Cray Kaiser is proud to announce that Deanna Salo, Managing Principal at Cray Kaiser, has been named a 2025 Chicago Titan 100 honoree. This marks her second year receiving this prestigious recognition. The Titan 100 program celebrates the region’s most accomplished business leaders based on their exceptional leadership, vision, and passion. The 2025 Titan 100 honorees collectively represent companies employing over 439,000 individuals and generating more than $70 billion in annual revenues.

Earning a Titan 100 recognition for two consecutive years is no small feat. The process requires reapplying and undergoing a fierce evaluation by an independent selection committee, raising the bar even higher for the competition. If selected, second-year honorees have the opportunity to further relationships within the Titan 100 community, deepening their connections and amplifying their impact.

Reflecting on her second-year recognition, Deanna shared, “Being recognized as a second-year Titan 100 honoree is an incredible honor. It’s a testament to the value of persistence, collaboration, and the power of building meaningful connections. This recognition inspires me to continue pushing boundaries, supporting others, and contributing to the growth of our business community in even greater ways.”

Our Cray Kaiser team congratulates Deanna on this outstanding achievement and for continuing to exemplify the core values that make Cray Kaiser a trusted leader throughout the Chicago business community. We look forward to seeing how her contributions continue to inspire and shape the future.

In Cray Kaiser’s Employee Spotlight series, we highlight a member of the CK team. We couldn’t be prouder of the team we’ve grown and we’re excited for you to get to know them. This month we’re shining our spotlight on Darshana Thakkar.

GETTING TO KNOW DARSHANA

Darshana is an In-Charge Accountant at Cray Kaiser, where she is essential in managing business and individual tax returns. Her typical day involves reviewing financial details, ensuring accuracy, and supporting clients through the complexities of their tax needs.

Darshana joined the CK team in August 2024, drawn by the company’s vibrant culture and welcoming people. Reflecting on her decision, she said, “The people and the culture here really made me excited about joining CK.” For Darshana, working alongside dedicated colleagues in a supportive environment was exactly what she sought.

Her impressive academic background includes a master’s in accounting and a master’s in finance from Northern Illinois University (NIU). Darshana’s dedication to her profession is evident in her early accomplishments; she earned both CPA and CIMA certifications and completed all four levels of the CIMA examination by the age of 21. Before joining CK, she gained valuable experience working for two years as a Tax Associate and one year as a Staff Accountant.

WHY CK?

For Darshana, CK’s value of “people” is especially meaningful. “Everyone at CK is super friendly, across all levels of the organization,” she said. The sense of camaraderie and support resonates with her and makes CK feel like home.

Darshana’s advice to those just starting in the accounting field? “Start working towards your CPA certification early,” she said. With fewer responsibilities in the early stages of a career, it’s easier to carve out time for studying and building a solid professional foundation.

One of Darshana’s favorite CK memories so far was participating in the golf outing. “It was the first time I met everyone, and I enjoyed playing card games with some of my colleagues,” she recalled. It was an event filled with laughs, connection, and fun outside of the office.

MORE ABOUT DARSHANA

What motto do you live by?

“One day at a time.”

Tell us about your family.

“I grew up in India and moved to the U.S. in 2019. I currently live in Elgin with my husband and in-laws.”

Do you have a special or hidden talent?

“I love cooking, playing board games, and traveling.”

What was your favorite vacation?

“My favorite vacation was my first trip to Europe in 2022. Switzerland was definitely my favorite part!”

What’s your favorite movie or TV show?

“Friends and How I Met Your Mother.”

What’s on your music playlist?

“Bollywood.”

What’s the last book you read?

All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover.

In Cray Kaiser’s Employee Spotlight series, we highlight a member of our CK team. We’re proud of the team we’ve grown and excited for you to get to know them. This month, we’re shining our spotlight on Ryan Maloney.

