Member of Russell Bedford International, a global network of independent professional service firms.
Member of Russell Bedford International, a global network of independent professional service firms.
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 Matt Richardson.
Matt is one of CK’s In-Charge Accountants, with much of his day revolving around the many steps of tax preparation with both business and personal taxes. For businesses, Matt is often involved in reviewing clients’ accounting records and closing books in addition to executing the return itself. He also will occasionally jump in to assist with the review and audit teams to help with tax-related issues. Matt is currently a generalist but over time plans to grow into a more specialized role.
Prior to joining CK, Matt’s career looked a bit different. He studied trombone and music history at Cleveland’s Oberlin Conservatory and went on to complete a PhD in music history at Northwestern. After teaching for a few years at Northwestern and at Wisconsin, he decided to change career paths and use his social and critical thinking skills in accounting.
Matt joined the CK team in November of 2022 and was immediately drawn to the firm’s focus on people. When asked what about CK made him excited to work at the firm, he said, “Whether it’s co-workers or clients, I’ve always personally believed it’s important to remember that it all comes down to how you treat people, so the values at CK really resonated with me.” He enjoys the environment at CK and feels it’s one conducive to growth and learning.
When asked which of CK’s core values mean the most to him and why, Matt answered, “I think people and integrity resonate with me the most. To me, integrity means we take pride in the accuracy and quality of our work as trusted advisors to our clients. And ultimately, it all comes down to People. Nothing else we do can happen without strong relationships with the people we work with.”
I love trying new restaurants whenever I have a chance. Some of my favorites are Italian and Japanese. After tax season (besides catching up on sleep), I’m looking forward to a vacation. This year I’m hoping to make it out to L.A. for a weekend to catch an Angels game and a Dodgers game.
My favorite place I’ve been to is Tokyo. There are so many fantastic restaurants and cafés, and I always manage to meet so many people and discover interesting new things when I’m there. The #1 place I’d like to visit is Vienna. I love opera and symphonic music so I’d love to hear the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State Opera.
I think my favorite movie has to be The Empire Strikes Back. I loved watching the Star Wars movies with my dad growing up, and I never get tired of re-watching them.
I’ve been working my way through some funk and soul – a lot of things like James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Billy Ocean, and Lionel Richie. And I’m always cycling in some classic 80’s Japanese pop, like Akina Nakamori, Seiko Matsuda, and Yu Hayami.
Today is International Women’s Day and we are so proud to recognize and celebrate the strong women of Cray Kaiser. These women continue to advocate for others and blaze a bold path forward for women’s equality in the world. We are especially proud to share that 50% of the Cray Kaiser team is made up of women, with the firm being 66% women-owned.
We recognize the unique value that women bring to the workplace and we will continue to take action to drive out gender disparity until we can all embrace equity.From all of us at Cray Kaiser, Happy International Women’s Day!
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 Natalie McHugh.
As Cray Kaiser’s newest Principal, Natalie helps manage the workflow and people in the tax department. Her days typically consist of reviewing returns and spending time consulting, whether projecting tax costs for clients, researching complex tax situations or assisting clients through a sale transaction. Her niche is estates, gifts and trusts, high-net wealth individuals and partnerships.
Natalie is a DePaul University graduate and interned at KPMG in their personal financial planning department during her college career. After graduation, she joined the firm full-time and it was there that she found her passion for taxes, specifically personal, trust, estate and gift tax returns.
Natalie joined CK in December of 2013. She was instantly drawn to the CK culture, the variety of clients and having female partners at the firm. Knowing this, Natalie could see herself progressing at CK. When asked why she has stayed at CK, Natalie says, “Our clients. I enjoy helping our clients navigate through their tax situations and helping educate them along the way. I also love the variety of client work we have here. Every day there is something new and I’m constantly learning.”
To Natalie, CK’s core values of Care and People are her two favorites. She is passionate about the amount of care that takes place at CK. She says, “We value a solid work product and want to make sure our clients are taken care of.” When it comes to People, Natalie says, “Each person on the CK team has unique talents that contribute to our solid work product.”
Soak it up! Learn from those around you and learn what you enjoy the most. There are many different lanes in accounting, from audit to tax to industry. Also, ask lots of questions! Your colleagues are there to help.
I spend a lot of time with family – I love to plan activities like bowling, dinners, and game nights. My daughter plays travel softball and a lot of time is spent over the summer at tournaments watching games and socializing with the families of the team. I work out regularly to balance my sitting at the office. I also love to read and listen to books during my commute.
