Alex Fursov is a Technical Accounting Managing Director responsible for IPO/SPAC and Technical Accounting projects. Alex has accumulated over 20 years of experience in audit and accounting. Prior to joining Acilon, Alex was a Senior Manager with Ernst & Young in the Bay Area serving biotech and technology companies. Alex has worked with a wide range of companies from venture backed start-ups to mature public multi-national companies. Alex has had extensive experience with going public equity transactions (S-1, S-4, proforma financial information, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, complex technical accounting such as revenue recognition, complex debt and equity transactions, leases, as well as SOX and ERP implementations. Prior to coming to the Bay Area in 1999, Alex primarily had worked as a Controller in Ukraine. Alex graduated with honors from Odessa State Economic University in Ukraine with major in banking and finance. Alex is a CPA, Certified Management Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor and member of the Association of the Certified Fraud Examiners.

Maria Petty is a Director responsible for SOX and Internal Controls projects. Maria has over 20 years of experience working in consulting, risk advisory, industry, and internal audit. She specializes in risk advisory, IPO readiness, all phases of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance, internal financial, operational and compliance audits, process redesign and improvements.  She has assessed and reported on the impact and materiality of findings and made recommendations for process improvement for a wide range of clients ranging from venture backed start-ups to mature public multi-national companies. Prior to consulting, Maria spent 10 years in industry, where she held a variety of management roles including Director of Finance and Operations, Controller and Finance Manager.  In industry, she managed cross functional teams in business transformation, company integrations and change management projects.

Denis Kozhevnikov is a Technical Accounting Partner having overall responsibility for ensuring high quality of  service and professional development of our team. Denis has more than 23 years of accounting advisory and audit experience. Prior to joining us, Denis was a Partner in Connor Group Global Accounting Practice (National Office). Until joining Connor Group, Denis was a Director in PwC Transaction Services Accounting Advisory group. Denis has advised on structuring and accounting analysis for hundreds of transformative/complex projects including adoption of new revenue recognition guidance; new leasing guidance; acquisitions, consolidation and strategic investments; financial instruments and derivatives; significant revenue arrangements; US GAAP to IFRS conversion and other. Denis has assisted with several IPO/SPAC projects. Denis has also developed and instructed numerous internal and external courses on new revenue recognition guidance, new leasing guidance, technical updates, and other. Denis graduated with honor from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology with major in applied mathematics and has Master in Financial Management (joint program of University of Catania and Erasmus University of Rotterdam). Denis is a CPA.

Vince Hayes is a Partner in Acilon’s SOX and Internal Controls practice with a focus on IT risks and controls.  Vince has over 25 years of experience providing internal and external audit services helping companies identify and manage their most critical and urgent risks.  Vince has served as an IT risk practice leader helping build highly skilled teams addressing areas such as IT general computer controls, IPO and SOX readiness, ERP application security and controls, Governance Risk and Compliance solutions, segregation of duty assessments and IT and business process risk assessments.  In addition, Vince has recently led engagements focused on privacy and data protection performing assessments against various privacy regulations including GDPR and CCPA.  His focus is on serving companies in the TMT (Technology Media and Telecommunications) and Life Science industries, helping his clients improve internal controls and maintain regulatory compliance while maintaining their agile and innovative culture.  Vince is a CPA and CISA. 

Denis Chernikov is a Technical Accounting Managing Director responsible for IPO, SPAC, Buy-side and Technical Accounting projects. Denis has over 22 years of experience in audit, M&A, and technical accounting advisory. Prior to joining Acilon, Denis was a Director with KPMG Accounting Advisory Services group serving tech companies on the West coast and in Texas. Denis started his career with KPMG Moscow in 1999 where he became an Audit Partner. In 2008-2011 Denis was a CFO of SAHO group. In 2015, Denis moved to US and was with KPMG’s Deal Advisory since then. As part of the Accounting Advisory group, Denis led numerous ASC 606 and ASC 842 projects, provided buy-side support, advised clients on structuring and accounting for business acquisitions, share-based payments and assisted clients with a variety of SEC and financial reporting issues. Denis was KPMG US Accounting Services topic team member for ASC 842, ASC 606, ASC 805 and ASC 718. Denis also instructed multiple external and internal trainings, including new revenue and new leasing guidance. Denis graduated from Novosibirsk State University in Russia with concentration in math and economics. He is a fellow member of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants of United Kingdom.

