LBMC Names Five New Shareholders; Growth and Strategic Initiatives Lead to Promotions in Three of the Company’s Service Lines

Leadership promotions represents a 10% increase in firm shareholders

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LBMC, one of the Southeast’s largest accounting and business consulting firms and a top 50 firm in the nation, today announced leadership appointments to accommodate company growth in areas dedicated to serving a variety of middle market, healthcare private equity and high net worth client needs. The company, which recently surpassed 700 total employees, has named five new shareholders in the Tax, Audit & Advisory, and Risk Services divisions.

“Congratulations to these outstanding leaders, who demonstrate our dedication to clients and internal team members every day. In our business, it’s all about the people and relationships, and that’s even more important during times like these. As we welcome these five new shareholders into the LBMC family, I am honored that we are able to recognize them for their unwavering focus on our clients’ and team members’ needs. These promotions exemplify not only our commitment to growing our own, but to continue providing strong leadership to our clients and community,” said Jeff Drummonds, CEO of LBMC.

Kyle Baldwin, a CPA in the firm’s Business Tax division, works in the private equity and middle market space. He serves large to mid-size public and private companies, primarily in the manufacturing, distribution, technology, and service industries. In addition to income tax compliance and tax outsourcing, Baldwin consults on complex income tax accounting issues, income tax methods, and multi-state taxation.

Jennifer Costello, a CPA in the Audit & Advisory division, oversees assurance engagements and client relationships for family owned and other closely held entities. Her industry experience includes construction, engineering, manufacturing, distribution, restaurant, and retail. She is active in many professional and civic organizations and serves as Board Treasurer of the Nashville Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC).

Stewart Fey, QSA, CISSP, CISA, works in the company’s Information Security and Risk Services division. He specializes in helping companies with their information security needs, with a focus on the more technical aspects of IT security, including PCI compliance, penetration testing, and cloud security. With years of practical hands-on experience in PCI compliance and technical penetration testing, Fey is well-suited to guide and assist companies seeking to secure and protect their data.

Buck Freeman, a CPA in the firm’s Audit & Advisory division, specializes in the healthcare industry providing accounting and assurance services. He works with private equity-backed, privately held, and publicly traded companies. He also leads LBMC’s lease consulting practice assisting private and public companies transition to the new compliance requirements. He is the author of several articles published on the new lease accounting rules, has developed several tools to simplify the transition for clients, and speaks at various seminars on the topic.

Blake Harrison, CPA, PFS, works in the company’s Wealth Advisors division. He provides tax and estate planning strategies to high net worth individuals and families including executives, entrepreneurs, fund managers, closely held business owners, family offices and real estate developers. He specializes in taxation of investment entities as well as individuals, trusts and private foundations. Harrison has extensive experience advising clients on Opportunity Zone matters, retirement planning and alternative investment taxation.

About LBMC
LBMC is a Forbes 2020 Top Recommended Firm, one of the Southeast’s largest accounting and business consulting firms and a top 50 firm in the nation serving approximately 10,000 clients with diverse needs across a spectrum of industries. The LBMC Family of Companies has more than 700 employees, with offices in Chattanooga, Nashville (Brentwood), and Knoxville, TN. Founded in 1984 as a traditional accounting firm, LBMC has expanded its focus to meet a broad range of advisory and business consulting needs for its diverse client base. Today, we've become industry leaders in financial, human resources, technology, information security, and wealth advisory services for businesses and individuals. For more information, visit www.lbmc.com.