Bauknight Pietras & Stormer (BPS) has appointed Beth Bauknight to lead its tax department and David Ward to lead its audit/assurance department. Bauknight is a BPS shareholder, and has been with the firm for 26 years. As tax director, she will be responsible for implementing the firm’s strategy, overseeing operations, client relations and quality assurance; and directing team members. Bauknight focuses her practice on proactive tax, estate, and succession planning for individuals and businesses. She works closely with both beneficiaries and fiduciaries of trusts and estates as well as high net worth clients. Ward, who is a partner and has been working at BPS for 15 years, previously served as the assistant director of the audit department. He will also share the same duties as Bauknight for the audit and assurance department. Ward’s practice is focused primarily on property and casualty insurance, including regional and national commercial carriers, mutual insurers, captive insurance, reciprocals, and risk retention groups domiciled throughout the US. He consults on a national basis with clients considering establishing captive insurance companies on the issues of feasibility, formation, operations, and governance. Commenting on the two appointments, Russell Bauknight, managing shareholder at BPS, said: “Both Bauknight and Ward were chosen based on their leadership skills and commitment to implementing programmes designed to optimise both client and team member experience and satisfaction with BPS. “2020 was the most challenging year of the firm’s 29-year history due to the global pandemic and the impact on companies and individuals. As an essential business, the BPS team truly came together to assist clients who desperately needed our counsel, but equally important, came together to manage the stress of rapidly changing tax and accounting directives,” he added.
