Kevin Jessop
MWCN Chair, Podcast Vice Chair
Director of Marketing and Client Engagement, IMA
Matt Castleberry
MWCN Executive Committee Member
Shareholder/Director of Client Relations and Business Development, Amplēo
Cassidy Anderson
MWCN Trustee
Vice President, Relationship Manager
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Reed W. Chase
MWCN Executive Committee Member
Audit and Business Advisory Partner, Tanner LLC
Franci Eisenberg
MWCN Trustee, Reception & Retreat Chair
Senior Executive and Technical Recruiter, Professional Recruiters
Nicholas Hintze
MWCN Trustee, MWCN Golf Chair
Senior Vice President Commercial Banking, UMB Bank
Steve Lake
MWCN Trustee, MWCN EOY Vice Chair
Vice President of Business Development, Embark
Cory B. Nielson
MWCN Trustee
Partner, Citrin Cooperman Advisors LLC
Partner, Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP
Terry Pratchett
MWCN Trustee, MWCN Deal Flow Chair
Managing Director-Sr. Relationship Manager, PNC Bank
Kevin Jessop
MWCN Chair, Podcast Vice Chair
Director of Marketing and Client Engagement, IMA
Kevin has over twenty years of experience in sales and marketing for large public companies and currently leads marketing and business development for IMA Financial Group. Before entering the insurance and wealth management industry, he worked in financial printing with RR Donnelley, where he helped companies go public and supported public firms with secondary offerings, large-scale debt transactions, and mergers and acquisitions.
Ryan J. Dent
MWCN Vice Chair
Ryan is a Partner in PwC’s Financial Services practice with a focus on the banking and capital markets sector. He consults with and supervises audit and consulting engagements of public and privately owned companies. Ryan is currently leading PwC’s financial services audit practice in Salt Lake City providing services primarily to asset management and banking clients throughout Utah and the western United States.
Paul Skeen, CPA
MWCN Treasurer
Audit Partner, Eide Bailly LLP
Paul is a partner at Eide Bailly and overseen the audit practice for the Utah offices. He has more than 17 years in public accounting with experience in a variety of industries. Paul’s areas of emphasis include governmental, technology and public and private companies. He has served on the MWCN Board for eight years and is Chair of the Utah 100 committee. He is a past President for the Utah Association of CPAs (UACPA) and currently serves on the Advisory Board for the University of Utah’s School of Accountancy.
Cheri M. Waldron
MWCN Executive Director
Cheri Waldron plans and executes all key events such as the Utah 100 Award Event, the Entrepreneur of the Year Award Event, Deal Flow Awards, the Deal Makers Golf Tournament, Business Boot Camp and numerous other meetings and events of up to 1,300 people in attendance. Leads and supports the President, Board and Committee chairs in creating new, profitable and engaging programs and events that foster and support entrepreneurship in Utah. Cheri graduated from the University of Utah.
Todd A. Reece
MWCN Vice-Chairman
Partner, Holland & Hart
Todd A. Reece is an experienced corporate attorney who advises clients on general business matters, mergers, acquisitions, financings (venture and private equity), securities, joint ventures, licensing matters, and other business transactions. He assists both public and private companies with corporate governance, internal investigations, audits and compliance matters, including Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance and reviews.
Rob Abercrombie
MWCN Trustee
Audit Partner, Haynie & Company
Rob Abercrombie is an audit partner at Haynie & Company where he provides assurance services to both private and public companies. His practice areas include manufacturing, technology, and SEC reporting for smaller companies.
Daniel Olson
Of Counsel, Dentons Durham Jones Pinegar
Dan is a corporate and transactional attorney whose practice focuses on technology startups and emerging companies and the ecosystems that support them. He has been a med-device tech entrepreneur, in-house counsel to a Web3 and AI media startup, a tenure-track business school professor teaching courses on entrepreneurship and business strategy, and a corporate and capital markets attorney. He has worked in the trenches of building and growing a business and uses that unique perspective to efficiently and effectively advise his clients.
Chris Badger
CFO Solutions Director, Haynie & Company
Chris Badger, CPA is a senior accounting professional with broad industry experience in high tech, oil and gas, manufacturing and financial services. His accounting expertise includes strategic corporate management, mergers, acquisitions, debt financing, implementing and managing external financial reporting and operational reporting functions.