GETTING TO KNOW RYAN

Ryan plays an integral role as a Staff Accountant on the assurance team at Cray Kaiser. In his day-to-day work, Ryan performs various audit tests and corresponds with clients, ensuring that all processes are thorough and accurate. During tax season, he also steps in to assist with tax return preparations, showcasing his adaptability across different areas of accounting. Ryan is eager to learn and make the most of the opportunities provided at CK to develop his skills further.

Before joining CK, Ryan earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Goshen College, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. His previous role as an accounting tutor allowed him to impact fellow students’ journeys, sparking his passion for helping others.

WHY CK?

Ryan joined the CK team in July of this past year. He was drawn to the firm by the warm and welcoming team members he met during his interview process and by the opportunity to grow in an environment that values learning. At CK, he appreciates being able to work across different facets of accounting, building a foundation for a successful career.

 For Ryan, CK’s core value of education resonates deeply. He views every day as a learning opportunity and is grateful for the support and mentorship he receives from experienced colleagues. Ryan credits his rapid growth to the guidance of the CK team, who genuinely care about his development as a young accountant.

Ryan advises newcomers to the accounting field to take note of feedback from managers. He emphasizes the importance of reflecting on review comments and implementing them in future tasks, as this has been a key learning method for him.

MORE ABOUT RYAN

What’s your hidden talent?

My hidden talent is that I am very good at solving Rubik’s Cubes. I have a collection of them, with the largest being 8×8 sides. My fastest time with a 3×3 (normal-sized) is 11 seconds.

What’s on your vacation bucket list?

My #1 vacation spot would be Ireland. I have never been, but my grandparents immigrated from Ireland, and the pictures I have seen are amazing.

Favorite TV Show?

My favorite TV show is Peaky Blinders on Netflix. The movie is coming out soon, so maybe this will be my favorite movie, too!

What’s on your music playlist?

My music playlist is basically all country music. I have many favorite artists, but number one is Darius Rucker.

In Cray Kaiser’s Employee Spotlight series, we highlight a member of the CK team. We couldn’t be prouder of the team we’ve grown and we’re excited for you to get to know them. This month we’re shining our spotlight on Sohaiba Khan.

GETTING TO KNOW SOHAIBA

Sohaiba is an Accounting Services Specialist at Cray Kaiser, where she plays a crucial role in maintaining financial accuracy. Her day-to-day responsibilities include reconciling accounts, managing the AF roll forward, handling bookkeeping, and preparing returns. With such a diverse range of tasks, no two days are ever the same for Sohaiba as she navigates various accounting and tax-related challenges with expertise.

Looking ahead, Sohaiba aspires to deepen her expertise in tax regulations and accounting technologies, recognizing these areas as pivotal to the industry’s future. She is committed to embracing new challenges and continuously expanding her skill set to make an even more significant impact in her role.

Before joining Cray Kaiser, Sohaiba gained valuable experience working with various firms and companies, which enriched her skills and allowed her to thrive in diverse cultural and professional environments. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Governors State University, where she built a strong foundation. This background has equipped her with the knowledge and expertise to excel at Cray Kaiser.

WHY CK?

Sohaiba joined the Cray Kaiser team in July 2024, eager to dive into a role offering comprehensive exposure to tax and accounting services. The dynamic work environment and the promise of continuous learning and growth immediately attracted her, allowing her to make meaningful contributions from day one.

The core values that resonate most with Sohaiba are education, integrity, and care. She believes fostering a culture of continuous learning, upholding ethical standards, and genuinely caring for clients and colleagues is essential for personal and professional growth.

When it comes to her favorite CK outing, Sohaiba enjoyed this year’s “Spa Day and Golf Card.” It provided a delightful opportunity to unwind and bond with colleagues, allowing her to relax and recharge while enjoying some well-deserved downtime.

MORE ABOUT SOHAIBA

If you could be an expert at anything, what would it be and why?

Cooking has always been a passion of mine; I started cooking when I was just 11 years old. I truly believe that food has the power to bring people and cultures together and create moments of joy and connection.

How do you like to spend your weekends/time off? Bonus question: what do you want to do most when tax season is over?

