Apercen Partners

This month’s Employee Spotlight is on Fiorella Almada, a Tax Associate in our Palo Alto office who started out as an intern and has been with us for almost a year.

Fiorella was drawn to Apercen because everyone she spoke to and met during her internship seemed so passionate and happy about working at Apercen, which she says, “I think it is important because I want to work somewhere that supports their employees.”

During her time here at Apercen, Fiorella is most proud of her growth as a person and professional. “I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve been given and the relationships I’ve built.”

Michelle Su, a Tax Manager says, "Fiorella started with Apercen as an intern and joined full time after graduating. She has been a pleasure to work with and has accumulated an impressive wealth of knowledge for someone as early on in her career as she is. Fiorella is a team player, quick learner, and has a positive attitude. She has consistently proven herself to be reliable and smart. Her attention to detail and retention of information is invaluable to our engagement team. It is clear that she takes pride in her work and approaches tough issues with an open and questioning mind. It has been rewarding to see her growth and progress in her career so far. We appreciate her hard work and look forward to seeing her continued achievements!"

A fun fact about Fiorella is that she loves collecting LEGO sets and has over 100 different ones.

Outside of work, she loves to sing, dance, and visit Disneyland. Fiorella has also recently picked up crocheting and she is having a lot of fun so far making a blanket.

Home of the free, est. 1776.

Happy Fourth of July! Apercen will be closed today and tomorrow in observance of the holiday.

This month’s Employee Spotlight is on Rachelle Berard, a Senior Tax Associate based in our Sacramento Region. Rachelle has been with Apercen for almost four years and what initially drew her to Apercen was the beautiful Folsom office and its incredible people. She says, “After I interviewed, Apercen was the top firm I wanted to work for and continues to be.”

During her time at Apercen, Rachelle is the most proud of the growth she has made from where she started to where she is at today. “I strive to be the person on my teams that is very knowledgeable in the work we do and also a person that my teams enjoy working with.”

Scott Sweeney, a Tax Senior Manager at Apercen, says "Rachelle is a tremendously valued member on my teams, and I feel fortunate to be able to work with her. She displays wonderful management and organization of our engagements and always has a great attitude. Rachelle has been instrumental in an on-going client issue and am greatly appreciative to be able to bounce ideas back and forth with her. She is always willing to help and takes the lead across several compliance and consulting matters. Rachelle has been mentoring younger associates and her work ethic and attention to detail is evident in the work product of these newer associates. I look forward to Rachelle’s continued growth here at Apercen!"

Outside of work, Rachelle enjoys bringing people together and if you are wondering what she will be doing this weekend, it will most likely involve barbequing with friends and family. She and her husband just had another little one last September and they are now a family of 4!

This month’s Employee Spotlight is on Sean Stanish, a Tax Associate based in Apercen’s Folsom office. Sean has been with Apercen for almost two years. Sean says, “This was my first job out of college so I didn’t know what to expect or what to look for in a company. But everyone I interacted with at Apercen was extremely friendly throughout the interview process and I am very grateful to be here. I sincerely enjoy being around and working with all my coworkers and am excited to see what the future holds as I continue to learn and progress.”

During his time here at Apercen, Sean is most proud of tracking down an e-file diagnostic during his first busy season that caused a state to reject for numerous years before he started. “As a result, we don’t have to paper file there anymore.” Sean also studied for and passed all 4 sections of the CPA exam while working at Apercen fulltime and in less than a year from his first attempt to his last.

Outside of work, Sean is an avid motorsports fan. He has been to over 100 racetracks in 3 countries and 18 U.S. states. While in school, Sean worked at a variety of tracks, including seven years at a track in Watsonville, CA, announcing for a season at a track in Stockton, CA, and other one-offs at a total of 6 other tracks in California.

Land of the free, because of the brave. Happy Memorial Day! Apercen will be closed today in observance and will reopen tomorrow.