Matt Bartholomew
MWCN Trustee
Principal, CLA LLP
Matt Bartholomew is a principal with CLA LLP and brings over 20 years of experience between public accounting and as a private company executive with over 14 years in Transaction Advisory Services. Matt’s expertise includes Quality of Earnings analyses (both buy- and sell-side), carve-out preparation and modeling, consulting on purchase agreements, and post-transaction matters. He began his career with Ernst & Young LLP in Assurance, followed by years at FTI Consulting and then at a private company, leading a turnaround as well as a recapitalization process. Prior to CLA LLP, Matt was with BDO for over seven years, leading and growing a fully-dedicated Transactions team in Salt Lake City and Denver.
Ashtyn Blanchard
MWCN Trustee
Marketing Director, Clyde Snow & Sessions
Ashtyn Blanchard is the Marketing Director at Clyde Snow & Sessions. After spending seven years as a paralegal at a Utah County law firm, she transitioned into marketing, where she gained expertise in business development and brand recognition. In 2022, Ashtyn returned to the legal field, combining her legal experience with her strategic marketing skills. She is passionate about helping young lawyers build their client base by equipping them with the confidence and networking strategies tailored to their personalities.
Justin T. Blair
Attorney at Law, Corporate, Transactions & Securities and Healthcare, Parsons Behle & Latimer
Justin Blair is a member of the firm’s Corporate, Transactions & Securities and Healthcare practice groups. His practice is focused primarily on transactional and corporate matters in the dental industry. He assists his dental clients with a variety of issues, including equity and asset acquisitions, structuring and implementing dental and other management support organizations (DSOs/MSOs), drafting business support and other related agreements, and other corporate matters like formation, business planning, and corporate governance. Justin also provides similar corporate and transactional services for business clients across a variety of other industries.
Matt Castleberry
MWCN Executive Committee Member
Shareholder/Director of Client Relations and Business Development, Amplēo
Matt Castleberry is a native of Utah and is a Shareholder and Director of Client Relations and Business Development for Amplēo. He has been in Business Development for over half of his life and loves building new relationships with anyone he can. His experience covers a wide variety of industries including, Transportation, Finance, Banking, Advertising, HVAC, and Healthcare. He has worked for companies ranging from freight to lease finance.
Matt has four children and spends most of his free time in Utah’s beautiful outdoors. He is willing to try just about anything once and loves everything from Golf to motocross to fly fishing and just about everything in between.
Reed W. Chase
MWCN Executive Committee Member
Audit and Business Advisory Partner, Tanner LLC
Reed Chase is an audit and business advisory partner at Tanner LLC assisting companies with audit and financial reporting. Reed also works with investors and companies on quality of earnings projects for acquisitions and significant investments.
Dave Chase
MWCN Treasurer
Managing Partner, Amplēo
Dave is the managing partner at Amplēo and acting CFO of 5 businesses currently. He has 17 years in small to medium private companies and large public companies as a senior operational and financial leader. With 17 years’ experience in global finance, a CFO of multiple entities and divisional EVP experience, Dave brings a breadth of experience.
Garit Lawson
MWCN Trustee, MWCN Podcast Chair
Managing Director, Forbes Partners
Garit has 20+ years of experience as a Mergers and Acquisitions professional. He is known for his expertise in advising company owners on successful strategies for maximizing shareholder value, while accounting for the human “needs and wants” present in business transactions. His transactional specialties are technology-enabled manufacturing, consumer products, and business services. Garit has founded and operated companies in the consumer and business services industries, giving him distinct insights into businesses from the viewpoints of an owner, manager, and entrepreneur.
Cassidy Anderson
MWCN Trustee
Vice President, Relationship Manager, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Cassidy Anderson is a Relationship Manager in the Global Commercial Bank for Bank of America. Cassidy specializes in providing strategic debt, treasury and capital market solutions to middle market companies in the State of Utah. These companies generally have annual sales between 50 million to $2 billion, or have access to the capital markets. She coordinates a team of treasury, credit and other specialty sales professionals to serve a portfolio of clients in general industries and develop new relationships for Bank of America.