During my weekends and time off, I love to spend quality time with my family, immerse myself in good books, and take the opportunity to rest and recharge. After the busy tax season, I look forward to relaxing and possibly exploring new recipes in the kitchen.

What motto do you live by?

My motto is, “When you do good, God does you good.” This belief encourages me to lead a life of kindness and integrity, knowing that my actions can positively impact others.

What’s your favorite movie or tv show?

“Catch Me If You Can” on Netflix!

In Cray Kaiser’s Employee Spotlight series, we highlight a member of the CK team. We couldn’t be prouder of the team we’ve grown and we’re excited for you to get to know them. This month we’re shining our spotlight on David Dang.

GETTING TO KNOW DAVID

David plays a crucial role in the assurance department at Cray Kaiser. As an in-charge assurance accountant, he is deeply involved in the audit process, whether it’s for-profit, non-profit, or employee benefit plan (EBP) audits. David’s day-to-day responsibilities include performing audit tests and conducting analytical procedures to ensure that financial statements are accurate and comply with relevant regulations.

Before joining Cray Kaiser, David earned a Bachelor of Accountancy and Finance from DePaul University. He then spent two years working at Baker Tilly, where he gained valuable experience that has shaped his approach to accounting. David’s background has equipped him with a strong foundation in both theory and practice, which he now applies to his work at CK.

WHY CK?

David was drawn to Cray Kaiser by the firm’s commitment to “lifelong learning.” This motto resonates with David, who is passionate about continually expanding his knowledge in both assurance and tax. The opportunity to grow and learn in a supportive environment was a major factor in his decision to join the CK team in July of 2024. Since coming on board, David has embraced the firm’s culture of education and is eager to develop his skills further.

For David, the core values of “education” and “people” hold special significance. He values the chance to learn from new experiences and the mentorship provided by his colleagues. The supportive environment at CK, where everyone embodies these values, has been instrumental in David’s professional development. He aspires to follow in the footsteps of his mentors and contribute to the growth of others in the firm.

David’s advice for those just starting out in the accounting industry is simple but profound: be open to new experiences and ask a lot of questions. He believes that there is no such thing as a dumb question, especially when you are new to the field. For David, the key to success is a willingness to learn and the courage to seek out knowledge whenever possible.

MORE ABOUT DAVID

How do you like to spend your weekends/time off?

I like to cook and try new recipes; I am currently on the hunt for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe!

What motto do you live by?

Failure builds confidence. You learn so much from your mistakes so you should be open to trying new things and know you won’t be perfect.

Do you have a special/hidden talent or hobby?

I can solve a Rubik’s cube in less than 30 seconds. I hope to improve my time and learn how to solve it blindfolded!

What’s your favorite movie or TV show?

Oceans 11 is my favorite heist movie, and it has a star-studded cast! Community is my favorite TV show (6 seasons and a movie)!

What’s the last book you read?

Atomic Habits and Dessert Person. My favorite self-improvement book and my current baking obsession.

In Cray Kaiser’s Employee Spotlight series, we highlight a member of the CK team. We couldn’t be prouder of the team we’ve grown and we’re excited for you to get to know them. This month we’re shining our spotlight on Jack Thompson.

GETTING TO KNOW JACK

Jack joined the Cray Kaiser team in July 2024 and has quickly become an integral part of our assurance department. As an in-charge accountant, Jack is responsible for performing compilation and review engagements and lending his expertise to audit projects. With a background in tax, Jack is a versatile team member, assisting the tax department during his downtime. His multifaceted role allows him to stay engaged with a variety of accounting functions, making him a valuable asset to the firm.

Jack’s journey in the accounting field has given him valuable insights that he is eager to share with those just starting out. His advice? Stay in public accounting. Jack has spent time in both public and industry accounting, and while he values the experience gained in each sector, public accounting provided the most valuable experience for his career. Jack believes that the challenges and learning opportunities in public accounting are unparalleled and provide a solid foundation for a successful career.

WHY CK?

