The Siegfried Group, LLP (Siegfried) is pleased to announce that six of its Professionals have accepted additional roles as National Technical Leaders at the Firm, and are now members of our National Technical Leadership Team.
"As National Technical Leaders, these experienced employees will augment the technical knowledge, support, and coaching that Siegfried's Professionals receive to deliver outstanding client service at every turn," said Domenica Scarpulla, Senior Vice President. "We all look forward to seeing their contribution to the Firm during their time as National Technical Leaders, and are confident they will all rise to meet this exciting opportunity."
Siegfried congratulates the following six Professionals on their new roles.
John Kane, Director, D.C. Metro
Kane joined the Firm in 2004 after serving as a Senior Accountant at EY. He earned his Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of Albany.
"I'm delighted to bring my energy to this exciting role," he said. "I look forward to collaboratively working with my fellow National Technical Leaders and helping our talented Professionals learn more about the new revenue recognition and leasing standards."
In his free time, Kane enjoys running and hiking. He follows several New York teams, including the Mets, Jets, Islanders, and Albany Great Danes, and has seen these teams play in more than 60 venues across the country. Kane also enjoys traveling and adventure, having spontaneously traveled to Rio de Janerio for the 2016 Summer Olympics and gone cliff diving in New Zealand.
Dirk Konrad, CPA, Senior Director, Los Angeles
Konrad joined Siegfried in 2010. Early in his career, he worked as a Senior Auditor for KPMG and then went on to work at Walt Disney Pictures and Television as an Accounting Manager. He also held roles with Fox Television Studios as a Director of Financial Reporting, ReelzChannel LLC as the VP of Finance, and Sony Pictures Television as the Executive Director of Finance. Konrad attended California State University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in accounting.
"I'm excited about my new National Technical Leader role because it provides access to a different set of technical abilities: coupling technical knowledge of SAP with process optimization in the finance, controlling, accounts receivable, accounts payable, banking and fixed assets modules or sub-modules."
In his spare time, Konrad enjoys exploring other cultures by traveling and has been to more than 40 countries. While traveling, he makes time for scuba diving, and names the Great Barrier Reef, Thailand, and the Bahamas as some of his favorite places to explore underwater. He plans to one day fulfill his high school dream of writing a novel, but in the meantime, simply enjoys reading a good book.
Paul Lunkes, Director, Houston
Lunkes joined Siegfried in 2015 after serving as an Accounting Manager and IPO readiness team member with a private equity owned company. He earned his Bachelor of Science in accounting from Central Washington University and his MBA from Washington State University.
"I'm excited to take on new types of challenges as a National Technical Leader," he said, "and of course, I'm exciting to continue working alongside the intelligent and dedicated Professionals at the Firm."
In his free time, Lunkes likes to stay active by sport fishing, motorcycling, and traveling.
Victoria Pons, Director, Denver
Pons joined the Firm in early 2017. She comes to Siegfried from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), where she gained more than five years of experience assessing the degree of audit compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley, SEC, and PCAOB professional standards and rules. Prior to this, Pons was a Senior Manager with EY. During her ten years there, she focused primarily in the oil and gas industry. She received her Bachelor of Science in accounting and her Master's degree in finance from Texas A&M University.
"I was interested in the National Technical Leader position because I like to help and mentor my colleagues," she said. "I also wanted to develop relationships with other Siegfried Professionals across various Markets. In addition, I enjoy the challenge of performing research of various accounting topics."
In her free time, Pons stays active through outdoor activities and travel. Pons has visited 29 countries and is always planning her next adventure. While traveling, she enjoys learning about the cultures and local cuisine, and takes cooking classes to learn how to make some of the local dishes at home. She also likes outdoor activities such as archery, hiking, scuba diving, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and camping.
John Wai, Director, San Francisco
Wai joined the Firm in 2015 after serving as a Manager at PwC in the Silicon Valley Office. He earned his Master of Business Administration from Golden Gate University and his Bachelor of Science in accounting from the State University of New York at New Paltz.
"I am excited to team with different Professionals across the Firm to help my colleagues," he said. "I was interested in the National Technical Leader role because I enjoy gaining more exposure to various technical accounting areas and deciphering technical literature to help others understand and apply them effectively."
Wai enjoys spending time with his family, keeping up with the news, bowling, ping pong, cooking, and going to the movies.
Brendah Walyemwa, Director, D.C. Metro
Walyemwa joined the Firm in 2012 after managing SEC reporting for Vangent, Inc. and holding public accounting roles at both PwC and EY. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in accounting from Uganda Martyrs University.
"As a National Technical Leader, I'm excited about the opportunity to work alongside the Firm's talented Professionals to resolve complex technical issues and in the process, provide exceptional service to our clients," she said.
Outside of the office, Walyemwa enjoys spending time with her two young children, traveling, watching movies and, more recently, painting.
For more information about a career at Siegfried, please visit siegfriedgroup.com.
About The Siegfried Group, LLP
The Siegfried Group, LLP (Siegfried) works alongside financial executives across the nation, on their most important accounting and finance projects. Filled with an innovative spirit and led by an ambitious entrepreneur, Siegfried provides unique Leadership Advisory combined with high potential talent. At the heart of our Firm is our approach to individual leadership and the continual pursuit of helping people grow both personally and professionally. As a whole, we value being fair, having fun, and fostering stakeholder value.
