By Rob Starr, Content Manager, Big4.com

As reported in Crowe Horwath LLP’s 2012 Comprehensive Financial Institutions Compensation Survey, average salary increases in 2012 for bank officers and non-officers have settled at about 2.5 percent for the second year in a row.

The 2012 survey results also showed a widening of the salary increase gap between above average performers and average performers. For 66 percent of employees rated as average or meeting expectations, the average salary increase was 2.3 percent, less than the 2.7 percent increase in 2011. For the 27 percent of employees rated as above average or exceeding expectations, the average increase was 3.4 percent, which was slightly more than the 3.3 percent increase in 2011.

Commercial loan officers saw the biggest jump in total annual compensation, with a change of 17.3 percent over last year and a 38.5 percent increase over the past four years. Survey results for chief lending officers showed a 12.1 percent year-over-year growth in total compensation and a 25.5 percent increase since 2008.

There is a large supply of candidates available to fill roles that require a lower skill set, and as a result, many of those roles saw a decrease in total compensation as the worker pool remains flooded. Customer service representatives saw a year-over-year decrease of 6.2 percent in total compensation, operations specialists made 1.3 percent less than last year and personal bankers saw a 0.7 percent decrease in 2012.

from Crowe Horwath press releases

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By Rob Starr, Content Manager, Big4.com

Crowe Horwath LLP, one of largest public accounting and consulting firms in the U.S., is celebrating 70 years in business.

Highlights of the firm’s recent years include:

• With revenue of more than $550 million, Crowe ranks as the ninth-largest accounting firm in the U.S. by Public Accounting Report, Inside Public Accounting and Accounting Today.
• Crowe has added offices and personnel in such major markets as New York, Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
• In 2008, the firm changed its name to Crowe Horwath to strengthen its alignment with Horwath International, its international network.

Today, Crowe professionals provide audit, tax, advisory, risk and performance consulting services to clients at public and private entities in many industries, including banking, healthcare, manufacturing, private equity, government and retail.

Chuck Allen, Crowe Horwath CEO comments:

“By providing an exceptional client experience, we’ve been able to grow dramatically from our two-person beginning into a national firm that’s globally branded,” he said. “Our people are the reason for that growth so it’s important to us that we give back to their local communities and the organizations they support.” Allen added that in its most recent fiscal year, Crowe Horwath contributed more than $1.2 million to more than 350 not-for-profit organizations.”

from Crowe Horwath press releases

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By Rob Starr, Content Manager, Big4.com

Crowe Horwath Innovation

Crowe Horwath LLP, one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the U.S., has introduced the Crowe K-1 Navigator, a tool that helps streamline tax-reporting processes. Schedule K-1s are required to report investor allocations to owners of flow-through entities which are legal business entities such as partnerships and S-corporations that pass income on to the owners or investors.

“The Crowe K-1 Navigator captures investor data directly from each owner and helps determine specific withholding requirements. The Crowe team also continuously monitors for tax code changes and updates the program with IRS tax code revisions, as well as those from state and local taxing authorities,”  says  Rebecca Jordan, a leader in Crowe’s Federal Tax practice.

Using the Crowe K-1 Navigator is relatively simple. Individual owners log on to the K-1 portal and answer a short series of questions. The collected data is analyzed to report subchapter K allocations, unrelated business taxable income (UBTI), information needed for state filings and international disclosures.

Schedule K-1s need to be individualized. The calculations needed to complete the form for each investor traditionally have been developed manually, which might lead to errors. Additionally, new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidelines require consent for electronically distributing an owner’s tax information, which further complicates the compliance process.

from Crowe Horwath press releases

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By Rob Starr, Content Manager, Big4.com

Crowe Horwath International, through its member firm Crowe Horwath Global Risk Consulting (CHGRC), was recently named Advisory Firm of the Year by the International Accounting Bulletin (IAB).

Larry Rieger, CHGRC CEO and partner with U.S. member firm Crowe Horwath LLP, has more than 35 years of multi-national client service experience and is a noted subject matter expert on corporate governance, risk and compliance. He comments:

“What IAB recognized with this award, and what separates CHGRC from other accounting firms, is our truly integrated international risk consulting practice,” he said. “Companies we’ve worked with were looking for a firm to provide a consistent approach to their risk, governance and compliance needs across their global markets, rather than treating it like a local service.”

Each market that CHGRC enters is serviced by the single global firm through a standard global service approach, with oversight established by Rieger and monitored by the board of directors. CHGRC’s integrated approach in management and marketing includes worldwide training where professionals from around the globe converge for training in common methodologies and service delivery methods.

Crowe Horwath International is ranked among the top 10 global accounting networks with more than 150 independent accounting and advisory services firms in over 100 countries around the world. Crowe Horwath International’s member firms are committed to impeccable quality service, highly integrated service delivery processes and a common set of core values that guide decisions daily.

from Crowe Horwath press releases

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By Rob Starr, Content Manager, Big4.com

As part of the Crowe Horwath LLP continuing expansion, the firm welcomed the people of ExtOrg, a Microsoft Dynamics consulting firm specializing in the automotive supplier industry recently. Crowe Horwath LLP, one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the U.S., is also purchasing automotive industry-specific intellectual property from ExtOrg. The company’s 19 professionals, including its founder, joined Crowe in February.

“Our goal is always to provide an exceptional client experience, and with ExtOrg personnel joining our team, we will be able to expand and enhance our overall Microsoft Dynamics service capabilities, in addition to offering compelling solutions for our automotive clients,” said Joe Santucci, managing partner of the Crowe Horwath Performance Consulting services. “The people synergies will also help us to continue expanding as a national firm, branded globally.”