When asked what drew him to Cray Kaiser, Jack highlighted the firm’s client base, which is largely comprised of family-owned businesses. This aspect of CK’s work resonates deeply with Jack, as it aligns with his values and provides an opportunity to build meaningful relationships with clients. The family-oriented environment at CK offers Jack a unique professional experience that fuels his enthusiasm for his work.

Although Jack is relatively new to CK, he is already motivated by the firm’s culture and values. He believes that working in public accounting is incredibly valuable for his personal growth as an accountant, and he is eager to develop his skills further at CK. Among the firm’s core values, the one that stands out most to Jack is “care.” This value aligns perfectly with Jack’s own commitment to delivering the highest quality care to CK’s clients. He appreciates that CK’s management truly cares for their clients and is dedicated to producing the best possible results.

As Jack looks ahead, he is focused on growing and developing his auditing abilities. While he has gained some experience in this area, he is determined to build the confidence and skillset necessary to operate independently in all assurance functions. Auditing is a key area where Jack sees room for growth, and he is committed to mastering it as part of his professional development.

MORE ABOUT JACK

If you could be an expert at anything, what would it be and why?

I would like to become an expert working in the review line of assurance work. I have some background in this area, but I am far from becoming an expert on this product. I would like to be able to operate completely independently while having the support and confidence of the management team.

How do you like to spend your weekends/time off? Bonus question: what do you want to do most when tax season is over?

In my downtime, I like to go fishing and play chess, but I most like to spend the summer weekends at my family’s lake house in Laporte.

Tell us about your family.

I live in Lombard, Illinois, with my wife, Allyson, and my dog, Lennon. We’ll be married for three years this coming October 2024. Newlywed life has been great for us over the past three years, and we are looking to grow our family.

Do you have a special/hidden talent or hobby?

My hidden talent is that I love to sing! I like to sing while working at times so I’m sure that I will be notorious for humming or singing amongst my cubemates.

In Cray Kaiser’s Employee Spotlight series, we highlight a member of the CK team. We couldn’t be prouder of the team we’ve grown and we’re excited for you to get to know them. This month we’re shining our spotlight on Carl Thomas.

GETTING TO KNOW CARL

Carl is an Assurance Manager at Cray Kaiser. His typical engagements include financial statement audits of mid-sized not-for-profit entities and businesses. He has also been involved in many non-audit projects over the years, such as coordinating the budget process, drafting tax levies, ad hoc operational analysis, monthly reporting, ERP systems implementation assistance and more. “You never know what the issue will be when the phone rings,” says Carl.

Carl joined the CK team in April of 2024. He was excited to join CK because of the warm and supportive environment. Carl was most drawn to the growth-mindset shared by the CK team.

Carl received his Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Reflecting back on his time at the university he said, “The experience was tough and it taught me a lot of valuable lessons about how to be autonomous, how to advocate for myself and how the little things you do every day add up to the big things one day.”

WHY CK?

As someone motivated by a challenge and the feeling of a job well done once a solution is found, Carl enjoys the variety of projects and clients he assists at CK. “No two projects are ever the same,” he shared. Which is just the way he prefers it.

When asked which of CK’s core values mean the most, Carl answered, “Education resonates the most with me.” He believes each individual owes it to themselves and their clients to never stop learning and always embrace new challenges. Carl explained, “CPA’s owe it to the profession to share their knowledge base with junior employees and new CPA’s so that we can help ensure the quality of the profession for generations to come. When we see potential in someone up and coming, we need to treasure and nurture it.”

For the up-and-coming CPA’s and those new to the industry, Carl suggests the first step to being successful is to find a mentor. Getting to know your mentor, observing how they work and learning from them is an invaluable opportunity. “I have had someone like this at the highest points of my career and I have lacked someone like this at the lowest points of my career. I don’t feel that it can be explained away as a coincidence.” 

MORE ABOUT CARL

Do you have a special/hidden talent or hobby?

