Presenter Spotlight: 2022 ASA International Conference – Business Valuation

ASA International Conference is the leading event for the global valuation profession. Celebrating its 85th year, the Conference attracts thought leaders, practitioners, allied professionals, vendor partners, government agency personnel, and more from all parts of the world. This paramount event provides an experience unlike other appraisal conferences, offering timely content for all appraisal professionals spanning Business Valuation, Personal Property, Machinery & Equipment, Real Property, Gems & Jewelry as well as Appraisal Review & Management.

The ASAIC22 is available in a hybrid format featuring the convenience of both live and virtual programming, allowing attendees to learn and connect in their preferred environment. Both formats allow you to explore the latest ideas, trends, and best practices with leading presenters and interact and engage with fellow professionals. Join us on-site in Tampa or from the comfort of your home or office—the choice is yours! Don’t miss this exciting celebration of exceptional education and networking with leaders in the appraisal profession.

Don’t miss these industry experts presenting our Business Valuation sessions*:

LaVaughn M. Henry, PhD, CBE is former Senior Economist for the Council of Economic Advisers in the Executive Office of the President (the White House), and the Senior Regional Officer and Vice President for the Federal Reserve Branch in Cincinnati. Dr. Henry has over 20 years of diverse experience in the fields of business economics, consulting/advisory services, interest rate and market risk modeling, and government affairs. He has delivered more than 375 speeches and presentations on the status and outlook of the nation’s economy, monetary policy, and the residential real estate market; and has received multiple merit awards and recognition for outstanding service.

Tara Singh, CPA, CBV, CFE is a Managing Director at FTI Consulting and leader of the Canadian Valuation & Damages practice. For over 15 years, Ms. Singh has specialized in the assessment of economic damages and the valuation of businesses and other assets, particularly in the context of complex commercial litigation including breach of contract matters, intellectual property and securities fraud litigation, class actions, and other financial disputes; as well as prepared numerous expert and valuation reports for submission to Canadian, U.S. and international courts. She has taught courses in the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators (CICBV) program and has served on the Publications Committee of the CICBV. Ms. Singh was a winner of the CICBV’s Ian R. Campbell Research Initiative and received global recognition for the resultant research paper on blockchain and cryptoassets.

Anastis Anastasiou, MBA is a Director in the Forensic & Litigation Consulting segment at FTI Consulting, with an expertise in forensic finance, valuation, dispute advisory and financial investigations. Mr. Anastasiou specializes in digital assets and decentralized finance (“DeFi”). His experience in the field extends into various areas including, digital asset valuation, financial due diligence, investigations and securities litigation. Mr. Anastasiou is actively engaged in the digital asset and DeFi industries as a researcher, developing novel methodologies for valuing digital assets and DeFi platforms with a focus on tokenomic design and value capture.

Ronald Seigneur, MBA CPA/ABV ASA CVA, is Managing Partner of Seigneur Gustafson LLP. He has over 35 years’ experience in financial forensics, business and intellectual property valuation, practice management consulting and exit & succession planning services. Mr. Seigneur first joined ASA in 2009 and is an active volunteer serving in numerous leadership positions most notably including, current Vice Chair of the ASA Business Valuation Discipline Committee and serving on ASA’s Board of Examiners. He is co-author of several publications most notably include, Financial Valuations: Applications and Models, published by John Wiley & Sons, Reasonable Compensation: Applications and Analysis for Management, Valuation and Tax, published by Business Valuation Resources®, and The Cannabis Industry Accounting and Appraisal Guide. Mr. Seigneur is an adjunct professor at the University of Denver and Daniels College of Business where he teaches business appraisal classes as well as a fellow of the College of Law Practice Management. 

Lincoln W. Eckhardt, ASA, CVA, MAFF is Senior Managing Director and Co-Leader of its Cannabis Practice at Forensic and Litigation Consulting. Mr. Eckhardt has over 15 years’ experience specializing in valuation and determining economic damages in the cannabis industry. He provides analysis and expert testimony in complex disputes as well as performing valuations for purposes of transactions, capital raises, corporate planning, financial reporting, disputes, and litigation. Mr. Eckhardt first joined ASA in 2013, is a qualified expert witness and has provided expert testimony in court, private arbitration panels and deposition.