A *big* thank you to our Admin Team here at Apercen. We are so thankful and appreciative for all that you do for our teams. We hoped you enjoyed celebrating ❤️

🌍 Happy Earth Day! 🌿 Today and every day, we celebrate our commitment to sustainability and caring for our planet. 🌱 Let's work together to make a positive impact on our environment. Apercen Partners encourages you to take some time today to appreciate the Earth around you! Learn more surprising facts about Earth Day here!: https://time.com/6968732/earth-day-surprising-facts/

This month’s Employee Spotlight is on Hannah Young, our HR Coordinator, based out of our Portland Office. Hannah has been with Apercen for a year and a half and was recruited by our own Taylor Cross on LinkedIn! She says, “Once I had a chance to talk to Mikka, Rachel and Joelle I knew right away that this was a team and a company culture that I needed to be a part of.”
Joelle Lyons, our HR Director, says, “Hannah is known for her warm and welcoming demeanor, and her excellent sense of humor makes working with her each day enjoyable. Hannah's dedication to making employees feel comfortable and supported reflects her commitment to ensuring a smooth transition into the company and fostering a sense of belonging. We are truly grateful for Hannah’s invaluable contributions to Apercen.”
During her time at Apercen, Hannah is most proud of being able to lead the Onboarding Process and having the opportunity to meet every single person who joins the Apercen team.
Outside of work, Hannah enjoys reading, hiking, and running. She just completed her first race, the Shamrock Run 8K in Portland, Oregon. Way to go Hannah!

Today, Apercen celebrates all the incredible women on our teams, whose invaluable contributions help make Apercen great. Happy International Women's Day!

This month’s Employee Spotlight is on Grace (Hendryx) Laubach, a Senior Tax Associate based in our Eastern Region. Grace has been with Apercen for a year and a half and what initially drew her to AP was that everyone she talked to when she was interviewing was not only passionate about the work they do, but they were also passionate about the employee experience. She says, “It was important to me to work for a firm that values their employees and doesn’t see them as just a number. I am happy to report that my initial impressions were true. Not only am I valued, but I am encouraged to grow and be confident in my knowledge and work product. It is a very affirming environment and motivates everyone to do their best work.”

During her time at Apercen, Grace is most proud of the growth she has had as a professional. “The complexities I have been exposed to have pushed me to learn and change my way of thinking on how to ask the right questions and understanding the bigger picture. I am so thankful that I have been given the opportunity to present solutions to my teams and effectively collaborate to give the client a high quality experience,” says Grace.
A fun fact about Grace is that her fasest time to complete the NYT mini crossword is 11 seconds! Outside of work, Grace enjoys getting outside with her friends to play volleyball or pickleball, but in the long Ohio winter months she also loves to do puzzles of all kinds and read books. She also loves to watch Survivor while she cuddles up with her two dogs. Grace and her husband love to try new restaurants and will always order whatever they think is the most unique item on the menu.

Today may be the nationally recognized Employee Appreciation Day, but at Apercen, it's every day because we truly appreciate all you do!

Thank you for your continued efforts to deliver for our clients and our Firm. You, our team members, are the greatest attribute of our organization.

You are seen, you are valued, and you are appreciated!

Apercen's 2024 Firm Retreat in Scottsdale, Arizona was a huge success! Employees were able to mix, mingle, and even participate in some fun Goat Yoga.

Today, we celebrate the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Take a moment to reflect on his commitment to fighting for equality and service to others. Apercen will be closed today in observance of the holiday and will reopen again tomorrow.

This month’s Employee Spotlight is on Nicki Okada, a Senior Tax Associate based in our Pasadena office. Nicki has been with the firm for over two years and was initially drawn to Apercen because everyone he spoke with seemed passionate about the work they did and excited about high-net-worth tax. He says, “That in turn got me excited about it as well. In the time that I've been here, it's become clear to me that I work with people who are so knowledgeable about what they do, and so generous about sharing that knowledge to build me up in my career also.”