Angela Rusakova is a Partner and our Life Sciences Industry Practice Leader. Angela has more than 28 years of experience in finance and public accounting. Before joining Acilon, Angela was an Audit Partner and Life Sciences Industry Leader for the West Region audit practice of Deloitte. Angela has deep industry knowledge and advises Life Sciences companies and Boards on IPO/SPAC transactions, financial reporting and accounting issues, financial risks, internal controls and SEC reporting. Angela has worked with companies of all stage of development from start-ups to large accelerated filers. She has significant experience working with companies going through the financing transactions, acquisitions, IPOs, reverse mergers, including review and preparation of S-1, S-4, pro forma financial information, predecessor/successor financial statements. Prior to coming to the Bay Area in 2004, Angela was the CFO of one of the largest publishing houses in Russia and led the finance organization of over 20 subsidiaries. Angela is CPA, a member of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants of United Kingdom. She received Master’s in Economics and Bachelor in finance and accounting degrees from Lomonosov Moscow State University.  

Karo Galstyan is our founding partner and leads Technical Accounting and IPO/SPAC services. Karo has over 28 years of experience in auditing and consulting and has deep knowledge and experience in financial instruments, revenue recognition, including multiple ASC 606 and ASC 842 projects, complex equity transactions, leases, business combinations and variable interest entities (VIEs). He is a CPA and member of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants of United Kingdom. Karo also holds a PhD in accounting and auditing. Prior to starting his consulting career, Karo was at Deloitte's National Office assisting with complex accounting issues and performing quality control reviews on key clients. Before that Karo was working at Deloitte's San Jose office leading audits of clients in semiconductor, software and cleantech industries. He was member of Deloitte’s financial instruments expert team, member of Deloitte’s National team dealing with software revenue recognition issues and lead development of national software revenue recognition e-training. Karo has assisted with over 30 IPO/SPAC projects, including an IPO in Singapore Stock Exchange under International Financial Reporting Standards. Karo has also performed number of acquisition and financing related due diligence projects.

Lily Rogers is a Partner and Acilon’s Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) and Internal Controls practice leader. She has over ten years of internal audit and SOX advisory experience and is a trusted leader of SOX, internal audit, and risk advisory projects for commercial companies ranging from early-stage pre-IPO to newly public emerging growth companies through mature, global Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies. Prior to joining Acilon, Lily served in both industry and consulting roles – where she most recently served as a director in RSM’s risk consulting practice and was a consulting leader on the national Life Science and Bay Area Life Science and Technology industry teams. Lily has advised her clients on internal control and SOX program implementation and optimization strategies, including rapid response to material weaknesses and strategic remediation roadmap development. She partners with her clients throughout their lifecycle to develop customized enterprise risk and internal control programs that are scalable and flexible to fit their evolving needs and environment. Lily graduated from the George Washington University with a degree in applied science and technology and concentration in accounting, and she is a Certified Internal Auditor and current member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). 

Jeff Suchocki is Managing Director in Acilon's Valuation practice (Acilon Valuation). Jeff has over 20 years of experience in financial and economic analysis in the technology, life sciences and healthcare services industries. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with a background in valuation, financial modeling, litigation support and business consulting. Jeff has performed hundreds of valuations in the technology, life sciences and healthcare services industries in the context of financial and tax reporting, mergers and acquisitions and for dispute resolution. He has been involved in the analysis and valuation of intellectual property for financial reporting purposes in a variety of industries and for numerous dispute resolution cases involving some of the most well-known technology brands in the world. Jeff also has a deep expertise in the developing financial and statistical models in complex cases for the purposes of forecasting, valuation, and general statistical analysis.

Alexander (Sasha) Kryuchkov is a Technical Accounting Director responsible for IPO/SPAC, Technical Accounting and SOX implementation projects. Prior to joining Acilon Sasha was a Senior Manager with Deloitte’s audit practice in the Bay Area, focusing on software and technology companies. His term with Deloitte also included working in Russia and other CIS countries, serving a wide range of public and private companies in the consumer and industrial products industries, as well as working in the National Office of Deloitte CIS. Sasha has more than 15 years of audit, accounting and consulting experience. Since joining Acilon in 2018 Sasha’s client focus has been on biotech, medical devices and software companies. His experience includes IPO/SPAC transactions, debt and equity transactions, financial instruments, business combinations, SEC reporting and implementation and improvement of internal control processes. Sasha is a CPA and holds Chartered Accountant certification from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

     ACILON