My hobby is manual-camera black-and-white film photography. I prefer the subdued aesthetic of black and white film over the sanitized and overly vivid digital and phone shots. These photos feel distant and dreamy to me, which is exactly how I like to remember these moments. I have all the equipment and chemicals to process the film. Owning the process from shot to print really gives you a new mindset when you push the shutter button.

What’s your favorite movie or tv show?

My favorite TV show is The Sopranos. James Gandolfini’s mastery of Tony Soprano is unmatched in the history of television. My favorite film is Saving Private Ryan – and not because it’s an action movie. I love this film because Tom Hanks’ character never lost his hope, he never stopped daydreaming, and he never lost his ability to care about people in the midst of the darkness around him.

What’s on your music playlist?

I have diverse music interests! Armor for Sleep, Bcalm & Dontcry, Chihei Hatakeyama, Deftones, Down, Dustin Kensrue, Every Time I Die, Floor, Hammock, Hank Williams Sr., Hank Williams III, The Hope Conspiracy, Hopesfall, Johnny Cash, Led Zeppelin, Apple Music Lo-Fi Chillhop Study Beats Playlist, Magrudergrind, Nasum, New Found Glory, Neil Young, Palms, Paramore, Pinback, Pig Destroyer, The Receiving End of Sirens, The Smashing Pumpkins, Such Gold, Taking Back Sunday, Team Sleep, Terror, Toro Y Moi, 40 Watt Sun, The War on Drugs, Weekend Nachos.

What was your favorite vacation?

My favorite area to go for vacation is the Orange County, California area. From Santa Monica pier to Disneyland, the Getty Museum, Griffith Observatory, the ocean, the mountains, and much more, there is simply an endless amount of iconic activities and beauty to take in. Southern California weather is also near perfect with warm days and cool nights.

Nick Ashmore, an In-Charge Accountant at Cray Kaiser talks about his path to becoming an in-charge accountant. He shares about the culture at CK along with everything he learned during his journey.

Transcript:

My name is Nick Ashmore. My current position at Cray Kaiser is an in-charge accountant and I am a hybrid between the accounting services and the tax departments.

So on the accounting side, I am handling a lot of quarterly payroll, quarterly financial statement compilations. I am assisting with accounting consulting, sporadically as clients need assistance with journal entries or purchases they’re making and how to record things. I assist with a lot of tax returns, mainly during tax season and the tax extension filing deadlines. I do sales tax. I am currently learning depreciation, the ins and outs and becoming the go-to person for the accounting services department. I do a lot of different things.

Cray Kaiser has met every single expectation, want and need that I anticipated when I first started. I was looking for a firm with resources for me and them. I was looking for the collaborative almost tight-knit community vibe from the firm which I did get as well. I’ve made some great friends or great co-workers. You know, you’re here nine to five every single day five days a week for years, you don’t always want to just be work, work, work, got to have a little bit of play involved, a little bit of that relationship aspect on what’s going on with people’s lives, so to say. So like, you know, we have meetings every Monday where we go over what we’re working on, what we need help on, the basics and accounting, but you know, it’s also, what’d you do this weekend? You went shopping, what’d you get?

My first year here, I think I learned more than my previous three years in accounting from two different firms combined and that was exactly what I was looking for in my next position and why I ultimately chose to come on board with Cray Kaiser. They had the resources and the staff to kind of train and tailor my skillset to what was needed.

My first year at Cray Kaiser, I had never done a financial statement compilation, whether it’s an annual, quarterly or monthly. It’s just something I haven’t had experience with. So there was a learning curve there, but eventually I got the basics down, was able to apply my accounting knowledge to it once I learned the processes and the ins and outs of the client. So I’d say that was a big achievement for me and it was something that I’ve used ever since. So it was a good skill to learn and knowledge to have.

They had a great onboarding process. For the first couple months even though I had a couple years of experience, it was essentially a lot of training, learning the ins and outs of the firm, the softwares that you use, the processes they have in place. They were more up-to-date. I was looking for someone up-to-date technology wise, you know, and paper files are going away. We want everything on our computer, digitally, at the tips of our fingers. They have all that, which helps you increase efficiency and productivity. There are challenges out there. I went through trainings, I asked questions, and I learned a lot.