During his time at Apercen, Nicki is most proud of the opportunities he has had to get involved in the various kinds of tax compliance that Apercen works in. “I've really enjoyed being able to participate in such a wide array of tax preparation from working with the gift tax committee preparing gift tax returns to figuring out better ways to track cryptocurrency transactions.”

Lindsey Buchanan, one of our Tax Managers, says, “Nicki is a great teammate and always has a positive attitude. He is eager and willing to help with any part of the engagement and picks up complex topics quickly. We are thankful to have Nicki on our team!”

Outside of work, Nicki enjoys going on walks with his wife and daughter, going to the beach, jogging, playing chess, and finding new coffee places to try out. He also helps with the youth group at his church on Sunday mornings and Thursday nights.

This month’s Employee Spotlight is on Emma Karoullas, a Senior Tax Manager based in our East Coast region. Emma has been with Apercen for almost 2 years and what initially drew her to Apercen was the culture and client base. “Apercen encourages all their employees to become well versed professionals and provides the support and recourses to allow everyone to be successful in their careers. The firm emphasizes the importance of collaboration and development at all levels. Apercen’s clients are also unique and provide an opportunity to work with younger individuals that are building wealth and actively involved in building their businesses some of which are still privately owned and getting ready to go public,” says Emma.

Carmen Carrasco, Tax Senior Manager, says “Emma always has such a great attitude on our engagement. She is proactive and does an incredible job managing our engagement. I am so grateful to work with her.”

This year, Emma had her first baby and is looking forward to growing her family with her husband. Outside of work, Emma loves to garden. “We have a small plot in our backyard and bring in a great harvest each year including lettuce, spinach, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, green beans, and cucumbers. We also have a lemon tree and fig tree and recently starting planting blueberry bushes. It seems that each year we get the itch to grow something new and it is so rewarding to be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor in the summer and early fall.” Emma and her husband also enjoy golfing with their friends during the warmer months and just being outside with friends and family.

Happy Thanksgiving! We hope you enjoy your time with loved ones today. Apercen will be closed today and will reopen on Monday, November 27. Have a lovely holiday weekend!

Chris Kosicki, a Tax Senior Associate based in our Eastern Region, has been with Apercen for just over a year. What initially drew Chris to Apercen was the opportunity to work with sophisticated clientele and to pursue his passion for ultra-high net worth taxation. He says, “ As time has passed, I have come to appreciate the value of being surrounded by a team of talented professionals who consistently aid in career development and encourage a challenging yet fruitful working environment.”
During his time here at Apercen, Chris is most proud of participating in the recruiting process within the Florida market. He enjoys networking with accounting students and hopes to encourage them to join the profession.
Ben Kauffman, a Tax Senior Managers says, “Chris is the type of professional that everyone hopes joins their Apercen team. He not only provides exceptional client service, but he also cares about each individual teammate. Chris’s attention to detail adds value to his engagements and his grasp for the holistic goal keeps projects moving forward. Chris is efficient and effective, dependable and organized, technical and friendly. I am thankful to have someone like Chris on my team and look forward to continuing to watch him develop in his career.”
Outside of work, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife Kim and daughter Mae. He loves to play and watch ice hockey (Go Wings!) and smoke meats on his Traeger grill. He also loves antique shopping, going to concerts, gardening and playing frisbee with his Miniature Australian Shepherd, Khalessi.

‼️Cal Poly Accounting Students‼️Today we will be at the Fall Symposium inside the Chumash Auditorium on-campus! Stop by our booth to learn more about the firm & our open opportunities! We look forward to meeting you🤗

This month’s Employee Spotlight is on Dylan Vogt, our Learning and Development Manager based in our Southern California region. Dylan has been with Apercen since June of 2017 after finishing his Masters in Taxation at USC. He started as a Tax Associate and worked his way up to L&D Manager in June of 2022.

