What do you do at Wipfli?
“I lead our wonderful cost segregation and energy tax incentive team. These services help real estate owners increase their current cash flow by accelerating federal and state depreciation deductions, which then opens up availability for that increased cash flow to be invested in other ways. Property owners use these strategic tax planning tools for construction, purchased, expanded, and remodeled real estate.”
What excites you about your new role?
“As a new partner at Wipfli, I’m excited about becoming an industry leader and creating a legacy that I can be proud of. But what I’m more excited about is the opportunity to mentor my new and upcoming team members. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to have many leaders before me who I now consider close friends. They took the time to invest in me and truly wanted to see me succeed. It’s now time that I pay that debt back by investing into the young and bright minds within my team.”
What’s your favorite part of working with clients in the construction and real estate sector?
“Contractors and real estate owners have an inspiring amount of passion, confidence and determination. They love and believe in what they do, even while knowing there is a certain amount of risk involved. Having this career has connected me with so many people and their stories, so I’m always learning something new.”
How do you spend your time outside of work?
“I have two beautiful, energetic children: Will and Claire. After a long day at work, I turn into a human jungle gym for the remainder of the evening. A lot of my interests outside of work revolve around them, and I love it.”
Steven Barnes
Principal, Wipfli
Age: 38
Hometown: Lake Geneva
Education: Bachelor’s in architecture from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and associate in applied science, architecture from Milwaukee Area Technical College
Previous position: Senior manager at Wipfli