Established in 2004 in Chicago by Jacob Chacko, ExtOrg has built an established Microsoft Dynamics consulting practice and developed a solution called “Automotive Release Accounting.” The solution offers automotive suppliers a way to manage forecasts, orders, releases and shipments in the automotive supply chain. ExtOrg’s Automotive Release software provides all essential features and services required for companies in the automotive industry running on a Microsoft Dynamics AX^® platform.

Crowe Horwath LLP (www.crowehorwath.com) is one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the United States. Under its core purpose of “Building Value with Values^®,” Crowe uses its deep industry expertise to provide audit services to public and private entities, while also helping clients reach their goals with tax, advisory, risk and performance services.

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By Rob Starr, Content Manager, Big4.com

National awards programs have recognized Crowe Horwath  and 12 of its personnel.  Additionally, seven people were recognized by programs in California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky.

These award winners include CEO Chuck Allen was named to the 2012 National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Directorship 100. Composed of more than 11,000 members, the NACD recognizes the top 100 most influential people in corporate governance. Allen was also named to Accounting Today‘s inaugural Managing Partner Elite list, recognizing 10 managing partners from firms across the country.

Sue Tomlinson, a partner in the Tax practice in the Crowe Horwath  Los Angeles office, received the Women in Business Award for Business Executive of the Year from the San Fernando Valley Business Journal.

Geralyn Hurd, a partner in the Tax practice in the Crowe Horwath Chicago office, was named one of Consulting Magazine‘s  Top 25 Consultants in the category of Excellence in the Public Sector.   Hurd developed the patent-pending Crowe Tax Risk Assessment and Control (C-TRAC^®) solution, an Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-approved solution that combines project management with tax expertise.

Crowe Horwath LLP (www.crowehorwath.com) is one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the United States. Under its core purpose of “Building Value with Values^®,” Crowe uses its deep industry expertise to provide audit services to public and private entities, while also helping clients reach their goals with tax, advisory, risk and performance services

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By Rob Starr, Content Manager, Big4.com

Average salary increases in 2012 for bank officers and non-officers have settled at about 2.5 percent for the second year in a row, as reported in Crowe Horwath LLP’s 2012 Comprehensive Financial Institutions Compensation Survey.

“During the downturn, poor bank performance caused compensation increases to be lower than what had been forecast,” said Tim Reimink, a senior consultant in the Crowe Horwath Performance practice. “The return to salary increases meeting forecasts shows banks have a better grip on their performance expectations and have established a new normal for the post-recession era.”

The 2012 survey results also showed a widening of the salary increase gap between above average performers and average performers. For 66 percent of employees rated as average or meeting expectations, the average salary increase was 2.3 percent, less than the 2.7 percent increase in 2011. For the 27 percent of employees rated as above average or exceeding expectations, the average increase was 3.4 percent, which was slightly more than the 3.3 percent increase in 2011.

There is a large supply of candidates available to fill roles that require a lower skill set, and as a result, many of those roles saw a decrease in total compensation as the worker pool remains flooded. Customer service representatives saw a year-over-year decrease of 6.2 percent in total compensation, operations specialists made 1.3 percent less than last year and personal bankers saw a 0.7 percent decrease in 2012.

The 2012 Crowe Horwath Financial Institutions Compensation Survey was completed by 405 financial institutions. Using data as of March 31, 2012, the participant breakdown is as follows: 160 institutions had less than $250 million in total assets; 110 had between $250 million and $500 million in total assets; 58 had between $500 million and $1 billion in total assets; 45 had between $1 billion and $2.5 billion in total assets; 27 had between $2.5 billion and $10 billion; five had more than $10 billion in total assets

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By Rob Starr, Content Manager, Big4.com        

Crowe Horwath LLP, one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the U.S., has introduced the Crowe R&D Navigator. The web-based solution helps organizations identify, document and claim the maximum federal and state tax credits to which they are entitled.

Lou Miller, a partner and leader of Crowe’s National Tax Office comments:

“Automating these tasks means the time previously spent on gathering and managing data can instead be spent on analysis, potentially uncovering qualified expenses that previously had not been identified,” he said. “Additionally, by making the R&D tax process up to 30 percent more efficient, an organization’s tax and engineering groups can get back to focusing on their day-to-day activities,” says Lou Miller, a partner and leader of Crowe’s National Tax Office.

This new innovation comes as the Internal Revenue Service is requesting even more detailed documentation from organizations that want to claim tax credits for research and development (R&D) expenses.

The features of the Crowe R&D Navigator include:

• Tools to help an organization capture information;
•  Real-time progress reporting and statistics;
•  Flexible methodologies;
•  Data uploads allowing for immediate application use

Crowe Horwath LLP (www.crowehorwath.com) is one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the United States. Under its core purpose of “Building Value with Values^®,” Crowe uses its deep industry expertise to provide audit services to public and private entities, while also helping clients reach their goals with tax, advisory, risk and performance services. With offices coast to coast and 2,600 personnel, Crowe is recognized by many organizations as one of the country’s best places to work.

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Crowe Horwath LLP is celebrating 70 years in business.

Highlights of the firm’s recent years include:

• With revenue of more than $550 million, Crowe ranks as the ninth-largest accounting firm in the U.S. by Public Accounting Report, Inside Public Accounting and Accounting Today.
• Crowe has added offices and personnel in such major markets as New York, Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
• In 2008, the firm changed its name to Crowe Horwath to strengthen its alignment with Horwath International, its international network.
• The following year, Horwath International changed its name to Crowe Horwath International. The new name combined the international awareness of the Horwath brand with the U.S. awareness of Crowe Horwath LLP, the network’s largest member firm.