Kenneth J. Pia, Jr. CPA, ABV, ASA, MCBA is Partner-in-Charge and the leader of National Matrimonial and Business Valuation groups at Marcum LLP, with more than 30 years of professional business valuation and litigation support experience. Mr. Pia first joined ASA in 1991 and is an active member and volunteer. He has served in many leadership positions, most notably including past Chair of the ASA Business Valuation Discipline Committee, a member of the National Business Valuation Education Committee and teaches nationally for the ASA’s accreditation program. Mr. Pia is also a charter member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Foundation’s Forensic & Business Valuation Division and was recently named to the American Academy for Certified Financial Litigators Advisory Board for New York and Connecticut.

Jay E. Fishman, FASA, FRICS, is a Managing Director of Financial Research Associates and has been actively engaged in ASA and the appraisal profession since 1974.  He specializes in the valuations of business enterprises and their intangible assets.  Mr. Fishman has co-authored several books, including the Guide to Business Valuations, Standards of Value, A Consensus View Q&A Guide to Financial Valuation and The Business Valuation Bench Book.  He has taught courses on business valuation to several renowned businesses internationally, most notably to the Internal Revenue Service. In 2020, ASA recognized his outstanding services in the Society and contributions to the appraisal profession and gave him their Lifetime Achievement Award.

Thomas J. Sasser is Managing Partner at Sasser, Cestero & Roy, P.A. He has over 25 years’ experience and is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law. Mr. Sasser is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (“AAML”) and the International Academy of Family Lawyers (“IAFL”). He has served in numerous leadership positions, most notably including past Chair of the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar and four-time past chair of the Florida Bar Marital and Family Law Board Certification Review Course. He is also past President of the Florida Chapter of the AAML and served as a national Vice President of the AAML. Mr. Sasser is the author of several articles for the Family Law Section Commentator and The Florida Bar Journal. He often lectures for the Palm Beach County Bar Association, The Florida Bar Family Law Section, the AAML and the IAFL.

Joseph Thompson, ASA, is a Principal at The Griffing Group. He has approximately 21 years of experience as a professional in the finance industry and has performed valuation and damages analyses for commercial litigation, estate and gift taxation, employee stock ownership plan compliance, and purchase price allocation. Additionally, he has been retained to provide expert witness testimony for plaintiffs and defendants in several jurisdictions. Mr. Thompson first joined ASA in 2009 and is active in the profession. He serves as an adjunct professor at DePaul University and volunteers for the Chairmen’s Advisory Council.

Vanessa Brown Claiborne, CPA/ABV, ASA, AEP, is President & CEO of Chaffee & Associates, Inc. She has over 30 years of experience in accounting and valuation, with a focus in business valuation services primarily for estate and gift taxes, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), GAAP fair value reporting, financial reporting, corporate planning, business interruption claims, litigation support including expert testimony, exit planning, and shareholder transactions and restructuring. Ms. Claiborne first joined ASA in 1994 and is an active member volunteer. She has served in numerous leadership positions, including most notably as President for the ASA New Orleans Chapter and Regional Governor for the ASA Board of Governors.

Nene Glenn Gianfala, CPA/ABV, CEIV, ASA/BV/IA is Vice President, Valuations, and Shareholder at Chaffe & Associates, Inc. She has over 15 years of experience in business valuations, specializing in intellectual property, intangible asset valuations, purchase price allocations, impairment testing, portfolio valuations, financial reporting, corporate planning, ESOPs, and estate, gift, and income tax valuations. Ms. Gianfala first joined ASA in 2012 and an active volunteer with numerous leadership positions, including most notably serving as New Orleans President and Treasurer.

Roger Grabowski, FASA, is Managing Director at Kroll, LLC. He has over 40 years of experience in valuation services, and has directed valuations of businesses, interests in businesses, intellectual property, intangible assets, real property and machinery and equipment, as well as been recognized in various courts as an expert on matters of solvency, the value of closely held businesses and business interests, valuation and amortization of intangible assets and other valuation issues. Mr. Grabowski first joined ASA in 1977 and has been a designated member of ASA for over 35 years. He remains an active member of ASA who recently championed the New 6th Edition of Valuing a Business publication.