Ray Chipman
Audit & Advisory Partner, Squire
Ray Chipman is an audit and advisory partner at Squire. He has over 20 years in public accounting experience assisting companies set and meet their financial goals. Ray leads the firms Direct-Selling industry group and is a member of the firm’s executive committee. He has significant experience with construction, manufacturing and distribution companies, and is also responsible for our international network of legal and accounting firms.
Jennifer Christopulos
Corporate Banking Director and EVP, Zions Bank
Jennifer.Christopulos@zionsbank.com
Jennifer has had a 25+ year career assisting mid to large sized businesses meet their strategic objectives by leveraging banking products and services. Currently, Jennifer leads a team of corporate banking professionals that are responsible for the origination of credit, servicing of loan portfolios, and developing and deepening of full banking relationships with middle market to large corporate businesses primarily within the state of Utah.
Jennifer enjoys reading mystery novels and supporting her husband and their five children in their various sports events and extracurricular activities.
Riley Cutler
Corporate and Business Support Specialist
Riley, an outdoor industry specialist with a thought-catalog of Utah hiking and biking trails, brings local knowledge and research to KUER as the Corporate and Business Support Associate. Riley graduated from the University of Utah with a B.S. in Biology. Prior to KUER, he worked with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development for more than five years as director of outdoor industry research. He is a longtime partner in Wasatch Touring Co., an outdoor specialty store. In his free time he takes family and friends skiing, hiking, or anything that involves being in nature! During the winter on any given Saturday morning, you will find Riley up the canyon tearing it up in the fresh powder as he backcountry telemark skis.
Franci Eisenberg
MWCN Trustee, Reception & Retreat Chair
franci@professionalrecruiterinc.com
Franci has over 30 years recruiting experience at the same firm. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the MountainWest Capital Network Board of Directors, and as Mentor, for the Wayne Brown Institute’s (VentureCapital.org) annual Venture Capital Conference “Investors Choice” and their Women’s Advisory Committee as well. As an executive and technical recruiter, she working nationally as well as internationally. An active member of a worldwide recruiting network, National Personnel Associates and partner with 500+ recruiters globally with access to their applicants and positions worldwide.
Chad Fraughton
Cornerstone Show Foundation, Vice President and Co-Founder
Chad is a rock star in the live event industry, boasting more than 27 years of experience, including 23 at the helm of Cornerstone. Prior to this, he gained invaluable experience and insight working on the corporate side for WordPerfect, Novell and Busch Creative Services. He is uniquely qualified to help companies leverage the right technology for their creative messaging requirements. He specializes in offering the opportunity to work hand-in-hand utilizing the latest technology to afford companies a competitive advantage – maintaining a laser focus on creative content to drive message, define the brand and wow the audience.
Tyler Harvey
Regional Team Lead and Senior Vice President, Wells Fargo
Tyler supports a team of commercial banking professionals that provide credit, treasury management, international, investment, and deposit products to businesses with annual sales greater than $20 million.
David Hunter
MWCN Trustee
Managing Director, The Cynosure Group
david.hunter@cynosuregroup.com
David Hunter is a Managing Director for The Cynosure Group. Tracing its roots to the Eccles family of Utah, The Cynosure Group is an independent alternatives asset manager and advisor that makes long-term investments on behalf of families, foundations, and other like-minded institutions. Mr. Hunter heads the Investor Relations efforts and assists in sourcing middle-market private equity transactions. Before joining Cynosure, Mr. Hunter spent 11 years in New York and San Francisco with Partners Group, a global private markets investment management firm.
Jake Kastan
MWCN Vice President, EOY Committee Chair
Vice President, Peterson Partners
Jake is a Vice President at Peterson Partners, an independent investment management firm with assets under management across a variety of alternative asset classes. Prior to joining Peterson Partners, Jake worked as the Political Director for Speaker Paul Ryan in Washington DC. He was Paul Ryan’s personal aide during the 2012 presidential election and began his career working for Mitt Romney in Boston, MA. Jake received an MBA from the Georgetown McDonough School of Business and a B.S. from Tufts University.
John D. Shane
MWCN Trustee
Region Manager, JPMorgan Chase
As a Region Manager for JPMorgan Chase in Utah, John oversees Commercial and Investment Banking activities statewide, driving strategic growth, client engagement, and the delivery of comprehensive financial solutions. He also co-chairs JPMorgan’s Utah Market Leadership Team, working alongside senior leaders to strengthen market presence and build relationships with clients, communities, and stakeholders across Salt Lake City and throughout the state.