“Our people are the reason for that growth so it’s important to us that we give back to their local communities and the organizations they support.”  said  Chuck Allen, Crowe Horwath CEO.

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Crowe Horwath International, ranked among the top 10 global accounting networks, announced today that Mark Hildebrand will be retiring after having served on its board since 1999 and as its Chairman since 2007. Crowe Horwath International’s member firms have elected Andrew Pianca to succeed him, effective January 1, 2013.

Hildebrand is retiring with nearly 40 years in the accounting industry, including 8 years as CEO of Crowe Horwath LLP, the largest member firm of the international organization. “Mark has done a wonderful job building Crowe Horwath International’s reputation worldwide and preparing our network to compete for upmarket international business,” said Andrew Pianca, incoming Chairman of the board of directors of Crowe Horwath International.

Hildebrand also served as Chairman of Crowe Horwath International’s strategic planning committee for 9 years and is widely credited with designing and guiding the strategic plan that moved the network from a loose confederation of firms to a globally competitive integrated network. Under his Chairmanship, Crowe Horwath International saw its global presence extended from 70 to 109 countries and its revenues grow consistently in spite of recent challenges in the globally economy.

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Crowe Horwath LLP, one of largest public accounting and consulting firms in the U.S., is celebrating 70 years in business. Founded in South Bend, Ind. in 1942 by Fred Crowe Sr. and Cletus Chizek, the firm, which began as Crowe and Chizek with a staff of two, now has 28 offices coast-to-coast and employs more than 2,600 people.

“By providing an exceptional client experience, we’ve been able to grow dramatically from our two-person beginning into a national firm that’s globally branded,” said Chuck Allen, Crowe Horwath CEO. “Our people are the reason for that growth so it’s important to us that we give back to their local communities and the organizations they support.” Allen added that in its most recent fiscal year, Crowe Horwath contributed more than $1.2 million to more than 350 not-for-profit organizations.

Today, Crowe professionals provide audit, tax, advisory, risk and performance consulting services to clients at public and private entities in many industries, including banking, healthcare, manufacturing, private equity, government and retail.

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Crowe Horwath LLP, one of largest public accounting and consulting firms in the U.S., is celebrating 70 years in business.

Chuck Allen, Crowe Horwath CEO commented:

“By providing an exceptional client experience, we’ve been able to grow dramatically from our two-person beginning into a national firm that’s globally branded,” he said. “Our people are the reason for that growth so it’s important to us that we give back to their local communities and the organizations they support.” Allen added that in its most recent fiscal year, Crowe Horwath contributed more than $1.2 million to more than 350 not-for-profit organizations.”

With revenue of more than $550 million, Crowe ranks as the ninth-largest accounting firm in the U.S. by Public Accounting Report, Inside Public Accounting and Accounting Today.

Crowe Horwath LLP (www.crowehorwath.com) is one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the United States. Under its core purpose of “Building Value with Values®,” Crowe uses its deep industry expertise to provide audit services to public and private entities, while also helping clients reach their goals with tax, advisory, risk and performance services. With offices coast to coast and 2,600 personnel, Crowe is recognized by many organizations as one of the country’s best places to work. Crowe serves clients worldwide as an independent member of Crowe Horwath International, one of the largest global accounting networks in the world, consisting of more than 150 independent accounting and advisory services firms in more than 100 countries around the world.

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As reported in Crowe Horwath LLP’s 2012 Comprehensive Financial Institutions Compensation Survey, average salary increases in 2012 for bank officers and non-officers have settled at about 2.5 percent for the second year in a row.

“During the downturn, poor bank performance caused compensation increases to be lower than what had been forecast,” said Tim Reimink, a senior consultant in Crowe’s Performance practice. “The return to salary increases meeting forecasts shows banks have a better grip on their performance expectations and have established a new normal for the post-recession era.”

The 2012 survey results also showed a widening of the salary increase gap between above average performers and average performers. For 66 percent of employees rated as average or meeting expectations, the average salary increase was 2.3 percent, less than the 2.7 percent increase in 2011. For the 27 percent of employees rated as above average or exceeding expectations, the average increase was 3.4 percent, which was slightly more than the 3.3 percent increase in 2011.

Commercial loan officers saw the biggest jump in total annual compensation, with a change of 17.3 percent over last year and a 38.5 percent increase over the past four years. Survey results for chief lending officers showed a 12.1 percent year-over-year growth in total compensation and a 25.5 percent increase since 2008. “Financial institutions are experiencing slow loan growth and competing for lending talent who can help grow their portfolios, which is why these positions are seeing a more rapid compensation growth than other positions,” said Reimink.

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Crowe Horwath LLP, one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the United States, looks at what the election result likely will mean for taxpayers, based on the President’s campaign proposals.

Gary Fox, managing partner of the Crowe Tax practice, notes the following summarizes a number of the tax plans that President Obama proposed during the campaign. He notes that while there is no guarantee that the proposals will actually be enacted into law, taxpayers should consider these proposals in their year-end planning.

Manufacturers currently receive a 9 percent deduction on qualified domestic production income. The deduction for most taxpayers could be increased to 10.7 percent and the deduction for high-technology manufacturing companies could be increased to 18 percent. Fossil fuel production would no longer be eligible for the deduction.

The current top tax rate of 35 percent, reduced by the Bush-era tax cuts, is set to expire at the end of the year and revert to 39.6 percent. President Obama has proposed extending the tax cuts for married taxpayers with less than $250,000 in annual income or single filers with less than $200,000 in annual income, but not for taxpayers above that income level.

