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2025 Virginia Black Business Leaders Awards: Lee Mariano
With more than 20 years in human resources, Mariano now heads the HR department at one of the largest regional public accounting firms, a job she has held since 2023. Before that, she started her own executive coaching firm and held executive HR positions at multiple companies, including AgEagle Arial Systems and LookingGlass Cyber Solutions. […]
Virginia 500: The 2024-25 Power List
Who are Virginia’s most powerful and influential leaders in business, government, politics and education this year? Find out in the fifth annual edition of the Virginia 500: The 2024-25 Power List. Read more about how we assembled the Virginia 500 from our editor. Executives are listed in alphabetical order by industry. Below you will find links […]
Virginia 500 Spotlight: THOMAS L. MILBURN
THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE ME: Innovative. Compassionate. Driven. HOW I CHOSE MY CAREER: I initially majored in English [because I was] interested in storytelling and communication. I even spent some time in seminary, where I developed a strong sense of purpose and leadership. Ultimately, I realized that I could combine my analytical skills and desire […]
Grant Thornton taps new D.C. market managing principal
William “Bill” Marx Jr. is Grant Thornton’s new market managing principal for the Washington, D.C., area, the Chicago-based U.S. arm of the global accounting firm network announced Wednesday. Marx succeeds Greg Wallig, who was the company’s metro D.C.-Arlington County market managing principal and added the role of public policy head in June 2023. Wallig left […]
SARAH STRASSHEIM
One of Sarah Strassheim’s University of Mary Washington professors once told her that if she started out in finance and understood the numbers, she could go anywhere in an organization. “As a result, I started out as a finance analyst and haven’t really ever left,” says Strassheim, who now serves as chief financial officer for […]
FRAN RANDALL
In college, Fran Randall formulated her career goal: She wanted to specialize in international tax transactions. While she initially envisioned herself working at a law firm, Randall realized there were other career paths — and that her comfort working with and analyzing data made accounting a good fit. One thing Randall never fathomed — all […]
KPMG names D.C. area managing partner
Patrick Ryan has been named managing partner of Big Four accounting firm KPMG’s Washington, D.C.-area office, the company announced Thursday. In the role, Ryan will oversee more than 3,000 employees and also will be the firm’s U.S. federal business leader and sector leader. He succeeds Tim Gillis, who is retiring Sept. 30 after 26 years […]
Professional Services: Making it legal
Continuing a trend of the past several years, mergers and growth continue to be in fashion among law firms. McGuireWoods, the largest firm headquartered in Virginia, has its eye out for new partners, firm Chairman Jon Harmon said in 2023. “I believe the legal industry is consolidating, and that, over time, there’s going to be […]
Professional Services 2023: JULIE SWEET
Sweet has been global CEO of IT services and consulting company Accenture since 2019 and became its chair in 2021. She joined the Fortune Global 500 company in 2010 and previously held roles including CEO of Accenture’s business in North America from 2015 to 2019. Accenture’s fiscal 2022 revenue was $61.6 billion, up 22% from […]
Professional Services 2023: TIMOTHY H. GILLIS
Gillis joined Big Four accounting firm KPMG as a partner in 1998, bringing a wealth of experience as an auditor, lawyer and tax professional for Fortune 500 and mid-market companies in a variety of industries. As the Chesapeake region’s managing partner since 2019, Gillis is responsible for leading market strategy, supervising more than 2,700 employees […]
Professional Services 2023: MICHAEL DONOHUE
Donohue assumed a leadership role at ADP’s Norfolk location in January 2021 after having served as director of procurement and global sourcing from 2016 to 2020. One of Norfolk’s largest private sector employers, with a regional customer service center established there in 2016, ADP offers payroll, human resources and benefits services to more than 1 […]
Professional Services 2023: KEVIN VIROSTEK
Virostek works with some of the fastest growing companies in the Washington, D.C., area, leading 3,500 professionals at Big Four accounting and professional services firm Ernst & Young across assurance, tax consulting and transaction practices. With 2022 global revenue of $45.4 billion and about 365,000 employees worldwide, EY provides a host of assurance, tax advisory, […]
