Clifton Gunderson moves HQ from Peoria, Ill. to Wauwatosa; Virchow Krause changes name to Baker Tilly; Fiserv founder to serve as judge for world entrepreneurs of the year program
Clifton Gunderson moves HQ from Peoria, Ill. to Wauwatosa
Clifton Gunderson, one of the nation’s largest certified public accounting and consulting firms, has relocated its corporate headquarters from Peoria, Ill. to Wauwatosa. The company’s office is located at 10001 Innovation Dr. in the Milwaukee County Research Park.
"We are thrilled to welcome Clifton Gunderson to the list of great companies already headquartered in Milwaukee," said Jim Paetsch, director of corporate expansion and relocation for the Milwaukee 7. "The mission of the Milwaukee 7 is to attract, retain and grow diverse business and talent – and we are excited to add Clifton Gunderson’s name under the ‘win column’ for the Milwaukee region."
"Our decision to move firm headquarters to (the) Milwaukee (area) brings together firm resources and provides additional opportunities to build on our firm’s tremendous strengths and continue to create opportunities for growth," said Ted Hart, managing partner for Clifton Gunderson’s Wisconsin offices. "Milwaukee has a very robust and diverse business community and we are honored to join the hundreds of other companies already headquartered in this great city."
The shift of the company’s corporate headquarters was made in conjunction with the promotion of Krista McMasters to CEO.
"Milwaukee is a vibrant city, rich in culture and history, and locating our firm headquarters here reinforces our commitment to Wisconsin and to our local clients." said McMasters. "This decision will allow us to better support and meet the needs of our Milwaukee-area clients while continuing to provide the high level of quality and service they have come to expect from us."
Virchow Krause changes name to Baker Tilly
Madison-based Virchow Krause & Company LLP, which has a substantial office in Milwaukee, announced Monday that it has changed its name to Baker Tilly, as part of an agreement to become the exclusive U.S. branded firm in the Baker Tilly International network.
"Being the first and only U.S. firm to adopt the global Baker Tilly brand is a rare and valuable opportunity, which will help us develop a sustainable international growth model," said Tim Christen, Baker Tilly CEO. "We’ve been very successful for nearly 80 years by developing deep industry and services insight through specialization. Our goal is to build on that success. The firm has extensive international capabilities in-house, but carrying the name of a high profile international brand will greatly enhance our ability to serve client needs."
The company is not merging or being acquired by London-based Baker Tilly International and there will be no change to the firm’s leadership, the company said. Virchow Krause has been in independent member of the Baker Tilly International Network since 1999 and will maintain that status. The firm will operate under the legal name of Baker Tilly Virchow Krause LLP.
Fiserv founder to serve as judge for world entrepreneurs of the year program
George D. Dalton, the founder and CEO of Town of Brookfield-based NOVO 1 Inc. and the founder and former CEO of Brookfield-based Fiserv Inc., has been appointed to the judging panel for Ernst & Young‘s World Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards program.
In representing the United States on the panel, Mr. Dalton will join other World Entrepreneur Of The Year judges from India, China, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Sweden and Netherlands.
Business leaders who have been selected in 2008 as Entrepreneur Of The Year winners representing more than 50 countries will be gathering at the annual event, held this week in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
The judging panel will review volumes of documentation and engage in one on one interviews; selecting one person as the best entrepreneur in the world among all of the participants being inducted into the World Entrepreneur Of the Year Academy.
The Entrepreneur Of The Year Award program originated with the Milwaukee Ernst & Young LLP organization in 1986 and is now held in more than 135 cities in more than 50 countries around the world.
Dalton was a prior recipient of the Entrepreneur Of The Year Award, winning the Explosive Growth category for the Lake Michigan region in 1988. He was also a U.S. National Entrepreneur Of The Year Award finalist in 1996. Dalton has been serving as a judge for Ernst & Young LLP’s U.S. National Entrepreneur of the Year Awards since 1998 and was appointed World Judge in 2007.
Innovation Fuels’ Sawall appointed president of Wisconsin Biodiesel Association
Richard “Hardy” Sawall, senior vice president of Midwest Operations for New York-based Innovation Fuels – the New York based renewable energy company that manufactures, markets, and distributes second-generation biodiesel to customers around the world – has been appointed President of the Wisconsin Biodiesel Association.
Sawall, 33, is the youngest president in the organization’s history.
Earlier this month, Innovation Fuels announced it has begun selling biodiesel to customers from its Port of Milwaukee terminal. The 312,000 barrel capacity terminal spans 10 acres and is the first in the country that is totally dedicated for the sale and distribution of renewable fuels.
“We are extremely pleased and would like to congratulate Hardy on his achievement,” commented John Fox, CEO of Innovation Fuels. “What he has accomplished for Wisconsin’s renewable energy industry is already quite impressive but I think Hardy, himself, will tell you, it is just the beginning.”
“Hardy has contributed immensely as a board member and we look forward to his leadership in the coming year,” said Tony Hartmann, outgoing president of the Wisconsin Biodiesel Association. “The Association is privileged to have him in the President’s chair.”
“I am truly honored to have been chosen to succeed Tony Hartmann as president of the WBA and am very eager to continue to make strides toward having Wisconsin become an epicenter of activity for renewable fuels whether it be for production, sales, transportation or in marketing our products,” said Sawall.
