Accounting Advisory Board

 

Dave Bauer is a partner and Chief Investment Officer with Lubar & Co, a Milwaukee based single family office, since 2005. He is involved in the private equity activities of the firm and is on the board or working closely with the portfolio of companies including American Pasteurization, Chem Design, Shared Imaging, Lake Express, Erdman, Drilltec, Rockland Industrial Products, Wrightwood Financial, Zero Zone as well as the firms real-estate investment holdings.  Prior to this, he was the Chief Financial Officer for Facilitator Capital Fund, a Wisconsin-based Small Business Investment Company.  He started his career with Arthur Andersen where he led the Wisconsin transaction advisory services practice. 

Mr. Bauer received a Master of Business Administration degree from Marquette University in 2005 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting in 1991. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Wisconsin Institute of CPA's and the American Institute of CPA's. 

In addition, Mr. Bauer is actively involved with several local charitable organizations including the Milwaukee Art Museum and is an adjunct professor of corporate finance at Marquette University in their Executive MBA program.  He has two children and resides in Waukesha, WI with his wife, Heidi. 

Tony is a founder of Quandt Berndt & Company, LLC (QBCo). He has over 25 years of experience working with high net worth individuals, privately held businesses and owners with all of their tax & accounting needs. He specializes in advising clients with their financial and strategic planning initiatives and tax planning and compliance including: family wealth transfer techniques, business succession planning, maximizing walk away cash from transactions and advisory board services.

Tony is a Certified Public Accountant and has received his Series 65 designation, is a Certified Exit Planner, and is recognized by the AICPA as a Personal Financial Specialist. He has been a regular speaker across the country on topics such as: Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), Roth IRA conversations, Tax Minimization Strategies When You Sell Your Business, and The Tax Environment After a Presidential Election.

Tony is a member of the Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants (WICPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He received his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Marquette University and his Master’s degree in Taxation from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.

Michael joined the Marquette Accounting Faculty in 2012 on a full-time basis.  His prior experience includes successfully completing hundreds of client engagements throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Latin America as President of Advanced Financial.  He has served as Chief Financial Officer for a manufacturing company and was Partner In Charge of Consulting for one of the largest CPA and Consulting Firms in the United States.  His entrepreneurial experience includes founding an accounting and consulting firm and growing it to a top 15 ranking in the Milwaukee marketplace.  He has assisted Clients ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies.

Professor Browne’s current areas of interest are costing and performance management, lean continuous improvement, strategic and profit planning, financial planning and analysis, budgetary control, mergers and acquisitions, business valuations and exit strategy planning. 

He has taught in both the undergraduate and graduate programs including courses in Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Advanced Accounting, Accounting for Managerial Decisions and Executing Strategy Using the Balanced Scorecard.  Michael is the recipient of the 2015 and 2016 excellence in teaching award from the Marquette Executive MBA Program.

After graduating from Marquette in 1994, Andrew spent eight years in public accounting. He left Ernst & Young in 2002 to join Milwaukee-based Actuant Corporation, a $1.2B NYSE-listed diversified industrial company with operations in 30+ countries. Prior to Andrew's current position of VP Finance for Actuant’s Industrial and Energy segments, he spent time in various corporate, business unit and segment roles both domestically and abroad. Together with his wife, Julie (also an MU grad), they are raising four sons – all of whom are big-time Marquette basketball fans.

 

Bill has over 25 years of experience with Ernst & Young serving privately held entrepreneurial companies and publicly held companies in the manufacturing, retail and consumer products industries.  His particular focus is on serving private companies or subsidiaries of public companies with multi-national and multi-location engagements reporting under US GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards.  In addition, Bill has assisted and advised multiple clients in accounting and reporting matters, registration statements and public filings.  Bill has also assisted and participated with clients in business acquisitions, due diligence, purchase accounting and working capital adjustment resolution.

Bill is a graduate of Marquette University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. He is currently a Certified Public Accountant and member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). In addition, Bill has served as an IFRS instructor for the Midwest Area of Ernst & Young and serves as the Campus Coordinating Executive for Marquette University.

He is actively involved with BizStarts Milwaukee, having been elected to the position of Treasurer in 2013, and is also serving on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors.