Christopher Mercer, FASA, CFA, ABAR is Chairman at Mercer Capital. He has over 40 years of experience in business appraisal, specializing in a variety of niches over his career, and has prepared, overseen, or contributed to hundreds of valuations for purposes related to tax, ESOPs, buy-sell agreements, and litigation, among others. Mr. Mercer first joined ASA in 1986 and earned ASA’s highest designation, FASA, in 2016. He has served on the boards of directors of several companies and organizations, as well as on ASA’s Business Valuation Discipline Committee. Mr. Mercer has authored several books, most notably including the 2^nd and 3^rd edition of Business Valuation: An Integrated Theory, and is a contributing columnist for ASA’s Business Valuation Review®.

Michael A. Gregory, ASA, CVA, is a Qualified Mediator with the Minnesota Supreme Court and the Founder of Michael Gregory Consulting, LLC. He has over 30 years of experience in business valuation specializing in federal tax issues. Mr. Gregory first joined ASA in 2001 and has been a designated member of ASA for 18 years. He is an active member and volunteer and has previously served on the ASA Business Valuation Discipline Committee.

Daniel Callanan, ASA is Managing Director at Prairie Capital Advisors, Inc. For nearly 30 years, he has advised business owners, executive management teams, and assurance/tax advisors and financial sponsors with valuation advisory services. Mr. Callanan specializes in financial reporting, ESOP advisory, corporate/shareholder transactions and non-transaction succession planning strategies. Mr. Callanan first joined ASA in 1995 and is on the Valuation Advisory Committee of The ESOP Association. He has also lectured on various aspects of corporate finance and business valuation for the Ohio State Bar Association, The ESOP Association, the National Center for Employee Ownership and the Smart Business Dealmakers Conference (formerly ASPIRE).

Michael McGinley, ASA, CVA is Managing Director at Prairie Capital Advisors, Inc. He has over 15 years’ experience providing financial advisory services primarily to middle-market, privately-held businesses in a wide range of industries. Mr. McGinley first became a member of ASA in 2009 and is a frequent presenter who specializes in all aspects of ownership transition and financial advisory services. He has also written on ESOP-related topics for publications in the furniture and behavioral health industries, most notably including co-authoring Making Sense of Your New ESOP: A Leader’s Guide.‍ Mr. McGinley serves as a member of The ESOP Association’s Valuation Advisory Committee, and he was recognized as a Top 40 Under Forty honoree by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) in 2017.

Chris Rosenthal, CPA/ABV/CFF, ASA, AEP is Managing Member at Vallit Advisors. He has over 30 years of valuation and litigation experience including expert testimony in Federal, state and international courts, as well as in arbitrations. He specializes in complex commercial damages, valuation, intellectual property, and forensic accounting assignments. Mr. Rosenthal first joined ASA in 1990 and is an active volunteer with numerous leadership positions, including most notably serving as a member of the ASA Board of Governors, PAC Chair and Vice Chair of the Board of Examiners. He is also a member of the ASA Washington DC and Maryland Chapters. Mr. Rosenthal is a nationally recognized speaker on topics related to commercial damages, valuation, and forensic accounting and has authored articles on related subjects.

Todd Fries, ASA, CFA, is a Partner at The BVA Group.  He has over 22 years of experience in valuing business, business interests, complex securities and intangible assets across a broad range of industries for financial reporting, tax, transaction advisory, ESOP administration and litigation support.  Mr. Fries specializes in private-equity related valuations as well as providing valuations in the context of partner buy-outs and disputes.  Mr. Fries has been a designated member of ASA for 14 years.

Karl Schwabauer, CPA, CFF, CVA is a Senior Member of the Business Advisory Services Team at Rosenfield & Co.  He has over 22 years of experience providing expert valuation, economic damages, and forensic accounting services for litigation and disputes, as well as extensive experience providing valuation and accounting services for non‐litigation.  Mr. Schwabauer has been actively involved in CPE and CLE training for numerous groups, accounting and consulting firms, law firms and bar associations.