U.S. tax on income from foreign subsidies generally is deferred until the earnings are repatriated into the United States. Foreign taxes paid generally are available as a credit against the U.S. tax liability on foreign income. President Obama proposed continuing the current system with some modifications: impose a minimum tax on income earned from foreign operations whether repatriated or not; close loopholes related to leveraged foreign distributions, covered asset acquisitions and earnings stripping; and impose an excess returns tax on inappropriate income shifting to overseas subsidiaries.

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Last week, the FDIC sued PwC and Crowe Horwath in federal court for malpractice and breach of contract relating to its dealings with Colonial Bank of Montgomery, Alabama. According to the FDIC’s legal counsel, PwC failed to detect fraud committed at Taylor Bean, a mortgage bank, which left Colonial Bank’s balance sheet incomplete.

According to the FDIC, Taylor Bean “was carrying out an increasingly brazen and costly fraud against Colonial,” yet the Big4 firm and the bank’s internal auditor, Crowe Horwath, failed to detect the fraud. “PwC and Crowe never realized that many hundreds of millions of dollars of bank assets did not exist, had been sold to others, or were worthless,” the FDIC’s counsel wrote in its complaint.

According to the FDIC, two employees at Colonial allowed Taylor Bean to divert money from the bank without collateral, allowing the mortgage lender to steal nearly $1 billion from Colonial bank in 2008 and 2009.

PwC and Crowe Horwath are being accused of failing to protect their client and uncover the illegal activity. “The fraud perpetrated was against Colonial, harmed Colonial, was to the detriment of Colonial and resulted in Colonial lending [Taylor Bean] many hundreds of millions of dollars that were secured by worthless or non-existent loans,” according to the complaint.

Crowe Horwath has denied the claims in a statement, while PwC, through its legal counsel Elizabeth Tanis, has said that the fraud was “so well-concealed that neither the FDIC nor the OCC discovered it, even when they performed targeted exams of the mortgage warehouse lending division, where the fraud occurred.”

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The latest Crowe Horwath LLP’s 2012 Comprehensive Financial Institutions Compensation Survey indicates average salary increases in 2012 for bank officers and non-officers have settled at about 2.5 percent for the second year in a row. The survey, which compiled data from 405 financial institutions, indicates the market is stabilizing as actual salary increases for the past two years closely match the projected increases for those years.

The 2012 survey results also showed a widening of the salary increase gap between above average performers and average performers. For 66 percent of employees rated as average or meeting expectations, the average salary increase was 2.3 percent, less than the 2.7 percent increase in 2011. For the 27 percent of employees rated as above average or exceeding expectations, the average increase was 3.4 percent, which was slightly more than the 3.3 percent increase in 2011.

Another indicator that a new norm has been established is a drop in aggressive pay strategies. Only 10.4 percent of respondents indicate that they pay more than 10 percent above market rate, down from more than 13 percent in the previous two years. He noted that banks continue to face margin pressure and are seeing many job candidates in the market, which might explain the less aggressive pay policy.

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Crowe Horwath LLP, one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the U.S., has teamed with Integrated Software Specialists (ISS) to be the exclusive provider of ISS’s iJustice® Enterprise Case Management Solution Suite (iJustice).

iJustice is a Web-based case management system that offers greater efficiencies, advanced information orchestration, automated reporting, analytics, in-depth security and audit functions. It is designed for use by courts, clerks, supervision agencies, public defenders, prosecutors, law enforcement, corrections personnel, the public and other parties and maintains necessary levels of security to protect data privacy.

Alicia Antonetti-Tricker, a senior manager in Crowe’s justice and public safety group comments:

“Caseloads are increasing while staff numbers are decreasing due to budget constraints. To handle this, departments need to improve case management efficiency, which an integrated technology solution like iJustice can help accomplish,” she said. ”Although many technology initiatives are complex and require significant time to implement, iJustice is ready to deploy and integrates seamlessly with existing systems, providing for a faster implementation than many other systems on the market.”

Crowe Horwath LLP (www.crowehorwath.com) is one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the United States. Under its core purpose of “Building Value with Values®,” Crowe uses its deep industry expertise to provide audit services to public and private companies, while also helping clients reach their goals with tax, advisory, risk and performance services. With offices coast to coast and 2,600 personnel, Crowe is recognized by many organizations as one of the country’s best places to work. Crowe serves clients worldwide as an independent member of Crowe Horwath International, one of the largest global accounting networks in the world, consisting of more than 150 independent accounting and advisory services firms in more than 100 countries around the world.

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Crowe Horwath LLP, one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the U.S., examines factors that hospitals and private equity firms should consider before making their next acquisition.

The seller’s motivation. Physician practice groups can face looming costs for employee benefits, malpractice insurance and required innovations like electronic health records. Staying up-to-date with information technology, third-party billing and changing preauthorization requirements can also overwhelm some practices.

Cash-flow considerations. Buyers should be prepared for possible cash-flow delays, depending on whether the acquisition is structured as a stock or asset purchase. As well, some buyers prefer to add primary-care practices to provide their hospitals and specialists with additional sources of patients; others look to augment their capacity in medical specialties, which tend to have higher reimbursement rates.

Most hospitals have an individual or team dedicated to serving as a liaison between physician practice groups and the rest of the organization. This administrator or team needs to be able to work on behalf of both the hospital and the physician practices and be able to negotiate issues effectively and fairly. Buyers looking at the deal should consider who could fill this role.

