ALBANY, N.Y., October 4, 2023 – BST & Co. CPAs, LLP, one of the Capital Region’s leading accounting and management consulting firms, and the area’s market leader in outsourcing solutions, today announced Sarah Walls and Meredith Brinkmann as co-directors of the firm’s CFO for Hire Division.
Walls and Brinkmann will succeed Jim Lozano, who founded CFO for Hire in 2000 to provide on-site accounting support for small businesses and non-profits. In 2017, Lozano joined BST as a partner after CFO for Hire was acquired by the firm. Lozano will remain active with BST as he transitions to a consulting role.
“We’re thrilled to name Sarah and Meredith as co-directors of our CFO for Hire division,” said BST & Co. Managing Partner Ron Guzior. “Sarah has nearly two decades of experience in overseeing accounting practices, audits and strategic initiatives for not-for-profit and construction firms while Meredith has an extensive background with start-up businesses, not for profits, and international businesses.
“Jim Lozano has spent the past two years working closely with Sarah and Meredith to help prepare them for their new roles to lead the CFO for Hire division confidently into the future,” Guzior continued. “On behalf of the entire BST team, we owe Jim a debt of gratitude for his entrepreneurial vision more than two decades ago when he founded CFO for Hire.”
Walls and Brinkmann will oversee a division that employs 20 associates and serves over 100 clients, a dramatic increase in the six years since CFO for Hire was acquired by BST. At the time of the merger, CFO for Hire had a total of 80 clients.
Since returning to BST in January 2021, Walls has overseen the CFO for Hire team providing advisory and accounting services to businesses and not-for-profits. She and her team ensure the accounting operations of their clients are effective and efficient, using best-in-class practices and system innovations to automate and eliminate risk. Utilizing a collaborative approach, Walls and her team partner with clients on strategic initiatives, including financial planning, compliance, controls, system implementations and financial reporting. Walls is also a seasoned audit manager.
Brinkmann joined BST in April 2021 as co-manager of the CFO for Hire team. Prior to joining the CFO for Hire team, Brinkmann served as a consultant for start-up businesses and worked for several accounting firms, including the former Albany-based Dorfman-Robbie CPAs. Brinkmann initially met Lozano nearly two decades ago while working with a not-for-profit client in Oneonta. During her three-decade career her focus has been in non-traditional publishing and international educational technology startups, including spearheading the introduction of two European technology startups to the U.S., resulting in the successful acquisition of one and the public launch of the other on the NASDAQ.
“Sarah and Meredith are exceptional leaders and accountants. After working alongside them for the past two years, I am confident in their abilities to continue to grow CFO for Hire and provide the highest quality of support to our clients,” Lozano said. “I look forward to seeing them take on their new roles and lead CFO for Hire forward.”
CFO for Hire is one component of BST’s expansive outsourcing division which also includes cloud-based accounting through its Virtual Accounting Solutions unit; Talent Strategies provides strategic recruiting and executive compensation and coaching; and strategic marketing services under its CMO for Hire banner. The services are available either a la carte or in combination with one another and are designed to deliver tailor-made strategies for businesses and non-profit organizations at all phases of development.
BST’s outsourcing division today accounts for nearly one-third of total professional staff dedicated to services to support businesses, startups and non-profit organizations.
For more information about BST & Co.’s outsourcing division and services, visit bstco.com/outsourcing.
About BST & Co., LLP
BST & Co. CPAs, LLP is a multi-disciplinary accounting and business advisory firm headquartered in Albany serving the needs of closely held companies, family-owned businesses, not-for-profit and governmental entities, and high-net worth individuals. BST offers a broad portfolio of accounting and auditing, tax, consulting, outsourced accounting, talent strategy and marketing services; as well as valuations, forensic accounting and litigation support.