Sean Saari, CPA, ABV, CVA, MBA is Partner at Marcum LLP. He has over 15 years of experience in valuation, litigation support, tax, financial reporting, strategic planning and business advisory. Mr. Saari is a frequent author and speaker on valuation, litigation advisory, business management and other financial topics. He has volunteered with several professional and civic affiliations including serving on AICPA’s ABV Exam Review Tax Force and NACVA’s Mentor Support Group, QuickRead Editorial Board, and more. Mr. Saari received two 40 Under 40 Awards; 40 Under 40 in the Accounting Profession – CPA Practice Advisor in 2019; and the 40 Under 40 Award – National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts in 2014.

Travis Harms, CFA, CPA/ABV is Senior Vice President at Mercer Capital. He has over 20 years’ experience in the industry, providing financial education, valuation, tax and ESOP compliance, and other strategic financial consulting to multi-generation family businesses. Mr. Harms is a member of The Appraisal Foundation’s working group to address best practices for control premiums, a regular contributor to Mercer Capital’s blog, Family Business Director, and a frequent speaker on valuation and related topics.  Mr. Harms is the author of the book, The 12 Questions That Keep Family Business Directors Awake at Night and co-author of Business Valuation: An Integrated Theory, Third Edition.

Jason Ruchaber, ASA is Founder and Managing Partner at Root Valuation. He has over 20 years’ experience and is a recognized expert in his field and frequent speaker and author on healthcare valuation topics. Mr. Ruchaber earned his degree in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin, then continued his education by earning the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. He is a member of several professional and trade organizations. Mr. Ruchaber first joined ASA in 2004 and currently holds its Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) designation. He served as a member of ASA’s Healthcare Special Interest Group (HSIG) from 2014-2016.

John Emory, Jr., CFA, JD/MBA is President at Emory & Co., LLC with over 22 years providing middle-market M&A advisory and business valuation services. Mr. Emroy is the author of numerous articles and is a frequent speaker on merger and acquisition and business valuation topics. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, administered by the CFA Institute. Mr. Emroy has won several of profession awards, most notably including Finance Monthly’s M&A Award Winner of “Cross-Border Investment Banking Adviser of the Year” in 2017, and its M&A Award  Winner of “US Leading Adviser of the Year – Varitronics Acquisition” in 2013, issued by Acquisition International.

Harris Antoniades, PhD, CFA is a Managing Director in the Stout Risius Ross with over 20 years of experience in complex securities and derivatives valuations, advance financial analytics, and risk management issues. Mr. Antoniades has an extensive corporate finance background, with emphasis in business and securities valuations, real options and derivative valuations, and risk management issues. His expertise also includes broad experience in the field of valuation and mergers & acquisition. Mr. Antoniades is a frequent speaker for ASA and earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Bruce A. Johnson, ASA is a Managing Partner at Munroe, Park & Johnson, Inc. He has over 28 years’ experience and has been involved in several landmark Tax Court cases and IRS Audits. Mr. Johnston first joined ASA in 1994 and is an elected member of the ASA’s Board of Governors, ex-officio member of the ASA Business Valuation Committee, course developer for the ASA’s BV203 course on discounts and premiums, member of the ASA Marketing Subcommittee and chairman of the 2017 ASA Advanced BV Conference. Mr. Johnson is a member of the Texas A&M Department of Finance Advisory Council and has been published on a wide range of valuation topics in several journals.  He is also a contributing author for PPC’s Guide to Business Valuation, and Pratt’s Valuing a Business and Partnership Profiles’ Comprehensive Guide for the Valuation of Family Limited Partnerships.

Neil J. Beaton, CPA/ABV/CFF, CFA, ASA is Managing Director at Alvarez & Marsal. He has over 25 years’ experience in valuation of early-stage, venture-backed companies, specializing in the valuation of intangible assets for purposes of litigation, acquisitions, sales, buy-sell agreements, ESOPs, incentive stock options and estate planning and taxation. Mr. Beaton has written and spoken extensively on valuation techniques for companies with complex capital structures and he has been involved in more than 300 depositions and has testified in state and federal court more than 75 times. He is a member of several organizations including ASA, AICPA, and the CFA Institute. Mr. Beaton first joined ASA in 1992 and is a national speaker on business valuation with a special emphasis on early stage and high technology companies.