BlumShapiro Elects Five New Partners
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (PRWEB) December 13, 2017 -- BlumShapiro, the largest regional business advisory firm based in New England with offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, has announced the election of five new partners: Christie M. Bluhm, CPA; Christopher S. Ernest, CPA, MSM; David E. Fontes, CPA, CFE, MBA; William C. Moore, Jr., CPA, MST; and Erum Randhawa, CPA, CFF, CFE.
“In electing Christie, Chris, David, Bill, and Erum to partners, we are recognizing their outstanding leadership skills, strategic thinking, customer service and community involvement. They have consistently personified the mission, vision and values of BlumShapiro. I applaud their impressive careers to date and look forward to their continuing contributions to our firm in the future,” said Joseph A. Kask, chief executive officer of BlumShapiro.
Bluhm joined BlumShapiro’s Quincy, Massachusetts office in 2015. Bluhm has over 15 years of experience providing accounting, auditing, tax and consulting services to manufacturers, distributors, construction contractors and professional service firms. Further, she has developed an industry specialization in food and beverage manufacturers and distributors and currently serves on BlumShapiro’s Manufacturing, Distribution and Retail Marketing Committee, the Audit Personnel Subcommittee and the Women Who Lead Committee in Massachusetts.
Bluhm has extensive experience with audits – overseeing the entire audit from planning to fieldwork and reporting – and also provides consulting services to businesses and their owners on financial and general business, buy/sell consulting and tax planning. Bluhm is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants, and a Board Member for School on Wheels of Massachusetts.
Ernest joined BlumShapiro’s Quincy, Massachusetts office in 2011. Ernest has over 12 years of experience providing accounting, auditing, tax and consulting services to privately held businesses in industries such as dealerships, manufacturing, distribution and retail. He also provides these services to non-profit organizations, including educational institutions, membership organizations, associations, and arts and cultural organizations. Further, Ernest specializes in audits of employee benefit plans, currently serves on the firm’s Massachusetts Audit Personnel Committee and is active in on-campus recruiting at Bridgewater State University and Stonehill College.
Ernest is the President of the Board of Directors for South Shore Stars and the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Doc Wayne Youth Services. He is also a member of South Shore Young Professionals, the Pinnacle Networking Group, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Fontes joined BlumShapiro’s Cranston, Rhode Island office in 2013. Fontes has over 13 years of public accounting experience providing tax, assurance and consulting services to clients in a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, gaming/lottery, financial and other services, real estate, and jewelry and precious metals, many with international operations. He directs and performs specialized engagements for clients such as litigation support, financial projections, forensic analysis and various agreed-upon procedures projects.
Fontes is part of the dedicated team that provides employee benefit plan audits to firm clients across a variety of industries and sectors. He serves on BlumShapiro’s Manufacturing, Distribution and Retail Delivery Committee, MDR Revenue Recognition Committee, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, RI Tax Content Group and RI Giving Committee.
In 2015, Fontes was named as one of the Top 10 Public Accounting Professional Rising Stars by The National Academy of Public Accounting Professionals. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners - Rhode Island Chapter, the Rhode Island Young Accountant Network Committee, the Providence Jewelers Club and the Rhode Island Manufacturing Association, and is a Board and Finance Committee Member and Secretary for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ocean State.
Moore joined BlumShapiro’s Quincy, Massachusetts office in 2014. Moore has over 10 years of tax experience and oversees and coordinates tax compliance services for many of the firm’s corporate clients. His privately owned clients span industries such as construction, manufacturing, distribution and professional services. Moore is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Randhawa, a resident of South Windsor, joined BlumShapiro’s West Hartford, Connecticut office in 2011 as a member of the firm’s Litigation Services and Business Valuation Group. She will be leading the firm’s Forensic Accounting and Bankruptcy practices. Randhawa has extensive training in forensic accounting, litigation support and bankruptcy and specializes in assisting counsel in complex fraud investigations, tracing and identifying fraudulent transactions and providing expert testimony. Her areas of expertise include marital and business dissolutions, shareholder and business disputes, embezzlements and bankruptcy.
In 2016, Randhawa was recognized by the AICPA Forensic and Valuation Service Division with a Standing Ovation Award in Forensic and Valuation Services. She is a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Connecticut Council for Non-Adversarial Divorce. Randhawa is also a Bankruptcy Diversity Committee member for the Connecticut Bar Association, a Gala Committee member for the Children’s Law Center of Connecticut, a member of the Estate and Business Planning Council of Greater Hartford, and on the Board of Directors for Interval House. Randhawa also holds the following certifications: Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified in Financial Forensics and has a certificate in mediation from the Quinnipiac University School of Law.
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BlumShapiro is the largest regional business advisory firm based in New England, with offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The firm, with over 450 professionals and staff, offers a diversity of services which includes auditing, accounting, tax and business advisory services. In addition, BlumShapiro provides a variety of specialized consulting services such as succession and estate planning, business technology services, employee benefit plan audits and litigation support and valuation. The firm serves a wide range of privately held companies, government and non-profit organizations and provides non-audit services for publicly traded companies.
Tom DeVitto, Chief Marketing Officer, BlumShapiro, http://www.blumshapiro.com, +1 860-561-6851, [email protected]
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