I live with my husband, Matt and 13-year-old daughter, Eleanor and 2 dogs, Pepper and Stitch. My 26-year-old daughter has her masters in School Counseling and works at a magnet school. She just moved to Wrigleyville, and we enjoy visiting her and going to Cubs games, taking walks with her 2 dogs and visiting different restaurants and bars.
I’ve become the unofficial Mexico all-inclusive travel agent for friends and colleagues. I will find them good prices and give them resort suggestions and then send them over to my travel agent who will deal with the hard work.
Mexico all-inclusives are a favorite after a tax season as there is minimal planning ahead of time. I can enjoy relaxation, socialization, reading, exercise and some Vitamin D! However, I’d like to jump across the pond and expand into Europe in the next couple of years.
Everything! My Spotify starts with the 1940s and contains every decade through current. I warn colleagues that I usually have Spotify on shuffle and you never know what you are going to get – some jazz, classical, hair bands, hip hop, 80’s hits, etc.
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 Eric T. Challenger.
As Cray Kaiser’s tax manager, Eric leads the client relationship and deliverables for many of CK’s business and individual clients. This includes tax compliance and planning, along with general business guidance for clients. His primary focus is on businesses and their owners. Eric assists them from the startup stage with entity selection and implementing accounting structure to the end of the life cycle and transitioning transactions while keeping in mind the individual needs of each owner on a personal level and helping them reach their personal goals. Eric is also the tax lead on CK’s nonprofit side where he helps register and maintain tax-exempt status for all nonprofit clients.
From a firm perspective, Eric implements much of the training for the staff at CK and is considered one of the go-to resources within the firm for all staff, from admin to partners. He leads by providing education to sharpen staff knowledge and skills, empowering them to tackle CK clients’ needs.
Eric is a DePaul graduate and previously worked for a few other small firms before he joined the team at CK. When asked about an impactful moment in his career, he responded, “Passing the CPA exam!”
Eric began at CK in 2012 and was instantly drawn to the small firm feel and family culture. He enjoys the opportunity to work with different clients, and on projects and situations which keep things interesting, challenging and rewarding.
When asked which of CK’s core values mean the most to him and why, Eric answered, “Education – I probably would have been a teacher if I wasn’t an accountant. I enjoy learning something new every day, whether in accounting or on a personal level. I am always trying to be a better person and accountant. There is nothing more rewarding than passing on knowledge and watching lightbulbs go on in others.”
When looking towards the future, Eric is most excited about establishing more clients and being a part of their trusted team of advisors. “I want to be the first line of attack for clients trying to make impactful decisions, whether business or personal,” said Eric. “My goal? To be invited to every client retirement party and know I played a substantial role in getting them to that finish line.”
Our 50th-anniversary event. Sharing stories with clients and employees who have been integral to the growth of CK.
Spending time with family and friends and hopefully getting some golf in.
Undersell and overperform. Spend less than what you make. Never judge a book by its cover.
I’m engaged to my fiancé Stacey and we have a one-year-old golden retriever named Leeloo.
I tried learning the guitar, but only achieved mediocre abilities. However, it has translated into first class air-guitar skills!
The first time I went on an all-inclusive vacation to Cancun, Mexico with Stacey. I didn’t have to lift a finger…I was just able to relax with her. It was wonderful!
Forest Gump and Game of Thrones
I listen to varying types of music. Depending on my mood or projects I can listen to Dua Lipa, Weezer, Carole King, or John Mayer. But my all-time favorite is Metallica…I was an angry teenager!
The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey.
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 Noah Hogue.
As a staff accountant, Noah spends most of his time with the audit team completing corporate audits, reviews, compilations, and employee benefit plan (401k) audits. During the months of March and April, he lends his talents to business and individual tax prep, as well as continuing his monthly accounting responsibilities throughout the year.
Noah began his journey with CK as an intern during January of 2020 while he attended Aurora University. The internship gave him a glimpse into what a day is in the public accounting field and gave him the opportunity to get to know and learn from other interns in the program.
A huge motivator for Noah is expanding his knowledge in accounting. CK provides a variety of services that allows him to sharpen his skills in different areas and continue to learn. As someone new to the Chicagoland area, he also enjoys traveling to meet clients while exploring different areas of the city.
When asked which of CK’s core values mean the most to him and why, Noah answered, “Trust and education mean the most to me. We take pride and ownership in our work which leads to a reliable service for our clients. We build our confidence by educating ourselves and each other as teammates.” Noah believes there is always something to learn from or celebrate, no matter how big or small the engagement, which leads to many impactful moments.
