111th Annual Conference: Igniting Strategies for CPA Success

Christine Brunner, CEO, Brunner Sierra Group

In 2022, Ms. Brunner, and her husband Dan, started Brunner Sierra Group LLC, a family-operated forensic accounting and security firm, specializing in financial consultancy and the meticulous investigation of financial irregularities, fraud, and disputes. BSG has a comprehensive approach ensuring a deep understanding of complex investigations, maintaining the sensitivity of information and leading to precise, trustworthy resolutions.

23 years of experience in Family Offices, including Head of Financial Operations for a large New York City Family Office. In private practice, she has helped attorneys defend clients under investigation/indictment for alleged white-collar financial crimes. She works with counsel in conducting internal investigations by documenting/quantifying financial losses from employee embezzlements, vendor fraud schemes, and misappropriation of company assets. In civil litigations involving shareholder disputes and business divorces, she provides technical expertise by determining economic damages, preparing business valuations, expert witness reports and refuting opposing expert’s computations.

Ms. Brunner earned a Masters in Accountancy, Forensic Accounting, with distinction, from Rider University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Seton Hall University.

Ms. Brunner is a member of, and licensed in, the Montana and New Jersey Society of CPAs and a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

Chuck Gallagher

Ethics in the workplace is a serious matter, but talking about it doesn’t have to be “business as usual.” Chuck Gallagher learned a lesson about ethics, choices and consequences the hard way - but now he shares his experience so that others don’t have to. Currently COO of a national public company, Chuck is described as creative, insightful, captivating, and a person that “connects the dots” between behavior, choices and success, Chuck gives his clients what they need to turn concepts into actions and actions into results.

In the middle of a rising career, Chuck lost everything because he made some bad choices. He has since rebuilt his career and his life back to immense success. With more vulnerability than the average keynoter, Chuck shares with his audiences his life journey, the consequences of his unethical choices, and how life gives you second chances when you make the right choices. What Chuck shares in his presentations, whether training, keynotes or consulting, are understandings of not only “how to”, but also “what motivates behavior” - behavior of individuals that can create personal and professional success. On a nationwide basis, Chuck has helped countless individuals on their journey to success!

Joel Silverman, Silverman Law Office

Joel Silverman was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. He moved to Missoula in 1992, and received his B.A. in Mathematics and B.S. in Forestry from the University of Montana in 1997. He received his law degree from Lewis and Clark College in 2003 and an LL.M. (master’s degree) in Taxation from the University of Washington in 2004. Joel is a published author with several published books on business, taxes, and estate planning. He has appeared on various radio and television stations as an expert and was featured in May of 2020 in Attorney at Law Magazine. Additionally, Joel is a public speaker and has given several keynote addresses on various topics around the country. Joel’s business career began in high school, when he started his own fly-tying company and taught fly-tying and fly-fishing classes. His fly-fishing business continued through college and law school. During college, Joel took 10th place in a world fly-tying competition. He continued to use his business skills after graduating from college, by helping fly-fishing lodges, around the world, to improve their businesses through marketing and improved business techniques. After law school, Joel spent his first three years of private practice in Butte, Montana, assisting clients with business matters, entity formation, tax planning for businesses and individuals, wills, trusts, elder law, property transactions, and liquor and gambling issues. Joel moved to Helena, Montana, in 2006, after joining the Montana Department of Revenue as an attorney. His nearly six years at the Department of Revenue were spent working on legislation, liquor, and gambling matters, and litigating various federal and state tax law issues (collections, income tax, coal and gas severance tax, property tax, and telecommunications taxes). Silverman Law Office, PLLC was opened in May of 2012, when Joel recognized that there was a large need for a business and estate planning law office, that did more than just repeat the law to the client. Joel realized individuals and businesses need lawyers that focus on the clients’ goals and needs, rather than just the clients’ legal issues. Joel’s practice focuses on assisting individuals and businesses with business law, tax, succession planning, employment issues, mergers and acquisitions, wills, trusts, property transactions, liquor and gambling law, and oil and natural gas law. Additionally, Joel has been coaching and consulting various businesses to deal with the new world of marketing and business practices. Joel enjoys playing soccer, spending time outdoors, working with veterans through Montana Mending Waters, serving on boards for the Montana Business Assistance Connection and the Helena College Foundation, and spending time with his wife, Andrea Silverman, skiing, hiking, and fly-fishing.

John Cummings, Director of Learning and Development, Pinion

John Cummings has over 20 years of HR experience as a Human Resource Director as well as in talent development, risk management, recruiting, and consulting. He is currently a Talent Advisor and Career & Performance Coach at Pinion, a global consulting firm, where he helps employees discover and unleash their potential. John was formerly the HR Director at Anderson ZurMuehlen, a leading accounting and advisory firm, where he managed, recruited, and developed 230 employees over 7 office locations as well as provided a full range of human resource and benefit consulting services. Previously as the Risk Management Programs Manager and Human Resource Director at the MMIA, a risk management pool for Montana municipalities, John directed their risk management initiatives, employment practices coverage underwriting, injury prevention, strategic planning, and training. John is a certified Human Resource Professional (PHR, SHRM-CP, CIC, DiSC Facilitator, HRCI Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion) and received his MBA from the University of Montana where he is also an adjunct Business School faculty member.

Juan Bendana

Confidence Coach to top CEO’s, Olympians, Actors and Peak Performers across every industry, Juan Bendana is an internationally recognized keynote speaker that helps leaders navigate uncertainty and exponential change by developing the unwavering confidence to thrive in any environment. One of the most engaging and high energy keynote speakers in North America, Juan brings a decade of experience on stage presenting to category leading companies such as Disney, Sotheby’s International and Sony Pictures. He is the author of The Confidence Cycle (Penguin Random House, Spring 2025) His Science-backed Framework has helped over 250,000 leaders thrive both personally & professionally.

Lisa Simpson, VP – Firm Services, AICPA

Lisa is Vice President – Firm Services for the AICPA. She leads teams that build and manage relationships with practitioners in public accounting firms of all sizes firms, creating awareness of changing trends that impact CPA firm success and providing resources and insights to enable firms to harness opportunities for the profession. Her teams create innovative programs and engagement strategies to engage a diverse pipeline of current and future CPAs.

Since 2020 Lisa has been engaging with thousands of CPAs and business owners as a co-host of the award-winning AICPA Town Hall Series. She has been named in the top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting by Accounting Today since 2020.

Rebecca Engum, Executive Director, Visit Great Falls

Rebecca Engum is a business nerd to her core. Her stats? She is a Certified Workforce Development Professional, an accomplished instructor for The Pacific Institute Investment in Excellence and Thought Patterns for High Performance 3.0 curricula, is a Certified GrowthWheel Coach, and a certified facilitator for the Edward Lowe PeerSpective Roundtable system. Rebecca is also an Economic Development Finance Professional, a Certified Export and Trade Counselor, the 2011 Montana Small Business Development Center State Star, and a Certified Destination Management Executive. TODAY, as the Executive Director of Great Falls Montana Tourism, she leads the city’s effort to promote Montana’s Basecamp for Art & Adventure to leisure travelers and meeting planners with an intent focus on growing the Great Falls, Montana economy.