Michael Sayre
MWCN Trustee
Advisor, CUI Wealth Management
Michael is a retirement plan advisor at CUI Wealth Management, focused on 401(k) plans. He has been nominated for the National Association of Plan Advisors’ Top Retirement Plan Advisors Under 40 and is an Osaic Wealth Retirement Plan Council member. In 2024, he was selected as one of three representatives from Utah to meet with lawmakers and their staff in Washington, D.C., as part of the NAPA D.C. Fly-In.
Ted McAleer
PandoLabs, Managing Director
Ted is currently the Managing Director of PandoLabs, a co-working facility and accelerator based in Park City, Utah. From 2006 to 2014, Ted was the 1st Executive Director of USTAR (Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative), the State of Utah’s signature technology-based economic development initiative. Prior to USTAR, McAleer was the Director of Business Development for The University of Utah’s Technology Venture Development organization.
Terry Pratchett
MWCN Trustee, MWCN Deal Flow Chair
Managing Director-Sr. Relationship Manager, PNC Bank
Terry Pratchett is a managing director and senior relationship manager with PNC Bank. In his role with the bank’s corporate and institutional banking team, Terry manages the bank’s relationships with middle market and large corporate companies across Utah. He is responsible for helping build out the Utah market. Terry supports existing and prospective customers with targeted solutions to achieve their business objectives. He has 17 years’ banking experience. He received his bachelor’s degree at Brigham Young University and received his Master of Business Administration degree at Wake Forest University.
Joel Racker
MWCN Trustee, MWCN Golf Vice Chair
Audit Partner, WSRP
Joel Racker began his career at Ernst and Young and is currently an audit partner at WSRP in its Salt Lake City office. Joel is proficient at working through challenging accounting and finance topics and has extensive experience working with both private and public companies in the technology, software/SaaS, retail, life sciences, airlines, construction, consumer products, and leasing industries.
Jason Reading
Partner, Aries Capital Partners
Jason is a partner at Aries Capital Partners, a private equity group which invests in lower middle-market companies. Prior to Aries, Jason held various positions at Peterson Partners and Leucadia National. Jason also worked in investment banking at Merrill Lynch and audit and business advisory at PwC. He holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a degree in accountancy from BYU.
Kady K. Reese
MWCN Executive Committee Member
Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Kady K. Reese is a corporate mergers and acquisitions partner who focuses her practice on complex business transactions, including leveraged acquisitions of private and public companies, strategic mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, restructurings and recapitalizations. Kady also represents private equity funds and their portfolio companies in all aspects of their businesses.
Jason Roberts
MWCN Chair, Podcast Vice Chair
Managing Director, Protiviti
Jason has over 20 years of experience in risk-based internal controls and process reviews, business process outsourcing, business consulting engagements, contract compliance audit services, SOX compliance services, and best practice analyses for clients in the consumer products, technology, manufacturing, distribution, and healthcare industries. As Managing Director and Salt Lake City Office Leader, Jason leads a team of over 25 full-time consultants and has served over 50 clients in the West Region market.
Todd Gordon
Shareholder, CBIZ
Todd is the Attest Practice Leader and Shareholder of the CBIZ & MHM Salt Lake City practice. He has over 25 years of public accounting experience including many years with Big 4 and other National Accounting Firms. Todd has led engagement teams performing the audits of both public and privately held companies. He has experience with many industries including Technology, Consumer Products, Manufacturing Auto Dealerships, Employee Benefit Plans, Professional Service Organizations, Financial Services, Real Estate, and Not-for-Profit Organizations. He has served on multiple MWCN committees over the years including Chairman of the Golf Committee.
David Stahl
President – Hillcrest Bank
Head of Business Banking – NBH Bank
MWCN Trustee
David is currently serving as President for Hillcrest Bank and works with all our associates across the bank to serve our clients with a holistic and advisory based approach. Additionally, David serves as the Head of Business Banking for Hillcrest Bank’s holding company, NBH Bank. In this role, David oversees a team of associates across 7 states and works to develop and deliver a consistent strategy so our clients can better access the bank and our solutions.
