Finance breakthroughs for life sciences companies

Aleks is Partner and Strategic Markets Leader in Connor Group’s Technical Accounting and IPO Services practice. In addition to client service, Aleks focuses on the firm’s market activity in several geographies, including Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Seattle. He is also responsible for interactions with regulatory organizations and several of our business alliances.

Aleks has hands-on US GAAP and IFRS experience advising clients and other Connor Group professionals in areas such as revenue recognition, complex financial instruments, leases, consolidation, business acquisitions and dispositions, stock compensation, capital markets, SEC reporting, and complex or unique transactions. He has in-depth familiarity with issues affecting emerging growth companies, both private and public, in the technology, software, cloud, clean energy, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

Prior to his current role, Aleks founded and led our Professional Practice organization. He also directed the development of the firm’s guidance and client services in relation to the new revenue recognition rules of ASC 606.

He is a member of the Financial Reporting Executive Committee (FinREC) of the AICPA, Financial Reporting Committee of the IMA, and Auditing Practice and Accounting Standards committee of California Society of CPAs. Additionally, Aleks is part of the AICPA Digital Assets Task Force, which develops nonauthoritative accounting and auditing guidance for cryptocurrencies, tokens, and other assets. He has presented on a variety of accounting topics at conferences and webinars.

Prior to joining Connor Group in 2009, Aleks spent 17 years with the Ernst & Young audit practice. He is a Certified Public Accountant (California) and Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant (the United Kingdom).

Derek has over a decade of corporate controller and VP finance experience spanning public and PE- and VC-backed private growth companies.

Derek joined Connor Group in 2018 to help launch the firm’s Managed Services Practice, a practice dedicated to providing premium controller services primarily focused on operational accounting and finance matters. Derek has assisted multiple public and IPO companies through audit preparation, financial statement preparation and review, material weakness remediation, acquisition accounting and systems integration, standard costing implementations, and he has served as interim corporate controller. Some of the subject matter areas on which he has assisted clients include revenue and accounts receivable, complex inventory and costing, stock-based compensation, budgeting and forecasting, and cash flow statement preparation.

Prior to Connor Group, Derek spent eight years in industry as a corporate controller and finance director in SaaS, alternative energy, and med device companies. Some of his experiences included leading his team through challenging first-year audits with Big 4 firms, a first-year public company audit and SOX implementation after a fast-paced IPO, multiple systems and ERP implementations, and the build-out of budgeting and FP&A functions. He has liaised as a controller with dozens of accounting firms, including all of the Big 4 and several global firms. Derek is a licensed CPA in the state of Utah and holds both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Accountancy from Brigham Young University.

Matt is a Partner in Connor Group’s Technical Accounting and IPO Services practice and serves as the Boston Metro Leader.

Matt has significant experience in complex accounting issues including business combinations, leases, revenue recognition, financial instruments, and public offerings. He has strong background in internal control and processes, especially with high-growth companies.

Prior to joining Connor Group, Matt spent 12+ years at Deloitte in Boston in their audit practice. While at Deloitte, Matt served a broad range of clients including large multi-national entities to emerging growth companies who were both public and private in the technology, consumer products, life science, and financial services industries.

Matt is a Certified Public Accountant in Massachusetts and graduated from Fairfield University with a B.S. in Accounting, and from Boston College with a M.S in Accounting.

Randa is a Partner in Connor Group’s Technical Accounting and IPO Services practice.

Randa has vast experience with multinational companies reporting under US GAAP and IFRS. She also has expertise in SEC reporting, preparation of financial statements, carve-outs, and the resolution of complex technical accounting transactions including revenue recognition, business combinations, debt and equity financings, provisions, assets held for sale, impairment, and fixed assets. Randa has been involved in multiple IPO and other complex transaction engagements. Her clients included companies such as Ultragenyx, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Aduro Biotech Inc., Invuity Inc., CytomX Therapeutics, Harris and others.

Prior to joining Connor Group, Randa spent nine years in the Accounting Policy group of Rio Tinto Alcan and her experience included the preparation of SEC filings, statutory and carve-out financial statements, and the resolution of technical accounting issues. In addition, Randa was an Audit Senior Manager at Ernst & Young in California and Greece where her primary responsibilities were the preparation of financial statements under US GAAP and IFRS as well as technical review of IFRS financial statements for Ernst & Young’s Southeast Europe offices.

Tim is a Partner in Connor Group’s Managed Services practice. He specializes in financial statement analysis, preparation and review, month-end close optimization, project management, technical accounting issues and IPO readiness. Tim’s diverse background includes working both internally and externally in companies across multiple sizes and industries.

Prior to Connor Group, Tim spent ten years in industry in a variety of accounting leadership roles, including Director of Accounting at a global logistics company. Some of his experiences included financial close, leading the global accounting team through implementation of new accounting guidance, redesign of numerous processes, financial statement preparation and review and various system selections and implementations. Tim is also a Big 4 alum, where he worked on integrated audits of both public and private companies.

Tim holds a Masters of Accounting degree from Brigham Young University and is a licensed CPA in the state of Washington.