Ron Ralph, a partner in Crowe’s Audit practice comments:

“The market for the acquisition of physician practice groups is robust. As more medical groups are bought out, the price for those remaining on the market may increase, especially as hospitals and private equity firms compete for a shrinking pool of talent,” he said. “Buyers that treat targets fairly throughout the acquisition process, and especially during negotiations, stand a good chance of achieving their goals and improving their competitive position for the years ahead.”

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Soliton Financial Analytics Ltd. has been selected to be the technological foundation of the Crowe Credit 360 portfolio analysis tool in the U.S. Soliton, a Hong Kong-based firm, offers a mix of analytical engines, interfaces and services to assist financial institutions in migrating to best-practice enterprise risk and performance management.

Crowe Horwath LLP will be the primary U.S. reseller of Soliton’s Portfolio Surveyor, an application that facilitates capital management and scenario stress testing, and Portfolio Compass, an online dashboard that helps relate capital management decisions to stress testing and risk appetite analysis.

Dr. Jeffrey Bohn, CEO of Soliton commented:

“Together, Soliton and Crowe Horwath LLP create a powerful combination by bringing state-of-the-art portfolio analytics and stress testing to the U.S., using the reach of one of the country’s largest public accounting and consulting firms,” he said. “We’re confident that Crowe Horwath LLP, with its extensive banking experience, will be able to help their clients improve the way they manage capital and business performance with our proven line of products.”

Crowe Horwath LLP (www.crowehorwath.com) is one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the United States. Under its core purpose of “Building Value with Values®,” Crowe uses its deep industry expertise to provide audit services to public and private companies, while also helping clients reach their goals with tax, advisory, risk and performance services. With offices coast to coast and 2,600 personnel, Crowe is recognized by many organizations as one of the country’s best places to work. Crowe serves clients worldwide as an independent member of Crowe Horwath International, one of the largest global accounting networks in the world, consisting of more than 150 independent accounting and advisory services firms in more than 100 countries around the world.

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Crowe Horwath LLP, one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the U.S., has teamed with Integrated Software Specialists (ISS) to be the exclusive provider of ISS’s iJustice® Enterprise Case Management Solution Suite (iJustice). iJustice is a Web-based case management system that offers greater efficiencies, advanced information orchestration, automated reporting, analytics, in-depth security and audit functions. It is designed for use by courts, clerks, supervision agencies, public defenders, prosecutors, law enforcement, corrections personnel, the public and other parties and maintains necessary levels of security to protect data privacy.

Key features of iJustice include:

• Web-based delivery with e-service capabilities, including e-pay, e-citation processing and e-filing;
• Highly configurable, to speed implementation with limited customization and allow for changes to be easily applied later;
• Automated notifications and alerts that coordinate a case between different parts of the organization;
• Advanced analytics, ad-hoc reporting and querying capabilities;
• Ability to exchange information with other departments, counties and systems while conforming with national models including the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM); and
• Scalability to integrate with existing systems

To introduce iJustice, Crowe and ISS are accepting grant applications until Oct. 31 from those who would like to try the system free for one-year, including the cost of implementation and hosting. Details are available at http://www.crowehorwath.com/iJusticePR.

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Crowe Horwath LLP is one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the U.S. NewPoint’s seven professionals, including its two founders, joined Crowe recently.  The Sacramento-based NewPoint Group, a consulting firm serving state and local government clients in California. Established in 1995 by James A. Gibson and Edward R. Kaempf, NewPoint has developed strong relationships with various California state and local government agencies by providing a broad range of management services, including strategic planning, program evaluation and development, environmental consulting projects, process improvement and innovation, cost allocation and rate setting and information technology feasibility analyses.

Crowe first expanded into Northern California in 2011 when Perry-Smith LLP personnel joined the firm, establishing a presence in Sacramento and San Francisco, with more than 100 professionals.

Crowe Horwath LLP (www.crowehorwath.com) is one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the United States. Under its core purpose of “Building Value with Values®,” Crowe uses its deep industry expertise to provide audit services to public and private companies, while also helping clients reach their goals with tax, advisory, risk and performance services. With offices coast to coast and 2,600 personnel, Crowe is recognized by many organizations as one of the country’s best places to work. Crowe serves clients worldwide as an independent member of Crowe Horwath International, one of the largest global accounting networks in the world, consisting of more than 150 independent accounting and advisory services firms in more than 100 countries around the world.

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To help organizations manage caseloads more efficiently, Crowe Horwath LLP, one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the U.S., has teamed with Integrated Software Specialists (ISS) to be the exclusive provider of ISS’s iJustice® Enterprise Case Management Solution Suite (iJustice). State, local and federal justice organizations must track the status and progress of each of their cases, but many are doing so with outdated technology.

iJustice is a Web-based case management system that offers greater efficiencies, advanced information orchestration, automated reporting, analytics, in-depth security and audit functions. It is designed for use by courts, clerks, supervision agencies, public defenders, prosecutors, law enforcement, corrections personnel, the public and other parties and maintains necessary levels of security to protect data privacy.

Key features of iJustice include:

• Web-based delivery with e-service capabilities, including e-pay, e-citation processing and e-filing;
• Highly configurable, to speed implementation with limited customization and allow for changes to be easily applied later;
• Automated notifications and alerts that coordinate a case between different parts of the organization;
• Advanced analytics, ad-hoc reporting and querying capabilities;
• Ability to exchange information with other departments, counties and systems while conforming with national models including the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM); and
• Scalability to integrate with existing systems.

To introduce iJustice, Crowe and ISS are accepting grant applications until Oct. 31 from those who would like to try the system free for one-year, including the cost of implementation and hosting. Details are available at http://www.crowehorwath.com/iJusticePR.