Alysha Smith
Partner, modern8
Alysha Smith is the Owner and Creative Director of modern8, a brand design and event agency. She brings over 13 years of experience creating strategy-driven solutions for businesses that want to stand out. Since 2020, she has led the creative team responsible for MWCN’s marketing and event assets. Alysha also served on the AIGA board, where she helped run Salt Lake Design Week for two years, and she graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program in December 2021.
Karlee Page
Vice President, Commercial Banking – BMO
Karlee Page is a Commercial Banker at BMO in Salt Lake City, where she provides strategic advisory, banking, treasury, and underwriting solutions for middle‑market companies across Utah. She partners closely with business owners, founders, and executives to support growth, capital planning, and long‑term financial strategy.
Karlee also leads BMO’s women founder initiatives, both internally and externally—advocating for increased access to capital, mentorship, and community for women‑led businesses. Her work reflects a strong commitment to supporting entrepreneurship and elevating diverse leadership within the business community.
Outside of work, Karlee can be found adventuring around Utah with her husband, daughter, and their dog, making the most of their time together as a family.
Todd Smith
Executive Committee, Moreton & Company
TSmith@moreton.com
Todd is a member of the executive committee based out of Moreton & Company’s Salt Lake City office. In this role, he is responsible for coordinating the delivery of all Moreton & Company resources to our clients, supervising the client team, developing marketplace strategies, and crafting solutions for unusual business and insurance risks. Todd has a BA in Business Finance and serves on the U of U Alumni Board.
Lance Soffe
Director of Targeted Industries, GOED
Lance Soffe is the director of targeted industries at the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (Go Utah). In this role, he oversees Utah’s targeted industries to cultivate a business-friendly environment and recruit and foster growth in Information Technology/Software, Financial Services, Aerospace and Defense, Life Sciences, and Advanced Manufacturing. Before his position at Go Utah, Soffe served the employer community at the Department of Workforce Services for 14 years in various roles. He also has private sector experience in the financial services sector, real estate, and as a small business owner. Soffe holds a degree in Finance from the University of Utah and an MBA from Utah State.
Quentin Smith
Associate, The Cynosure Group
Quentin.smith@cynosuregroup.com
Quentin Smith is responsible for sourcing, evaluating and executing new investment opportunities. Prior to joining The Cynosure Group, Quentin worked as an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs in New York City. His transaction experience includes mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts and debt and equity offerings.
Quentin received his B.S. in Business Management with an emphasis in Finance, from Brigham Young University. While attending Brigham Young University, Quentin was a member of the NCAA Division I men’s volleyball team, where he was a team captain.
Barbara Araneo, PhD
USTAR Team Lead, Emerging Technologies
baraneo@utah.gov | Bio
Barbara most recently served Novo Nordisk, Inc. as a Director of External Innovation Sourcing for the company’s Global Research Unit and previously lead the program for diabetic complications at JDRF global headquarters in Manhattan. She served on the faculty of the University of Utah’s Department of Pathology as Associate Professor after completing a doctorate in Cellular Immunology from the University of Rochester and postdoctoral training at Washington University School of Medicine and the Department of Microbiology at UCLA. In addition to a doctorate degree, Araneo holds certification in US Regulatory Affairs.
Bradley B. Bertoch
President & CEO, VentureCapital.org
Brad is a leader in equity backed business development and entrepreneurship. Under his direction, companies participating in WBI programs have raised over $5 billion in private and public equity and created or retained over 100,000 high tech jobs throughout the United States. Brad is a member of the SLC Angels, the Salt Lake Life Sciences Angels, the Park City Angels and the WBI Angels and was a venture partner with Hamilton Bio-Ventures Fund II. He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Casey W. Jones, Esq.
Attorney, Strong & Hanni
Casey focuses his practice on corporate and trademark law. His diverse background in business law allows to him act as outside corporate counsel for many of his Utah clients. He also works closely with his client’s general counsel on the legal issues they face on a day-to-day basis.
Jason A. Sanders
Registered Patent Attorney, Maschoff Brennan
Jason’s practice focuses on patent and trademark prosecution and counseling. He has advised companies across the spectrum from startups and universities, to Fortune 500 companies. In addition to practicing before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, he has experience in obtaining patents in the Europe, China, Japan, Canada, Australia, Korea, Israel, and other jurisdictions. Recently, Jason has successfully prosecuted patents to allowance in less than one year through the USPTO Track One program. He received his J.D. From Georgetown University Law Center and he also holds an M.S. and B.S. in physics from Utah State University.
