CohnReznick realigns Advisory Services citing growth

8/20/2021

New York, NY – August 20, 2021 – CohnReznick LLP, one of the leading advisory, assurance, and tax firms in the United States, today announced that, in recognition of the significant growth of its Advisory practice over the past five years, it is re-aligning its Advisory service offerings to better address the evolving needs of its clients.

Kristen Soles, CPA, Managing Partner, will lead the Advisory practice’s newly named Global Consulting Solutions team which will continue to provide industry-specific services that help businesses improve operational performance, more effectively employ innovative digital technologies, and better manage cyber, data privacy, and other significant risks. Through a range of solutions that include CFO Advisory, Cybersecurity, Technology Risk and Privacy, Enterprise Technology Solutions, Data, Digital Transformation, and Analytics, and Risk Advisory, the Global Consulting Solutions team will serve clients through a holistic lens focused on their risk, operational, and strategic challenges. In addition to assuming this new role, Soles will continue to serve as the leader of CohnReznick’s Government Contracting Industry practice.

Claudine Cohen will continue serving as the leader and Managing Principal for the firm’s Transactions & Turnaround practice. In this role, she and her team provide the investment community with full life-cycle services covering all aspects of a transaction, such as a merger or acquisition, or a business that is in a transformational phase. Service areas include Project Finance Consulting, Restructuring and Dispute Resolution, Transaction Advisory, and Valuation.

Frank Banda, CPA, CFE, PMP, will continue serving as the leader and Managing Partner of CohnReznick’s Government and Public Sector practice. As part of the Advisory services realignment, the firm’s Government Advisory services, which include Compliance and Monitoring; Emergency Management and Program/Project Management, are being fully integrated into the firm’s Government Industry practice which includes government-specific audit and financial management services. The new grouping of Government Industry services also includes those supporting the U.S. Treasury’s Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) and Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP).

“I am honored to have been chosen by our partnership to lead the firm’s Global Consulting Solutions practice,” said Soles. “The opportunities and challenges for our clients here and abroad have never been greater. Embracing innovation in all they do will be paramount to their success, and our Global Consulting Solutions team is empowered to guide them in leveraging state-of-the-art, industry-focused solutions that optimize performance.”

Cohen adds, “The delineation of our Advisory services is a testament to the growth of our practice areas and to the evolving business needs of our clients.” She adds, “The pace of investment activity has never been greater. In working with Kristen and her team, we can better serve the needs of private equity firms, drive value for their portfolio companies, and help every other business seeking growth opportunities in today’s rapidly changing economy.”

Banda notes, “As our work supporting government agencies continues to expand, and with our clients having evolving needs based on large government programs such as HAF and ERAP and the pending U.S. infrastructure bill, aligning all of our government-focused services under the same roof clearly makes sense. We are committed to helping government agencies in many different ways as they assist the public during these especially challenging times.”

As Managing Partner of the Global Consulting Solutions practice, Kristen Soles provides industry-specific risk management, operational, and strategic consulting services to CohnReznick clients. In this role, she leads a large, integrated team of advisory professionals in delivering services that include cybersecurity and data privacy, CFO advisory, enterprise technology solutions, governance, and workforce enablement. Soles also serves as a member of CohnReznick’s newly formed infrastructure leadership team – helping private companies, investors, and government agencies capitalize on forthcoming business opportunities from the U.S. government’s massive investment plan that will overhaul the nation’s roads, bridges, broadband system, and other vital infrastructure.

Soles also serves as CohnReznick’s Government Contracting Industry Leader, overseeing a national team that provides a range of advisory services to help contractors win and manage government contracts. In 2020, she was elected to CohnReznick’s Executive Board and has repeatedly been honored as a Super CPA in the field of small business consulting and government contracting by Virginia Business magazine. Soles earned a B.S. in Accounting from The University of Mary Washington.

As Managing Principal of CohnReznick’s Transactions & Turnaround practice. Claudine Cohen leads an integrated team of transaction, valuation, restructuring, performance improvement, project finance, and dispute resolution professionals serving clients throughout the lifecycles of their businesses. Her clients comprise the full gamut of financial sponsors including private equity investors, independent sponsors, family offices, alternative investment funds, lenders, as well as both public and privately owned companies.

Cohen is a member of CohnReznick’s Executive Board and was named to Mergers and Acquisitions 2019 list of the most influential women in mid-market M&A and Crain’s NY 2018 most notable women in consulting. Cohen earned Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Accountancy degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and an MBA in Marketing, cum laude, from Bond University, Australia.

As CohnReznick’s Managing Partner of Government and Public Sector, Frank Banda has more than 30 years of government audit, accounting, project management and consulting experience with an emphasis on preventing and detecting fraud, waste, and abuse; and assisting organizations with accounting, financial reporting, and business process management improvement. He has an intensive knowledge of federal accounting standards with strong leadership skills and the proven ability to plan and implement large programs while managing risks, resolving issues, and achieving positive change.

Banda is also a member of the firm's Managed Services & Outsourcing team which focuses on enhancing critical functions within CohnReznick clients’ accounting, compliance, finance, risk, and technology operations. Banda earned a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Maryland.