Chizek & Co. LLP |
| Kevin T. Maguire | Partner, Cargill |
| Frank Criniti | Office Managing Partner, Crowe Chizek & Co. LLP |
| Wayne R. Ebersberger | Partner, Ernst & Young LLP |
| Kenneth M. O'Grady | Manager-Corporate Finance, The Procter & Gamble Company |
| Stephanie Hauge | Financial VP & CFO, AT&T |
| Bill Miller | Recruiting, Cargill |
| Maggie Walsh | Anthony Travel |
| Peter Wernau | Analyst, Andersen Consulting |
| Joseph J. Prochaska Jr. | CFO, AON Group, INC. |
| Milton Jones | President, Dealer Financial Serv., Nations Bank |
| Teri List | Financial Director, Juice Products, The Procter & Gamble Company |
| Melvin C. O’Connor | Deloitte & Touche Prof. of Accountancy, Department of Accounting |
| Kathleen W. Anthony | Director of University Audits, University of Notre Dame |
| James P. Breen | Partner, KPMG Peat Marwick LLP |
| Thomas W. Hiller | Partner, BDO Seidman LLP |
| Tim Koch | Planning Manager Shared Services, Amoco Corporation |
| Joseph J. Topajna | Partner, Arthur Andersen & Co. LLP |
| Joseph M. Woodka | Partner, Crowe Chizek & Co. LLP |
| Mary Kay Ladone | Director of Supplier Relations, Baxter Healthcare Corporation |
| Lynn Mohammad | Supervisor of Accounting, Amoco Corporation |
| Timothy J. Sacheck | Retired Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers |
| Sr. Maureen Geary | Vice President, Finance, Aquinas College |