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Crowe Horwath is welcoming the talent of Sacramento-based NewPoint Group, a consulting firm serving state and local government clients in California. Established in 1995 by James A. Gibson and Edward R. Kaempf, NewPoint has developed strong relationships with various California state and local government agencies by providing a broad range of management services, including strategic planning, program evaluation and development, environmental consulting projects, process improvement and innovation, cost allocation and rate setting and information technology feasibility analyses.

Chuck Allen, Crowe’s chief executive officer commented:

“Our goal is always to provide an exceptional client experience and with NewPoint personnel joining our team, we’re able to enhance the depth of the government consulting services we can offer,” he said. “NewPoint is known for its extensive California qualifications and experience and we are pleased to welcome them to Crowe.”

Crowe first expanded into Northern California in 2011 when Perry-Smith LLP personnel joined the firm, establishing a presence in Sacramento and San Francisco, with more than 100 professionals. NewPoint’s seven professionals, including its two founders, join Crowe effective today.

The post Crowe Horwath: NewPoint Group personnel welcomed appeared first on Big4.com.

In its more than 70 years of experience, Crowe Horwath LLP has helped thousands of banking organizations, from de novo banks to multibillion dollar holding companies. Recently, they selected financial technology solutions from Soliton Financial Analytics Ltd. to be the technological foundation of its Crowe Credit 360 portfolio analysis tool in the U.S.

Crowe Horwath LLP will be the primary U.S. reseller of Soliton’s Portfolio Surveyor, an application that facilitates capital management and scenario stress testing, and Portfolio Compass, an online dashboard that helps relate capital management decisions to stress testing and risk appetite analysis.

Jason Bomers, financial services performance services leader at Crowe Horwath LLP comments:

“Soliton’s founders have extensive banking experience, including working with some of the largest banks in the country,” he says.  “Their solutions have been developed to address both U.S. and international requirements for stress testing and meeting the capital analysis needs of Basel III.”

The post Crowe Horwath:Soliton Financial Analytics Ltd Selected appeared first on Big4.com.

Crowe Horwath LLP, one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the U.S., has teamed with Integrated Software Specialists (ISS) to be the exclusive provider of ISS’s iJustice® Enterprise Case Management Solution Suite (iJustice). iJustice is a Web-based case management system that offers greater efficiencies, advanced information orchestration, automated reporting, analytics, in-depth security and audit functions. It is designed for use by courts, clerks, supervision agencies, public defenders, prosecutors, law enforcement, corrections personnel, the public and other parties and maintains necessary levels of security to protect data privacy.

iJustice delivers highly configurable, to speed implementation with limited customization and allow for changes to be easily applied later and the  ability to exchange information with other departments, counties and systems while conforming with national models including the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) to name just a few features.

Alicia Antonetti-Tricker, a senior manager in Crowe’s justice and public safety group comments:

“Caseloads are increasing while staff numbers are decreasing due to budget constraints. To handle this, departments need to improve case management efficiency, which an integrated technology solution like iJustice can help accomplish,”she said. ”Although many technology initiatives are complex and require significant time to implement, iJustice is ready to deploy and integrates seamlessly with existing systems, providing for a faster implementation than many other systems on the market.”

The post Crowe Horwath: New software solution offers integrated case management appeared first on Big4.com.

A new version of the Crowe Metals Industry Accelerator for Microsoft Dynamics® AX  2012 has been released. Most of the new elements are based on requests from metals manufacturers that Crowe has worked with and these include the ability to optimize inventory through a cut plan workbench and a user interface that matches demand for cut sizes of bar, sheet, coil, etc., to available supplies of raw material and remnants.

Josh Cole, a principal in Crowe’s Performance group comments:
“The Crowe Metals Industry Accelerator is the only flexible, scalable solution that addresses the specific needs of the metals industry within the highly popular new Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 platform,” he said. “The accelerator is pre-configured with metals functionality, which dramatically shortens implementation times and improves overall operating efficiency to help manufacturers achieve a better return on their technology investment.”

Crowe Horwath LLP (www.crowehorwath.com) is one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the United States. Under its core purpose of “Building Value with Values®,” Crowe assists public and private company clients in reaching their goals through audit, tax, advisory, risk and performance services

The post Crowe Horwath: upgrade to metals industry ERP system released appeared first on Big4.com.

Crowe Horwath has chosen a new CEO to succeed Frank Arford, who has announced his retirement from the firm.

Effective July 1st, Arford will step down and be replaced by Kevin McGrath, a veteran of the accounting firm. McGrath already serves on the firm’s board as the company’s Chief Operating Officer, and he will continue to contribute to the firm’s development, which he hopes to pursue aggressively. “I am honored and excited to take this new position. Under Frank’s leadership, Crowe Horwath International has achieved a single global brand with a defined strategy. I look forward to furthering his efforts to distinguish Crowe Horwath International among the global networks” McGrath said in a public statement.

Mark Hildebrand, Chairman of the Board of Crowe Horwath, praised McGrath’s experience with the firm and in the field. “Kevin’s strong background, experience and leadership skills make him an excellent choice to assume the leadership role from Frank. We are delighted to have him lead the execution of our strategy, going forward,” he said.

Arford had been in accounting for over 40 years, and had served as Crowe Horwath’s CEO for over five years. He had spent the bulk of his career at the firm, having served at Crowe Horwath for 35 years.

“It has been a great experience working for Crowe Horwath International at a turning point of its development, and I am very grateful for the support that the network’s teams and firms have provided me over the years,” Arford said of his retirement.

The post Crowe Horwath Appoints New CEO appeared first on Big4.com.