Since his first day in our Pasadena office, Dylan felt like an integral part of the Apercen team. Dylan says, “Even though I was only an entry level associate, my managers, senior managers, and partners included me on complex client projects and mentored me as I built a foundation in tax. Our local Pasadena office (and all offices) have a true “open door policy” in a way that I had not experienced anywhere else. When you work on an engagement team at Apercen, your contributions to your engagement are respected. Partners and managers alike are open to your ideas and available for questions or discussion. I am especially grateful for Melissa Carrig, Juana Marin-Walker, Jordan Watrous, Monica Mendoza, and Carmen Carrasco for mentoring and guiding me during my associate years.”

During his time at Apercen, Dylan is most proud of his launch of our new “Nano Learnings” initiative. He says, “As Apercen has continued to grow, so has our training infrastructure. This past year, I worked closely with our Tax Operations Team (Specifically, Charlotte Hoppe and Juana Marin-Walker) in developing Apercen’s newest training initiative: Nano Learnings. In just 6 months, L&D and TaxOps have produced and released over 200 nano learning videos that are available to all Apercen Tax Team Members. These videos are 1-10 minutes long and provide an accessible way for new and veteran tax team members alike to learn about tax technical topics, as well as Apercen tools, processes, and templates. I’m proud to have helped this initiative move forward and look forward to continue expanding our nano learning library in the upcoming year.”

Brigitte Binder, our Learning and Development Director says, “Since coming to the L&D team, Dylan has pioneered so many great changes and improvements, I’ve lost count! His sense of humor, positivity, and collaborative spirit are just a few things that make him a wonderful team member and person. In addition, he is deeply detailed and analytical. I’m often impressed by how effortlessly he turns ideas into finished products or trainings, keeping organized every step of the way. Dylan also has MANY talents outside of work and his dedication to lifelong learning shines through in everything he does. Cheers to you, Dylan! Here’s to many more years of working together!”

A fun fact about Dylan is that he has a background in music. He went to school for Accounting but left his initial career as an auditor in Washington, D.C. to pursue a degree in Classical Piano Performance. After music school (and before attending USC), he traveled to Italy and around the U.S. while participating in music festivals and performing. To this day, music is Dylan’s active side hustle. “I’ve produced and performed since I joined a touring rockabilly band when I was in high school. I now produce and perform as one-half of D_XTER FOREVER, a synth pop duo based in Los Angeles (you can see our 80’s inspired music videos “Feel Your Love” and “Lately” on YouTube). I also produce for various pop artists around LA. When I’m not working on music, I’m climbing, hiking, or exploring national parks with my lovely girlfriend Brianna and our border collie, Ayla,” says Dylan.

“My time at Apercen has taught me a great deal - Not only about tax preparation, but about management, organization, and about how to produce a high quality and detailed work product (whether it be a Form 1040 or a training curriculum for a firm wide training). I consider Apercen the “Ivy League” of the tax consulting profession. We work hard to produce the best quality in everything we do, whether it’s directly related to our client work or to internal policies and training. I’m grateful for the skills that I’ve acquired these past six and a half years and I look forward to continuing to learn and grow in my role as Learning & Development Manager.”

Happy Labor Day to our employees, clients, and partners. Take a load off and enjoy one last summer hurrah! Our offices will be closed today and will reopen tomorrow.

Apercen's Family Office Services Exempt Team did some team building this month by throwing axes at Way of Escape in Folsom, CA.

This month’s Employee Spotlight is on Liz Jacobsohn, a Tax Senior Associate based in our New York office. Liz has been with Apercen for 2 and a half years. When interviewing at Apercen, Liz said everyone she spoke to during her interview process was extremely welcoming and highlighted the importance of cohesive engagement teams in order to provide first-class service to high-profile clients. She says, “I’ve been very fortunate to work with incredibly bright people who are always open to sharing knowledge and discussing complex issues.”

Since joining the firm, Liz is most proud of the relationships she has built with her co-workers. “Every project is truly a team effort from top to bottom, enabling me to grow close and even become friends with colleagues of all levels. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to watch people succeed and grow professionally around me while being given the opportunity to do the same,” says Liz.

