Reading Chapter Accounting and Auditing Conference

Richard F. Fischer, CPA, CGMA
Partner
Louis Plung & Company LLP

Rich is the Partner-in-Charge of the Accounting and Auditing Department of Louis Plung & Company. He has more than 27 years of experience in audits, reviews, compilations, and internal control engagements in the public, private, non-profit and governmental sectors. His clients range in size from start-up companies to multi-billion dollar corporations. His extensive industry experience includes real estate, manufacturing, construction, communication, wholesale distributors, and retail. Rich joined Louis Plung in 1999, and previously had worked for two of the “Big Four” accounting firms.

In addition to the above industries, Rich specializes in employee benefit plan audits, which includes financial statement audits, reviews, and compilations, as well as service organization examinations. In addition to providing the traditional employee benefit plan accounting and audit services, he has worked with clients to successfully negotiate with the Department of Labor on matters related to their plan.

Rich also assists public companies in addressing and resolving comments related to their accounting positions or financial disclosure-related issues raised by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In his role as Technical Review Partner, Rich is responsible for ensuring that all financial statements the Firm issues are in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles, and he assesses the impact of new accounting and auditing pronouncements on clients. Rich frequently develops training materials and conducts seminars for clients and the Firm on new accounting and auditing pronouncements, and on hot topics related to accounting, auditing and financial reporting.

Community Involvement and Professional Associations
• Approved Peer Reviewer (AICPA)
• Chair, Construction Committee (PICPA)
• Chair, Technical Committee of the Employee Benefits Plan Committee (PICPA)
• Member, Peer Review Committee (PICPA)
• Member, Accounting and Auditing Procedures Committee (PICPA)

Allison M. Henry, CPA
Vice President, Professional & Technical Standards
PICPA

Allison is presently the Vice President - Professional & Technical Standards for Pennsylvania Institute of CPA’s (PICPA) where she is responsible for overseeing the administration of the AICPA’s Peer Review Program in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the Virgin Islands. She also administers PICPA’s Joint Ethics Enforcement Program with the AICPA, and serves as the technical staff liaison to seven state-wide committees and two newly-created task forces; specifically, the Peer Review, Professional Ethics, Accounting and Auditing Procedures, Forensic and Litigation Services, Business Valuation, Not-for-Profit and Employee Benefit Plan Committees and the Healthcare Reform and Marcellus Shale Task Forces. In addition, she fields technical inquiries, writes columns for the CPA Journal and Pursuit publications, provides technical updates at PICPA chapter events, and assists in writing responses to technical exposure drafts.

Allison has been in the profession for about twenty years, including twelve years in public accounting and over eight years with PICPA. Her public accounting experience consists of several years as senior manager with a regional accounting firm and nine years at Deloitte & Touche, LLP, where she worked in their assurance and advisory services group. Her diverse client service experience includes many not-for-profit, healthcare, and world relief organizations, as well as small and large manufacturing, distribution, and other service-oriented entities. She has also served as the designated employee benefits specialist. Prior to her experience with Deloitte, she spent four years in internal accounting positions including the Department of Defense, while her husband was serving on active duty with the U.S. Army.

Allison is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis and holds an accounting equivalency from the University of Arkansas in Little Rock. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She is also a member of Washington Crossing United Methodist Church, where she serves on the financial accountability team, and volunteers for the children’s ministry. She is a native of St. Louis, Mo. and is an avid runner.

Keith C. Peterka, CPA
Partner – Professional Practice Group
Marks Paneth LLP

Keith C. Peterka, CPA, is a partner at the Professional Practice Group at Marks Paneth LLP, in New York, NY. He has more than 20 years of public accounting experience and is skilled in dealing with complex accounting and reporting issues.

Prior to joining Marks Paneth, he was a partner in the national accounting office of a US-based CPA firm, where he was a subject matter expert on various complex accounting topics such as business combinations, fair value, variable interest entities and revenue recognition. He played a key role in developing that firm’s audit quality plans and training programs. He was also involved in business development activities and was a frequent speaker at that firm’s executive education programs.

He has also worked for Ernst & Young in Hong Kong, Stockholm, and across the United States. He has extensive experience with SEC reporting matters, goodwill impairment issues, business combination accounting, and post-merger operational matters.

Mr. Peterka’s deep background also includes serving as an inspector with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). In addition to performing inspections of Big Four firms in the US, he also was a member of international inspection teams for firms in Canada, Asia, and India.

Mr. Peterka is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He currently serves on the AICPA's Technical Issues Committee. He is a frequent speaker and has contributed to industry journals such as Accounting Today, Compliance Weekly, and Financier Worldwide.

Mr. Peterka holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Robert Morris University, graduating cum laude. He is based at Marks Paneth’s midtown Manhattan headquarters.

Timothy Reddick
Director of Fraud and Special Investigations-City of Philadelphia
Managing Director and Principal Investigator - Desert Thunder Investigations, LLC

Tim Reddick is a Certified Fraud Examiner and holds board certifications in both Security Management and Investigations.  He has over 30 years of experience conducting complex fraud and financial investigations worldwide, including four years with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and 15 years for the largest oil company in the world, Saudi Aramco.  He holds a Master’s degree in Criminology, is a Graduate of the FBI National Academy, received an International Award of Excellence from the ASIS International Professional Certification Board and was the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners CFE of the Year for 2011.  He is a highly rated and regular speaker for ASIS International, including regional and local events, various other organizations including regional bank regulator conferences, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners organizations, Association of Local Government Auditors, as well as The Association of Accountants and Financial Professionals in Business.  He is currently the Director of Fraud and Special Investigations for the City of Philadelphia Office of the Controller.