I recently placed a candidate in a considerably lower level role than I normally do. Most of my recruiting assignments are for senior level positions with experienced executives. It’s always personally rewarding to enhance someone’s career, both professionally, financially and personally, but this recent placement gave me a different buzz. One I remember liking from earlier in my own career. It’s the great feeling of making a difference in someone’s life, probably one they’ll always remember and knowing I helped create a turning point in their careers.

This also put me in mind of experiences placing  candidates coming directly out of Big 4 for the first time. I did my fair share of these transitions in the good old pre-IPO, pre-SOX days, circa mid-late 1990’s. Hard to believe the many changes that have occurred since, from Enron to the great recession. The one thing that hasn’t changed though is how young talent feels, making the leap of faith from a public accounting firm to private industry. I’m quite sure attorneys and accountants struggle with some of the same questions when leaving the world of prominent law firms and the Big 4. After all, they’ve been groomed for success and high expectations, pitted against their peers for recognition, fostered in an environment of similar professionals; all hard working, bright and ambitious up and comers. Some see a clear path towards partnership while others dread yet another busy season.

And then someone like me comes along – whispering in their ear of opportunity, title, compensation increases, the chance to have a more structured lifestyle. Maybe they’ll work just as hard, after all I believe cranking out the hours is just ingrained in the Big 4 psyche. Regardless of the inducement, there comes a time when the right opportunity hits a nerve and the considerations of change come into play.

What makes transitioning out of Big 4 so different? In addition to their accounting firm experience usually being their first role out of a college they were recruited from, there’s the comfort level of professional commonality and equality. Everyone starts off in a comparable position, with similar skills and education. Everyone is working towards the same goal. Expectations are set and met; there are mentors and an established pattern for growth.

It’s no wonder the thought of leaving the prestigious society created in their firms is such a difficult decision. Here the CPA can rely on mentorship, interesting work and variety. Their peers share the same workload, similar challenges and are bound together in a culture of hard work and long hours. And even though they have worked with and alongside their clients, going to work for them is a completely different ball game. Contemplating submitting their work for the Auditors to review, getting involved in everything from journal entries to financials and often a big challenge in learning how to motivate and lead non professional staff.  Leaving the cocoon of a big 4 environment is a daunting proposition and let’s face it – Managers and Partners will always encourage their star performers to stay.

Despite all the inducements to stay (excluding the long hours!), Big 4 talent often does make it’s way into the private sector. Most do it successfully, embracing private industry, thriving in new challenges and learning how to lead and motivate. Transitioning into the corporate world is almost a right of passage. Their talent is welcomed and embraced whichever side of the fence they ultimately choose.

Cindy Cremona, CPC has over twenty years experience as an Executive Recruiter. Her main focus is in Accounting and Finance, primarily placing senior level roles for clients mainly in the technology sectors.

The post Musings From Cindy Cremona, CPC – Recruiter Of Big4 Candidates appeared first on Big4.com.

Interview link: http://www.accountantslike.com/2012/02/accountants-like-interview-with-bob.html

Amazon link (Kindle option too): http://www.amazon.com/Ex-Why-Bob-Sinnott/dp/146360677X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329317643&sr=1-1

The post Interview With Big 4 Satirist appeared first on Big4.com.

Senior Manager, Global Retirement

AECOM is a global provider of professional technical and management support services to a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government. With approximately 45,000 employees…

http://www.big4.com/jobs/career/39590/Senior-Economist-Pennsylvania-Pa-West-Chester

Senior Economist

Moody’s Analytics Pennsylvania (PA), West Chester

Moody’s Analytics located in West Chester, PA, is a leading independent provider of economic, financial, country, and industry research designed to meet the diverse planning and information needs of businesses,…

http://www.big4.com/jobs/career/30255/Sr-Manager-Human-Resources-Organizational-Change-Management-California-Ca-El-Segundo

Sr. Manager Human Resources – Organizational Change Management

Mattel, Inc.  California (CA),                       El Segundo

At Mattel, we have a vision to Create the Future of Play. We will achieve this vision because our people are creative and energetic, thriving on innovation and passion for…

http://www.big4.com/jobs/career/30251/Senior-Accountant-Cpa-Georgia-Ga-Alpharetta

McKesson  Georgia (GA),                       Alpharetta

Healing the healthcare system starts with you. It starts with the chain of events you initiate when you work with McKesson Provider Technologies – a chain that extends across…

The post Jobs Of The Week For Big Four Alumni and Professionals Jan 2012-2 appeared first on Big4.com.

ACME Business Consulting helps organizations achieve specific and critically important business objectives. We are leaders – catalysts, augmenters and force multipliers. ACME teams are comprised of senior-level managers with Big 5 experience, advanced educations and past successes. In other words, it takes a lot to rattle us.

As an ACME Senior Manager, you will tap into your left and right brains. With your left you will bring real-world analytic skill, methodology and planning. From your right you will hone creativity, sensitivity and smarts as you navigate and lead business transformation projects. This position requires strong leadership skills, project management discipline and an understanding of the methods and tools used to achieve success.

http://www.big4.com/jobs/career/39633/Senior-Consultant-Oregon-Or-Portland

As an ACME Senior Consultant, you will be a critical player on large, complex projects. You will excel at bringing real-world analytic skill, methodology and planning to ACME-led engagements. You will be responsible for managing and delivering key components and deliverables on large projects and programs. This position requires strong analytical skills, project management discipline and an understanding of what it takes to be a successful member of a high performing team.

http://www.big4.com/jobs/career/39617/Senior-Manager-External-Reporting-California-Ca-Sunnyvale

Senior Manager, External Reporting Yahoo

Role: Manages and participates in the preparation of all external financial reporting – including earnings releases, annual report and other required SEC filings. Coordinates the information gathering process involving interactions with finance personnel across the organization and also interacts with the Company’s external auditors. Provides technical consulting support to financial management at the corporate and divisional level on the treatment of accounting issues, implementation of new accounting standards, compliance with U.S. GAAP, and SEC regulations. Monitors compliance with U.S. GAAP, SEC and PCAOB regulations in the context of financial reporting. Also, manages and participates in the monthly preparation of internal financial reports.