In the following videos, Damian Contreras, an in-charge tax accountant, who was formerly an intern at Cray Kaiser, gives an inside perspective about what it is like to be an intern at CK. If you are an aspiring professional seeking insights into the inner workings of CK, these videos offer a glimpse into the realm of an accounting internship.

What It’s Like to be an Intern at CK

My name is Damian Contreras and I’m an in-charge tax accountant. I was looking around and I already had a job lined up for a big four internship and I wanted to see what smaller firms had to offer as well. And I found Cray Kaiser and after interviewing and meeting with the people I thought it would be a great fit to try out a very hands-on tax season internship.

I noticed that the bigger firms you’re more stuck in, one area versus at Cray Kaiser, you can work in all departments in any given day and that’s one of the factors on why I chose working here. It started out heavy in hands-on training and then we started preparing simple tax forms 1099s. I gravitated more towards business returns my initial year here so I worked heavily in preparing business returns for some of our smaller family-owned businesses that we have. And then like everyone else I moved into the individual 1040 land which is also a very heavy season here. Preparing business returns initially was my favorite because they balance in the end and as an accountant that was very, it was gratifying.

Just how much you can learn if you’re willing to and that small amount of time I remember during my interviews they told me everything I’d learned in three months span and I got off the phone and laughed. I was like there’s no way that’s going to happen and then after the internship I walked away saying wow I’ve learned a lot and you know they invited me back and I was like just think about how much more I can learn in another three month span there. I worked into the summer and through the next fall and tax season and they’re very big on putting you in even on their firm CPE trainings as an intern. While you don’t need it they want you to be there to hear the new standards that are coming out and to partake in all the extra education opportunities beyond just basic intern training.

I’ve found that recently it’s a very energetic culture, especially when we’re here during tax season until ten or eleven o ‘clock at night. We have a lot of fun and we play games or talk over the cubicle walls. You know when we’re working our Saturday weekends we have Saturday games in the cafeteria that turn into competitions audit versus tax.

I’ve always liked the open-door policy that everyone has to ask questions and come in and talk and work on your own development with them.

What You Learn

My name is Damian Contreras and I’m an in-charge tax accountant. Bring a willingness to learn. It’s one of our values as education. And I’ve seen other interns here and I assisted in running the internship program. You need the willingness to learn and try to research on your own. A lot of things you can at least come into the meeting with understanding because if you don’t and they’re explaining it to you, you’re going to be lost. So it’s definitely that education and wanting to learn, especially in our industry, it’s ever changing every year with new regulations.

My second internship, they actually let me assist in running some of the trainings and kind of taking charge of the intern group. And we start out normally on Martin Luther King Day because everyone has the day off and we hit the ground running with 1099 trainings and then, we work into our business trainings and then eventually individuals in certain complex areas will have separate trainings, Then we’re giving you hands -on work. You’re in there preparing the returns, asking questions, you will get some contact with the clients. We’re going to put you out on audit engagements. One of my colleagues and I were talking about that this morning trying to schedule everything out because we want the internship experience to give you well-rounded as a whole. We don’t want you to only see tax. We want you to see audit because that’s the big question you get audit or tax. So without seeing both, how do you know to make that decision?

As we observe International Women’s Day, we want to recognize and celebrate the strong women of Cray Kaiser. These women make invaluable contributions to the accounting profession and are blazing a bold path forward for women’s equality in the world.

At Cray Kaiser, we are proud that 50% of our team is made up of women, with the firm being 66% women-owned. These talented women provide expert accounting, tax and advisory services to our clients.

As we work towards a more equitable future, International Women’s Day reminds us to continue to champion women’s empowerment and equal opportunities across all sectors and roles. Our world is better when diverse perspectives and backgrounds are represented and valued.

Please join us in celebrating the remarkable achievements of women in accounting and financial services this International Women’s Day!