EY Announces New Leadership Promotions in Greater Los Angeles

    LOS ANGELES, CA, July 11, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Ernst & Young LLP recently announced the promotions of eleven professionals in its Greater Los Angeles practice.

View images of the professionals: http://bit.ly/29ooaNp

"All of our new partners, principals, executive directors and directors have dedicated their careers to delivering exceptional client service. They serve as role models for EY core values by demonstrating integrity, respect and teaming and by displaying the energy, enthusiasm and courage of a leader," said Patrick Niemann, Greater Los Angeles Managing Partner. "We commend them on their significant contributions and achievements and look forward to their future successes."

Niemann noted that promotions to the partner, principal, executive director and director ranks involve a rigorous selection process that recognizes each person's achievements and potential. Candidates for promotion are evaluated for professional excellence, including technical acumen, the ability to deliver exceptional client service and a commitment to the firm's purpose of building a better working world.

Patrick Auger was promoted to partner from senior manager and is a member of Ernst & Young LLP's Assurance practice. Auger has more than a decade of experience serving clients--ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies--in the retail and consumer products, media & entertainment, and construction and engineering industries. Auger has experience working with companies on completing initial public offerings, acquisitions, and private placements, as well as implementing processes and controls for assessment of internal controls over financial reporting. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Southern California with a bachelor's degree in Accounting. Auger is a Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice in California and a member of The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Eric Block was promoted to partner from senior manager and is a member of Ernst & Young LLP's Tax practice. Block has over a decade of experience serving private equity portfolio companies, with a deep focus on the onboarding of newly acquired companies into his clients' portfolios. Block oversees portfolio company tax work from acquisition through exit for companies in the retail consumer products, sports and technology sectors. Block holds bachelor's degrees in Business Administration and Accounting, as well as a master's degree in Business Taxation from the University of Southern California. He is a Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice in California and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Andy S. Park was promoted to partner from senior manager and is a member of Ernst & Young LLP's Tax practice. Park has been with the firm for more than 10 years and he has served clients across a broad range of industries, including media and entertainment, banking and finance, retail, consumer products, automotive, and technology. Park is passionate about helping his clients navigate through indirect tax matters. Park also works with his clients to identify multi-state issues and tax planning opportunities related to state income and franchise tax, sales and use tax, and credits and incentives. He graduated with honors from the Michael G. Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, where he earned his bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance, as well as his master's degree in Accounting. Park is a Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice in California and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Kurt Rieck was promoted to partner from senior manager. Rieck is a member of Ernst & Young LLP's Assurance practice, where he has served a variety of public and private clients in the real estate industry, including traded and non-traded REITs, global engineering and construction firms, real estate funds, and homebuilders over his 13-year tenure at the firm. Rieck graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in Accounting and Business Administration from Chapman University, where he also has taught as an adjunct professor. Rieck is a Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice in California, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, and holds a broker's license from the California Bureau of Real Estate.

Mieke Velghe was promoted to partner from executive director and is a member of Ernst & Young LLP's Assurance practice. Velghe has more than two decades of experience serving market leading clients in the media and entertainment, construction, automotive and technology industries. She is responsible for leading the implementation and functionality of new audit tools, the consistent application of the firm's Global Audit Methodology and the execution of quality audits. Velghe holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and an MBA from the University Catholique de Louvain-la-Neuve in Belgium. Velghe is a Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice in California and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Female Executives in Media and Entertainment. Velghe is also active in her community and serves as an audit committee member for the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles.

Robyn Young was promoted to partner from senior manager and is a member of Ernst & Young LLP's Assurance practice. She has more than thirteen years of public accounting experience serving ecommerce, retail, consumer products, and technology clients--ranging from start-ups to SEC registrants. Young holds a bachelor's degree in Business Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she remains actively involved in recruiting efforts as EY's Campus Coordinating Executive. Young is a Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice in California and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Tuyen Mai was promoted to principal from senior manager and is a member of Ernst & Young LLP's Transaction Advisory Services practice. Mai advises state and local governments on the strategic planning, financing and delivery of large-scale transportation, higher education and public infrastructure projects. Mai serves clients across the country on program-level policy considerations and project-level financial planning, contracting and procurement strategies--from early planning to the construction and operations stages. He holds a civil engineering degree from the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees and a master's degree from the University Paris X in France. Mai is a member of Design-Build Institute of America and a registered Municipal Advisor with the SEC.

Kyle Kim was promoted to executive director from senior manager and is a member of Ernst & Young LLP's Advisory practice. Kim has nearly two decades of experience serving clients in the banking industry and guiding them through transformation initiatives. Kim has deep experience leading cost-saving transformation projects focused on process optimization, work rationalization, resource alignment and technology solutions. He has led large-scale technology transformation projects, addressing operational risks and executing the strategic vision for financial services clients. Kim holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of California, Irvine and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Curt Himebauch was promoted to director from associate director and leads Ernst & Young LLP's Business Development activities in Greater Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Himebauch works with all of the firm's service lines to manage executive relationships with corporations, law firms and private equity clients. He holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California and is an active member of the Children's Bureau, a Southern California nonprofit committed to helping at-risk children by providing child abuse prevention and treatment services.

Charlene Ho was promoted to director from associate director and is a member of Ernst & Young LLP's Business Development team. Ho has over a decade of experience in market development, account growth, strategy creation and project management. Ho graduated with a bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she co-founded the school's Special Olympics program. Ho is a committee member of the Pan Asian Professional Network and WeConnect (Women Executives Connect) at EY.

Maria Molina Monroy was promoted to director from associate director and is a member of Ernst & Young LLP's Americas Talent team. She has more than 20 years of experience working across the media and entertainment, human capital, risk management, and construction and real estate industries. Molina Monroy partners with consulting practice leaders to define, develop and deploy people strategies to drive business results. She has extensive experience working on a wide range of HR business processes, including performance management and development, managing and administering performance and sales incentive plans, managing talent through partnership promotions and change management leading to increased retention, teaming, and engagement. Molina Monroy graduated with a bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management from the City University of New York Baruch College and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management.

About Ernst & Young LLP's Greater Los Angeles office

Ernst & Young LLP has more than 1,700 people in its Greater Los Angeles offices who serve a diverse client base of innovative and entrepreneurial companies spanning the consumer products, engineering and construction, financial services, health care, life sciences, manufacturing, media & entertainment, private equity, real estate, retail and technology industries. The firm celebrates the successes of Greater Los Angeles' entrepreneurs through its EY Entrepreneur Of The Year program, founded in 1986.

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, an EY member firm serving clients in the US.

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