Kent Thomas
Founder, AdvancedCFO
Kent Thomas is the founder of Advanced CFO in 1996 and in that role has served as the outsourced CFO of over 80 different businesses. He currently serves as the advisor or Acting CFO of several businesses and as a member of the board of directors of two businesses and the MountainWest Capital Network. Kent graduated from Brigham Young University and the University of Utah’s Graduate School of Business. He is active in the Utah entrepreneurial community where he advises companies, associations, and educational institutions and is a frequent speaker on finance, accounting and entrepreneurship.
Michele Myer
Registered Patent Attorney, Maschoff Brennan
Michele focuses on intellectual property litigation, including patent, trademark, and copyright litigation. As a registered patent attorney, she uses her knowledge of patent prosecution to enhance her litigation practice. She has supported clients across a variety of technology areas in protecting their patent portfolios.
Apart from work, Michele‘s interests include painting and pastel drawing. She also enjoys Pilates, ballet, and astronomy.
David Marx
Dorsey & Whitney LLP, Partner
David focuses his practice on corporate and securities law. He advises companies from their initial formations to eventual sales or initial public offerings. His experience includes advising public and private companies with venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, executive compensation, SEC reporting and regulatory matters, Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance, NASDAQ and NYSE compliance matters, and general corporate counseling and governance. In addition, Dave represents issuers and underwriters in public equity offerings.
Quinton J. Stephens
Associate, Ballard Spahr LLP
Quinton is an Associate in the Litigation Department. His practice focuses on civil litigation. He has successfully represented commercial landlords in collections against their former tenants, litigated complex shareholder disputes, represented lenders against their borrowers’ claims, and assisted organizations in protecting their trade secrets and other proprietary information.
His background and prior professional experience have often provided his clients with an added value, as he regularly draws on his Master of Business Administration training to augment his understanding of the issues and challenges in any dispute.
Thom Williams
Managing Director, USTAR
Marine Corps Col. Thomas M. Williams (Retired) joined USTAR as managing director in July 2015. He commanded at all levels within the Marines during his 31 years of service, and traveled extensively in the Pacific, Europe, the former Soviet Union and the Middle East. Thom served several combat tours in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Afghanistan as well as Bosnia and Kosovo in the Balkans. His additional assignments in the area of acquisitions for the Department of Defense have proven an asset to his work for USTAR. He served in the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) as a Concepts Planner, helping to guide the agency’s $15 billion budget. At the Office of Naval Research he served as the Military Department Head, leading the portfolio of over 500 advance technology programs for the Marine Corps and Navy SEAL’s. He has a B.S. in Aeronautics from San Jose State University and M.A. in Economics from the University of Oklahoma.
Barry Sobel
Managing Director, Alex. Brown
Barry Sobel has 29 years of Wealth Management and Money Management experience. His clients are mostly entrepreneurs who have created substantial “first generation” wealth.
John M. Knab
Managing Director, Americas Housing Alliance
Former manager at IBM HQ; Director with Verizon; and CEO of Phonex Broadband. Currently Managing Director of Americas Housing Alliance, a national real estate Fund. Undergraduate degree from BYU and an MBA from Emory University. A member of the BYU Marriott School of Management’s National Advisory Council and a founder with the Center for Technology and Entrepreneurship.
Jason Thompson
Utah Chair – Vistage International
Jason.thompson@vistagechair.com
Jason chairs a private CEO advisory board along the Wasatch Front for the world’s most trusted executive coaching company. He focuses on improving their insights, leadership, decisions and results, enabling them to outperform their competition through boom markets and recession. He has over two decades experience leading and consulting private and publicly held companies, from Fortune 500, Mid-market and Start-Ups across many industries throughout the US. Jason brings a unique perspective and vast experience.
Jeff Johnson
MWCN Trustee, MWCN EOY Chair
Audit Partner, FORVIS MAZARS
Jeff is audit partner with FORVIS with more than 20 years’ experience providing audit and consulting serves to clients in a variety of industries including manufacturing, distribution, construction, software and technology, and real estate. One of Jeffs main areas of focus is serving Private Equity Groups and their portfolio companies with mergers and acquisitions.