Hunter Anderson, a Tax Senior Manager, says “Liz does an excellent job of making sure our engagement runs smoothly. I always feel confident that we're considering important items and not missing details. She works independently and autonomously and is always eager to step up and learn."

Outside of work, Liz enjoys spending time outdoors - jogging, visiting different vineyards, and playing pickleball. And of course, watching bad reality TV.

This month’s Employee Spotlight is on Michael Schmidt, who is a Tax Senior Associate and is based in the New York office. Michael has been with Apercen approximately a year and a half. Michael’s exceptional work ethic and strong analytical skills have been an invaluable asset to Apercen. What drew Michael to Apercen was the firm’s reputation for excellence in tax planning and consulting. Michael says that “Apercen’s approach to tax planning and consulting is exceptional. The firm is a great place for anyone to continue to learn, develop and become specialized in the tax profession. I spoke with various peers at Apercen before joining and I was very excited that everyone I spoke to enjoys working and learning here.” During his time at Apercen, Michael is most proud of being able to be a peer guide. A peer guide is a point of contact for new hires and interns. The peer guide provides guidance and is an approachable resource for information about Apercen culture, processes, and people.

Ashley Gualtieri, a Tax Senior Manager says “Michael is a reliable team member and has quickly gained my trust here at Apercen. He is always willing to go the extra mile and consistently provides high quality service to our clients. Michael takes the initiative to increase his tax technical knowledge by taking on additional challenges and research projects on our client engagements. He always has a positive attitude and has been a joy to work with. He is also a great contributor to the growth and development of the associates that he works with and puts time and effort into those relationships. I appreciate all that Michael does and I am excited to continue watching him grow in his career here at Apercen!”

Outside of work, Michael enjoys spending time with his fiancée and their families. His favorite hobbies include watching movies, keeping and maintaining aquariums, playing board games, learning card tricks and participating in escape rooms.

Happy Independence Day!

Apercen will be closed today, July 4 as well as tomorrow, July 5. Our offices will reopen on Thursday, July 6. Have a fun and safe holiday!

Pride Month offers us an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the LGBTQ+ community and to advocate for their rights. Pride Month is a time to celebrate LGBTQ+ history and progress towards equality.
At Apercen, we stand with the LGBTQ+ community, fostering diversity, equality, and inclusion. Our employee resource groups provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ employees and allies, while comprehensive harassment trainings promote understanding. Together, we drive positive change for a world that embraces
and celebrates all identities.

This month’s Employee Spotlight is on Bryan Branco, a Senior Finance Manager, based in our Folsom Office. Bryan has been with Apercen for almost 2 years. He spent the previous 20 years working in corporate accounting doing different versions of the same thing. What drew him to Apercen was the desire to do something different and interesting. When Bryan heard about the Family Office at Apercen, it appealed to him in a way that other opportunities did not. For example, no more traditional month-end close process. In addition, Bryan had met a few Apercen team members and was impressed with the culture and that ultimately made him want to join the team.

During his time at Apercen, Bryan is most proud that he has been able to onboard 3 new clients in his short time with us. His team is also the go-to team to fill in when teams need assistance with their client needs. Bryan also helps our Quality Review team to improve various processes within our Family Office team.

Stephanie Freeno, our FOS Senior Operations Manager, says “Bryan is one of the best managers I’ve worked with in my long career. Not only does Bryan have a “can do” attitude, but he backs it up with quality ideas and timely ex*****on. He is calm under pressure, even keeled, and respectful. Apercen FOS is so lucky to have Bryan as a leader in our group, especially during this time of growth. I can’t think of a better person to head up the new teams and initiatives. I’m thankful to work with Bryan and look forward to watching his continued success.”

Outside of work, Bryan spends his free time training and racing in triathlons. He also enjoys spending time with his family, specifically at his kids swim meets and water polo games.

Thank you for all your hard work at Apercen, Bryan!