LOS ANGELES, CA (June 28, 2022) – GHJ, a leading accounting and advisory firm, is proud to announce the appointment of Partner and Chief Strategy Officer Mari-Anne Kehler to Global Chair, Advisory Growth Strategy Group for HLB. One of the world’s leading accountancy networks, HLB International provides consulting and professional services in over 157 countries through nearly 800 offices worldwide.
“It is an honor to lead HLB’s advisory growth efforts,” Mari-Anne said. “As Global Chair, I will develop a framework for all member firms to apply, adjust and implement to drive the strategic transformation and growth of their advisory services.”
Mari-Anne Kehler, CDP, is a member of GHJ's Executive Committee and leads firm growth strategy, especially in relation to business development and marketing. She is also Strategist for GHJ Foundation, GHJ’s vehicle for purposeful and proactive giving to the community.
“Mari-Anne has been integral in the strategic direction and success at the GHJ,” said GHJ Managing Partner Tom Barry. “The HLB network will benefit immensely from her background and expertise. We celebrate this appointment and look forward to seeing other member firms benefit from her expertise.”
ABOUT MARI-ANNE KEHLER
Mari-Anne has more than 30 years of experience as a high-impact leader who successfully expands business through action by using core skills of teaming, coaching, strategy development, program execution, measurement and innovation. Applying an integrated, client-centric approach, she has experience working across various industries, including professional services, finance, consumer business and entertainment and media.
Passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), Mari-Anne leads DEI strategy at GHJ and was credentialed by the National Diversity Council through Emory University as a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP) in 2020.
In 2021, Mari-Anne was a named finalist for the Los Angeles Times Inspirational Women in Business Awards for the Corporate Executive Category. In both 2020 and 2021, Mari-Anne was nominated for the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Women’s Leadership Awards, “Executive of the Year” due to her many contributions as a business leader and impact in the community. She was also previously named a “Most Influential Marketer” by the Los Angeles Business Journal and was recognized for the CMO Club’s “CMO Transformation Award” for her demonstrated ability to lead company-wide brand transformations.
Prior to joining GHJ in 2015, Mari-Anne held sales, marketing and business development leadership roles at top organizations. She served as a national marketing leader for a Big Four firm. During her tenure, she held a number of positions on the Marketing and Business Development Leadership Team, including heading up National Tax marketing and marketing and business development of the Pacific Southwest region. She earned a reputation as a highly rated trainer of senior-level talent at the firm's globally renowned training program.
Before joining a Big Four firm, Mari-Anne led West Coast regional marketing efforts for a division of Nestlé. She began her career on Wall Street at Morgan Stanley. She has also held director positions at Bertelsmann Entertainment and Grey Direct.
Mari-Anne’s nonprofit work focuses on organizational problem solving, leadership coaching, capacity building, constituent development, communications and global and grassroots advocacy.
For nearly two decades, Mari-Anne has been active in the community in the areas of disability awareness and fundraising and in mentoring families and professionals. In particular, she specializes in creating successful transition strategies to optimize the disability journey into adulthood.
In addition to serving on numerous nonprofit boards supporting children, education and the disability community, she currently serves on the Board of the Autism Society of Los Angeles. She is a frequent speaker at universities and conferences on the topic of disabilities awareness, especially the transition to adulthood and the impact on families.
Mari-Anne has been a featured speaker at conferences on topics such as DEI, growth, brand and marketing strategy. Her book Putting the Profit in Nonprofit has been a #1 e-book bestseller on Amazon.
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ABOUT GHJ
GHJ is an accounting and advisory firm that specializes in nonprofit, food and beverage, entertainment and media and health and wellness companies. Previous recipient of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Employee Champion For Life Work Harmony Award and named a “Best Places to Work” by the Los Angeles Business Journal eight times since 2008, GHJ is passionate about helping clients and its people #BeMore by focusing on building thriving businesses and creating a better future.
GHJ works as a business advocate for its clients — providing personalized service and building long-term relationships to help position our clients for growth. Through its affiliation with HLB International, a global network of independent professional accounting firms and business advisers, GHJ is able to partner with other top firms across major cities throughout the U.S. and around the world. GHJ’s audit, tax and advisory teams leverage the HLB network to partner with its clients and give clients access to member firms in over 158 countries across the globe.
Also ranked as a top-20 largest accounting firm on the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Book of Lists, GHJ has 15 partners and more than 170 staff members that serve over 3,000 clients. GHJ is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the AICPA Governmental Audit Quality Center (GAQC), the California Society of CPAs and the California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofit).
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