Nicholas Hintze
MWCN Trustee, MWCN Golf Chair
Senior Vice President Commercial Banking, UMB Bank
Nicholas Hintze is senior vice president of UMB’s Commercial Banking division in Utah. Leading the expansion of this market, Nick engages with large public and private organizations to cultivate meaningful connections with their management teams and learn how UMB can offer them ongoing support. Nick’s priority is to understand each client’s unique needs, helping them streamline business processes, assess cash flow and achieve their financial dreams. Outside of work, Nick is dedicated to his family and community.
Ty Gatherum
VP Advisor, Bernstein Private Wealth Management
Tyler Gatherum, CFP® is an advisor at Bernstein Private Wealth Management with a focus on M&A pre-transaction planning. He consults with founders and entrepreneurs as they progress through various milestones of scaling their business and personal net worth, including pre-and-post-liquidity planning and resourcing personal values into bespoke investment solutions across public and private markets.
Steve Lake
MWCN Trustee, MWCN EOY Vice Chair
Vice President of Business Development, Embark
Steve Lake joined Embark as a Vice President of Business Development to help open the Utah Embark Office in 2020. He is focused on making life easier for CFOs and their teams by providing advisory services within the office of CFO. Prior to Embark Steve spent 6 years in Public Accounting at Grant Thornton and 7 years as CFO with two different consumer product companies. Steve became a MWCN Trustee in 2022, is a CPA, and an adjunct accounting professor at the University of Utah.
Eric Smith
Partner, Morgan Stanley, The 9990 Group
eric.smith@morganstanleypwm.com
A founding partner of The 9990 Group, Eric Smith oversees a team of experienced professionals who provide wealth management advice, strategies and services to highly accomplished individuals and their families, family offices, foundations and endowments. He works to create holistic solutions encompassing every aspect of his clients’ financial lives, including pre- and post-monetization planning, investment management, banking, lending, philanthropy and an extensive range of lifestyle advisory services.
Previously, he was responsible for JPMorgan’s Private Bank office in Utah before bringing their practice to Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management in 2021.
Eric graduated from Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management in 2011, earning a B.S. in management with an emphasis on finance. Seeking to expand the depth and range of advice he can offer his clients, Eric earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM (CFP®) certification in 2015. He is fluent in Spanish as well as English.
Matt McReynolds
MWCN Trustee, MWCN Programs Vice Chair
Partner, BDO
Matt McReynolds is a partner at BDO, a global firm providing audit, tax, and advisory services. Matt has over 20 years of experience leading audits in the following industry groups: ski resorts, dealerships, restaurants, and consumer products. Matt also focuses on business development and led the Salt Lake City, Utah audit practice from 2011 – 2024. He enjoys being associated with an impressive team of professionals and influencing positive culture within the office.
Cory B. Nielson
Partner, Citrin Cooperman Advisors LLC
Partner, Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP
Cory is a partner in Citrin Cooperman’s Audit and Attest Practice. He brings a wealth of knowledge in auditing companies across diverse sectors, including investment companies, real estate organizations, private equity firms, technology companies, and manufacturing and distribution businesses. Cory excels in guiding clients through intricate transactions, such as business combinations, complex debt and equity transactions, and revenue recognition challenges. Previously, Cory was a director and led the Salt Lake City, UT office’s audit and assurance services group at Ostrow Reisin Berk & Abrams, Ltd. (ORBA), which joined Citrin Cooperman in 2025.
Finn Robbins
MWCN Programs Chair
Senior Vice President, KeyBank
Finn Robbins works on the Commercial Banking team for KeyBank in Utah serving medium to large commercial clients. With more than 20 years of experience in the banking and financial industry, Finn is actively involved in the business community as an advocate providing financial solutions to help clients grow. He partners closely with Key’s multiple lines of business to ensure all his customers’ needs are taken care of, from treasury and international needs to lines of credits and loans.
Stephen Welling
M&A Associate, Mayer Brown
Stephen Welling received his BA in Political Science from BYU, and his MBA and JD from the University of Iowa. He represents start-up and emerging growth companies from formation to exit. He also represents investors in venture capital financings. He has experience with financings, mergers and acquisitions, complex business formations, and other strategic transactions.