The post Jobs Of The Week For Big Four Alumni and Professionals Jan 2012-1 appeared first on Big4.com.

This week Big4.com brings you KPMG’s financial results on Strong Business Growth Leads To US$22.7 Billion In
Revenues, Ernst & Young’s report on Risk Amid Continued Uncertainty In 2012
For Life Insurers, PwC’s findings that Gaming Revenues To Reach US$182.8
Billion, Accenture’s report on Cities Missing Smart Opportunity To Measure
Hidden Value, Deloitte’s Proposed Reform To Family Justice System, and Ernst
& Young’s analysis of Growth Expected In India’s Media and Entertainment
Industry.

Each week
Big4.com covers key news, events, happenings, opinions and blogs relating to
all the Big Four accounting and consulting firms. You can view this video our
website and on Big4.com’s channel on Youtube. So, let’s start with this week’s
round-up of the top news!

KPMG: Strong Business Growth Leads To US$22.7 Billion In Revenues

KPMG recently announced member firm
combined revenues totaling $22.7 billion for the fiscal year ending September
30, 2011.  The company recorded strong
growth across all functions. Audit revenues rebounded to grow 5.8 percent in
U.S. dollars, or 1.8 percent in local currency terms, to US$10.48 billion
against strong competition in the marketplace and a difficult business
environment. Tax revenues grew 13 percent in U.S. dollars, or 8.5 percent in
local currency terms, to US$4.69 billion. Advisory revenues rose 14.8 percent
in U.S. dollars, and 11.2 percent in local currency terms, to $7.54 billion.

Ernst & Young’s Risk Amid Continued Uncertainty In 2012 For Life Insurers

According to Ernst & Young’s new Global
Insurance Center US Outlook, there are several issues US life and annuity
insurance companies will need to grapple with in 2012. Among these are low
interest rates that should persist until at least 2013, increasing the risk of
spread compression for existing products. Insurers may also be challenged by
future Congressional efforts to reform the federal tax code. Implications exist
here for both corporate-level taxes and policyholder tax issues.

However, life insurers can leverage web technology to develop stronger ties to customers amid these other concerns.

PwC’s Gaming Revenues To Reach US$182.8 Billion

The release of PwC’s new annual report
“Global Gaming Outlook: The casino and online gaming market to 2015″ has some
interesting findings including the fact that spending in the US will rise by
5.0 per cent from US$57.5 billion in 2010 to US$73.3 billion in 2015.

Future casino upgrades and a
new casino licence will enhance the South African casino market as well, but
compared with the prior decade—when a number of new casinos opened—there will be relatively little growth from new casinos during the forecast period.

Accenture: Cities Missing Smart Opportunity To Measure Hidden Value

A new report published by
The Climate Group, Accenture, Arup
and Horizon Digital Economy Research at The University of Nottingham states
that cities are missing the opportunity to turn unused data and infrastructure
into new low carbon solutions and services.

The report Information
Marketplaces: The new economics of cities, indicates that while cities are using
information and communications technology (ICT) to improve their sustainability
and efficiency, they are not recognizing or measuring the full value of smart
initiatives. The report suggests cities should start with a common set of
metrics that can be translated into financial and non-financial values.

Deloitte: Proposed Reform To Family Justice System

Building
on the recommendations set out by the Family Justice Review panel in November
2011, Deloitte has proposed a new
model of service integration in the family court service.

These recommendations include Data analytics being used to measure service
effectiveness and predict when outcomes for children or young people may be
compromised by the system, enabling the organisation to be accountable to local
children, young people and citizens and commissioned targeted services on
behalf of a region with alternative financing vehicles for funding implemented.
Ernst & Young: Growth Expected In India’s Media and Entertainment Industry

A new study by Ernst & Young shows that India’s
growing digital media consumption and favorable demographics are key drivers
for future growth in the country’s media and entertainment industry.

With registered revenues of US$16.3 billion in 2010,
the Indian Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry is expected to see
revenues in excess of US$25 billion over the next four years according to the
report, ‘Spotlight on India’s Entertainment Economy’. The report notes India’s increasing per capita income,
growing middle class and working population are generating huge domestic demand for leisure and entertainment.

The post Check out the latest Big Four video (Dec 2011-2) appeared first on Big4.com.

By Theodora Filis, Big4 Editor

In August, Crowe Horwath LLP, admitted 25 new partners and
directors to the firm. Thirteen directors were elected effective July 1, while
the election of twelve partners becomes effective October 1, 2011.

“These professionals have demonstrated the highest
levels of service and are committed to maintaining Crowe’s reputation for
technical excellence and an exceptional client experience,” said Charles
Allen, Crowe Horwath’s CEO. “Electing new leaders of such a high caliber
will help to guide the firm and ensure our future is in good hands.”

Crowe Horwath is one of the largest public accounting and
consulting firms in the United States. Under its core purpose of “Building
Value with Values®,” Crowe assists public and private company clients in
reaching their goals through audit, tax, advisory, risk and performance
services – with 2,400 personnel, servicing clients worldwide with offices in
more than 400 cities around the world.

The post Crowe Horwath Elects 25 New Partners and Directors appeared first on Big4.com.