When asked about his favorite CK outing, Noah remembers the group outing he attended at the Arlington Race Course. “Nothing gets me going like betting 50 cents on a horse with a ridiculous name,” said Noah.
Albert Einstein once said, “It’s not that he is so smart, it just that he stays with his problems longer.” I see that in a lot of successful people, they don’t give up.
I have a fun memory of having an awesome time touring Elvis Presley’s house in Graceland as a kid during a family road trip. I enjoy touring historical sites and feeling what it was like to live in a different time.
My all-time favorite show is Seinfeld for all the random situations the group finds themselves in. Currently, I’m really into Stranger Things.
ABC- Anything but country.
At Cray Kaiser, we take as much pride in being “People People” as we do in being “Numbers People.” The reason is simple, the numbers matter because of the people whose businesses and lives they affect. Those people have spoken! We are pleased to say that CK ranks well above the industry average in customer satisfaction according to NPS results from our recent customer survey.
For those unfamiliar, NPS – Net Promoter Score – is a customer satisfaction benchmark that measures how likely your customers are to recommend your business to a friend or colleague on a scale from 1 to 10. Based on their answer individual respondents are categorized as “promoters” (answered with a 9 or 10), “passive” (answered with a 7 or 8), or “detractors” (answered with a six or lower).
An organization’s NPS score is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors, those who wouldn’t recommend you, from the percentage of promoters or customers who would recommend you. So, it goes without saying that you want your promoters to significantly outweigh your detractors.
A Net Promoter Score can range from -100 to 100. The creators of NPS consider a “good” NPS score to be zero and above. Above 50 is excellent and above 80 is world-class.
Because it measures overall sentiment using the same question and calculation; Net Promoter Scores can be used as a benchmark against competitors, other companies, or an industry segment.
With an NPS of 89, Cray Kaiser scores significantly higher than the accounting industry’s NPS of 44. And that’s not all! According to data from CustomerGauge CK’s world-class NPS is higher than many beloved consumer brands like Apple, Southwest Airlines, and Target to name a few.
Our world-class team of accounting and tax specialists is honored to be so well regarded by our clients and is just a phone call or email away.
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 Ivy Williams.
Between phone calls, mail duties, preparing tax returns, payroll and more, Ivy’s days are filled with exciting new things to learn. She holds one of the most important roles as the CK receptionist, the first person CK clients meet! Every day in her role brings on a different challenge but she enjoys helping her team be successful!
Ivy joined the CK team in September of 2021. The warm welcome she felt at her very first interview was an immediate indication that she was in the right place. She’s most motivated every day by the team.
When asked which of CK’s core values mean the most to her and why, Ivy says it’s people. A supportive, kind, and helpful team can totally transform your work environment.
Over the last year, Ivy has helped the CK team grow and thrive. To those just getting started in the accounting industry, she says, “It’s going to be a journey, but you have got this! Work hard and do your best.”
I like to hang out with my family and friends. We go to restaurants, walk downtown and go bowling. After tax season is over, I like to travel. It helps me to relax and clear my head.
Go for it, you only live once.
The #1 place to visit on my vacation list is Dubai.
My favorite tv shows to watch are Martin, Sanford & Son, Law & Order (SVU).
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 Holly Kolschefski.
For Holly, a typical day at CK never looks the same. Whether she’s collaborating with leadership in improving and administering the billing process, assisting engagement teams in monitoring budget to increase job performance, or overseeing the daily process of invoicing to show the client the value of the services provided, each day is an exciting opportunity for Holly. As the Executive Coordinator, she loves to collaborate and learn from the amazing team at CK.
As one who is always up for a challenge, Holly made the decision to move from inside sales to the accounting space. After 23 years of working in accounting, Holly chose to join the CK team in October of 2020. The great team of people that make up the organization was a key factor in her decision to join the team. From the partners to the staff, she enjoys the friendly, positive culture they create and the knowledge she gains from others.
Holly believes trust is core to any relationship, whether it be personal or professional. That’s why CK’s core value of ‘Trust’ means the most to her. Holly said, “It’s vital to build trust in every interaction by conducting ourselves in a professional and honest manner.”
When asked what piece of advice she would give someone who is just starting in the accounting industry, Holly said, “Get to know as many people as you can and learn as much as you can every day. It’s the best way to grow in your career. The world is changing around us every day and there is always something new to learn to keep you engaged at being the best you can be.”