Tom is Chief Operating Officer and owner of EmbedTek, LLC.  EmbedTek designs and manufactures embedded computers and integrated displays for the Military, Medical, Manufacturing, Video Surveillance and other industries.  Prior to working with EmbedTek, Tom was Chief Operating Officer of Dedicated Computing LLC which provided somewhat similar products to the OEM customer base.

Tom has his accounting degree and MBA from Marquette University.  After getting his undergraduate degree, Tom worked for Arthur Andersen’s accounting and audit practice in Milwaukee.  He left Andersen as a Senior Manager after twelve years.

Tom and his wife, Dea, have three children.  Tom enjoys exercising by running, biking and swimming.  In addition, he has been involved with several non-profit organizations, including the Waukesha County Business Alliance, The Salvation Army, Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, Wisconsin Air Force Academy Parents Association and several other organizations.  Tom is also involved at the Board or advisory level in several other businesses.

Jessica Gatzke is a shareholder at Scribner, Cohen and Company, S.C., a public accounting firm founded in 1925 and located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She provides tax consulting and planning for individuals, families and closely-held businesses, utilizing her experience in the field of accounting and taxation. She also leads the firm’s Internal Revenue Service examination division. Jessica has been with the firm since 2003 when she was matched with Scribner Cohen through the Marquette University accounting internship matching program. The clients of Scribner Cohen are located all over the world, but have a strong base in the City of Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin. 

Mrs. Gatzke received her Master of Science degree in Accounting from Marquette University in 2004 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Marquette University in 2003. She also earned her Master of Science degree in Taxation from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the WICPA and AICPA. 

Mrs. Gatzke is also a member of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee and participates in several committees and board positions of the WICPA. A few of the most recent positions include Educational Foundation Director, Public Policy Committee member and Federal Taxation Committee member. She is an avid supporter of the accounting profession and enjoys sharing her experiences with students. She was born and raised in Hickory Hills, Illinois but now lives in Hales Corners, Wisconsin with her husband and two children.

Brad is currently a Partner with Michael Best & Friedrich LLP. Brad's practice includes all areas of estate and business succession planning. He serves as a trusted advisor to individuals, families, and companies seeking to cost-effectively structure or transfer businesses. Clients value Brad's responsiveness, particularly his ability to help them understand complex property and tax law concepts.

In addition to his current professional role, Brad's community involvement includes being a member of the Marquette University College of Business Administration Leadership Council, a Board Member of the Milwaukee Public Library Foundation, serving on the Board of Directors for Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin as well as the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin, and serving on the Board of Trustees for the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

Brad graduated from Marquette University with a B.S. and J.D. dgree.

Dan graduated from Marquette’s College of Business in 2003 and also was the head cheerleader when Marquette’s Men’s Basketball went to the Final Four.  Since then, Dan now serves as the Assurance Office Managing Partner for BDO’s Wisconsin practice, overseeing offices in Milwaukee and Madison. In this role, he is responsible for managing the Firm’s resources and fostering an environment that promotes and strengthens the Firm’s core values.

Dan began his career in public accounting at Arthur Andersen in tax, followed by audit at Deloitte before joining BDO.  He has significant experience in the manufacturing & distribution, real estate & hospitality and software industries.  He has overseen a number of public and private engagements while resolving accounting, auditing and complex operational issues.  Dan is passionate about the development of the professionals within the practice and at Marquette.   This cross-section of focus areas and breadth of experience provides Dan with a unique perspective that brings added value to his clients, teams, and the accounting advisory board. 

Dan currently resides in Brookfield, Wisconsin, with his wife (who he met at Marquette and married at Gesu), and two sons.

Jeffrey W. Krol received a bachelor's degree in accounitng from Loyola University and immediately participated in the Masters of Taxation Program at DePaul University, which he completed in 1984. Mr. Krol began his career as a tax accountant for Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Company at the Chicago office (now KPMG). In 1980, Mr. Krol established his own accounting firm, Krol & Associates, which currently has 17 employees. This firm specializes in representation of individuals, partnerships, and corporations with a focus on tax and financial planning. Mr. Krol's firm also represents numerous real estate developers.

Mr. Krol has acted as a general partner or managing partner in more than one hundred real estate developments including development of retail, commercial, industrial, telecommunications, medical offices, and residential projects. Mr. Krol is a principal in CA Ventures, a diversified developer of student living, senior living, multi-family and office projects.

He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois Society of Certified Public Accountants. He has been a member of the Business Valuation Association and has served as an expert witness in valuation matters in a number of engagements. In addition, Mr. Krol has sat on numerous boards for both charitable and commercial enterprises. He has also served on various Bank Boards during his career. He also serves as a director and trustee for a number of other businesses in a wide variety of industries and charitable organizations. He owns interest in various other commercial enterprises.

Bob is a PwC National Tax Quality & Risk Management Partner and a National Partner in the PwC’s One Firm, Risk Office.

In addition to his current role, Bob has previously lead the Milwaukee Tax Practice, Lead the PwC National Capital Spend Consulting Practice, was the Regional Leader of the Research and Tax Credit Practice for the Midwest Region, and was a Client Service Lead Tax Partner.

Over his career, Bob has been very involved in the areas of accounting for income taxes, tax planning, and tax compliance services

Bob graduated from Bradley University with a B.S. degree in Accounting. 

Ed Maginot is a corporate tax partner in Grant Thornton LLP’s Milwaukee office. With over 25 years of experience, he has served both public and privately-held companies.

Ed has assisted clients in a variety of ways including:

• assisting within all areas of taxation such as mergers and acquisitions, multi-state taxation, incentive compensation and international and federal tax matters

• specializing within the areas of federal and state tax consulting including expertise in research tax credit, inventory, accounting methods, acquisition/merger tax issues and nexus planning
• coordinating tax services, including providing tax counsel to Grant Thornton clients, and identifying and assisting in the implementation of tax planning opportunities for the firm
• tax consulting and tax compliance relating to C corporations, S corporations, limited liability companies and partnerships
• analysis under ASC 740, including review of tax disclosures for public and private companies

Ed is also a frequent speaker at various financial and tax organizations including Tax Executives Institute, Financial Executives Institute, Milwaukee Tax Club and the Chicago Tax Club.

Ed received his Bachelors of Science in Accounting from Marquette University and his Juris Doctorate from the DePaul University College of Law.

 

Joan serves as audit partner for various public and private companies, as well as serving as an engagement quality review partner within the Wisconsin practice of Deloitte. In her 29 years in public accounting, Joan has focused on manufacturing and distribution companies ranging from family owned, privately-held businesses to large publicly-traded multi-nationals.   She also serves on the boards of Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum.  She is a 1989 graduate of Marquette University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.  She also leads Deloitte’s recruiting efforts at Marquette.

Jim is Chair of ORBA’s Not-For-Profit Group and his experience includes providing auditing, accounting and tax services for not-for-profit organizations, including charter schools, social service agencies, associations, foundations, and civic and cultural organizations. Jim’s experience enables him to advise his not-for-profit clients about new funding streams, the best course when looking to provide a new service or program, and effective ways to undertake strategic or operational changes.

Joe is the Managing Partner of KPMG’s Milwaukee office, leading our Wisconsin audit, tax and advisory practices and as an Audit Partner he serves clients in our Food, Drink & Consumer Goods and Industrial Manufacturing lines of business. In his 20+ year career with KPMG, Joe has spent five years overseas (Sydney, Australia and Bangkok, Thailand) serving the firm’s top multinational clients and over a year with the Transaction Services practice in Chicago advising clients on their mergers and acquisitions.

Joe has significant experience auditing and providing professional services to public and privately held clients ranging from mid market, domestic companies to Fortune 100, US and internationally listed multinationals. Joe has served SEC large accelerated filers with their financial statement audit needs as well as their initial and recurring audits of internal controls over financial reporting. He has also served foreign filers with their initial and recurring SEC reporting.

Joe has a great deal of experience serving and assisting large privately held clients, including family and/or private equity owned companies, with their audit and professional services needs. He also serves a number of internationally owned clients so he has significant experience with IFRS and other international GAAPs as well as with global audit coordination and reporting.

Dave Rodgers became Senior Vice President – President Engines Group of Briggs & Stratton on August 17, 2015.  Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Briggs & Stratton Corporation since June 2010.  Mr. Rodgers joined Briggs & Stratton in December 2006 as Corporate Controller.  Prior to Briggs & Stratton, Mr. Rodgers was Vice-President and Corporate Controller of Roundy’s Supermarkets, Inc., a $4 billion grocery retailer headquartered in Milwaukee.  Mr. Rodgers began his career in public accounting with Arthur Andersen LLP and Deloitte LLP from 1992 to 2003 where he primarily served publicly held corporations in consumer product and manufacturing industries.  Mr. Rodgers has extensive experience with multinational companies, mergers and acquisitions, and debt and equity registrations.

Mr. Rodgers has a B.S. in Accounting from Marquette University is a Certified Public Accountant in Wisconsin. 

Mr. Rodgers has served or continues to serve on a variety of non-profit civic organizations including the Board of Directors of Wisconsin Lutheran High School; the Board of Directors of the Siebert Lutheran Foundation; the Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Wisconsin Chapter; the Marquette University Accounting Advisory Board; the Board of Directors of the Marquette University Business Administration Alumni Association, the Board of Directors of the Boy Scouts of America, Three Harbors Council, the Board of Trustees of the Public Policy Forum. 

Ignatius L. Smetek is primarily responsible for the management of the Arcataur Large Capitalization Portfolio, Arcataur Investment Grade Fixed Income portfolio and the overall Arcataur Managed Balance Portfolios. From 1986 to 2002, Mr. Smetek was with the institutional investment management arm of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. He was a Portfolio Manager from 1993 to 2002, focusing on large capitalization, blue chip stocks utilizing a “growth at a reasonable price” style. Mr. Smetek also had overall asset allocation responsibilities for a $1.8 billion pension fund portfolio, a $120 million charitable foundation portfolio and a $120 million mutual fund/variable annuity fund. Barron's newspaper rated Mr. Smetek the top multi-asset manager in July 2001 and July 2002 for the three years ended June 30, 2001 and June 30, 2002, when compared to over 150 mutual funds with similar asset allocation styles. According to Lipper, the five year performance return for comparable funds ranked Mr. Smetek's fund in the top 10% of all funds as of June 30, 2002.

Mr. Smetek received a BBA-Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1983 and a MSBA-Investments from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1986. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Financial Analyst and is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Milwaukee.

Dan Szidon is the partner in charge of the firm’s audit and accounting practice.  He prides himself on accurately evaluating critical client issues, determining their needs and resources, and formulating sound, commonsense business solutions.  Through extensive experience, continuing education, and advanced certifications, Dan is able to provide state-of-the-art services to closely held businesses and their owners.

Dan is a certified public accountant who has focused his practice on providing financial and consulting services.  He has over 25 years of professional experience in audit and accounting services as well as consulting on various business issues.  Dan is involved with businesses of all sizes, from the closely held to large publicly traded companies.  He takes pride in striving to understand his clients’ businesses to the highest degree possible through frequent contact and involvement.

 

Ann Marie Wick, CPA, CIA, is a global Finance and Compliance executive with over twenty years of expertise in the manufacturing, consumer products, and technology services industries.  With experience working on six of the seven continents, she was recruited to develop and lead the Global Compliance function for Briggs & Stratton Corporation.  In this role, Ann Marie ensures compliance with global anti-bribery and anti-corruption legislation and international sanctions.  She is also responsible for managing the corporation’s Integrity Program. 

Previously, Ann Marie was Director of Global Finance Compliance at Johnson Controls, Inc., Chief Audit Executive at Metavante Corporation, and held senior management audit roles at SC Johnson & Son, Inc. and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Ann Marie was selected by the FBI Milwaukee branch to be a member of the FBI Citizen’s Academy.  The Citizen’s Academy is an elite group of business and community leaders trained by special agents and their supervisors in Agency operations, investigation techniques and hands-on instruction mirroring new agent training. 

Ann Marie earned an Honors Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Marquette University.   She is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor, a guest lecturer for Marquette University Accounting and Management courses, and a regular speaker at Global Compliance and Internal Audit conferences.   Ann Marie is a former Auditing instructor for a Wisconsin university.