For Holly, the future is full of opportunity. She’s most looking forward to growing her experience within the firm over the next 10-plus years. After that, she plans to retire somewhere perhaps in a warmer climate!
Pianist or learning how to play the saxophone. I love music!
Spending time with my husband, kids, and grandchildren during my time off which means taking small trips to Tennessee and Minnesota as often as possible.
Be kind; you never know the battles others are fighting.
My husband is a Preplanning Consultant and Business Director at Hultgren Funeral Home. I have two daughters and one son and 6 grandchildren.
Hawaii was my favorite vacation (a once-in-a-lifetime chance). Hawaii is relaxing, and beautiful and there is so much to see and do. Now my #1 place to visit is where my kids are living.
My current favorite tv show is Yellowstone. I have watched Season 1 and am excited to watch the other seasons very soon.
Everything from 70’s and 80’s hits to worship music.
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 Nicholas Ashmore.
As an Accounting Services Associate, Nicholas’ days are always exciting. Since he has a hybrid role, he rotates between both accounting services and the tax department where he focuses on monthly accounting processes, payroll, compilations, and individual tax returns.
Nicholas joined CK in September of 2021. With a passion for lifelong learning, the opportunity for continued education and professional growth were a huge factor in his decision to work at CK.
Prior to joining the team at CK, Nicholas was a part of a small local public accounting firm in Connecticut. He also earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Central Connecticut State University. Nicholas is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Accounting from Post University and will graduate in June of 2022. Following his master’s degree, Nicolas plans to begin preparing for the CPA exams.
Nicholas has a hunger for knowledge and is dedicated to growing within the accounting field. After learning about CK’s core values, specifically education and people, he knew CK was the right fit for him. Nicholas appreciates CK’s emphasis on collaboration, transparency within the workplace and celebration of wins big and small. When asked what motivates him, Nicholas said, “The expert team I am surrounded with daily help motivate me to work hard, play hard, and never stop growing and learning.”
When asked about his favorite CK outing, Nicholas remembers the golf event he attended. After relocating to Chicago to join the CK team in September of 2021, Nicholas was understandably nervous about a new job and moving to a new city. At the golf event, he was able to get to know his new team members and relieve some of the first-day nerves before he even walked through the office door.
Now that tax season is over, I finally have some time to explore the area. I like to take my dog (golden retriever, Ruby) to different parks and hikes as well as play disc golf, tennis, go to the gym, experience the city, and just enjoy some downtime at home.
My family is all originally from Connecticut but have since spread out. My parents are retired and living in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina so they can golf every day. My younger brother has just bought a house in Granby, Connecticut and is a district manager for Stop and Shop (like a Jewel Osco). I am now living in Illinois, so we are all doing a lot of traveling when the holidays roll around!
My favorite vacation was a spring break trip my friends and I took to Costa Rica during college. There were 20 of us in all on that trip. My #1 choice for a vacation right now would be the Maldives.
My favorite TV shows are Outlander, Yellowstone, Game of Thrones, and Bosch. I am currently searching for a new favorite as all of these have ended and been watched (twice).
The music on my playlist is really dictated by the environment I am in. While working I like to listen to a lot of Pop or more upbeat music, at home or while driving I like to listen to Hip Hop and while in the gym I will either listen to alternative/rock/house music.
In Cray Kaiser’s Employee Spotlight series, we highlight a member of the CK team. We are extremely proud of the team we have grown and are excited for you to get to know them. This month, we’re shining our spotlight on Bohdan Domino.
Bohdan is a staff accountant, and his day consists of working on audits and reviews. He has been with Cray Kaiser for four years, since his father’s accounting practice was acquired by CKL. Bohdan took the acquisition as an opportunity and was excited about being able to work with new clients.
Bohdan attended Villanova University for his undergraduate degree before earning an MST and MSA from DePaul University.
He appreciates that CK is a learning environment, which gives him the opportunity to grow his skills. Working on more advanced audits and with a great team are a plus, too! When asked which of CK’s core values mean the most to him, Bohdan said education, as he is always trying to learn and improve.
Bohdan’s favorite CK group activity is the annual golf outing, which allows him to connect with coworkers in a fun and casual way.
I like to play golf.
My #1 vacation destination would have to be either Tokyo, Japan or Australia to see the great barrier reef before it’s gone.
My favorite TV show right now is Ozark on Netflix.
Pearl Jam
Outliers by Malcom Gladwell and Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne
