PYA is honored to announce that two executives, Carol Carden, Managing Principal, Compensation Valuation Planning and Design, and Matthew Warren, Principal, Business Valuation Services, have been named by Forbes in its inaugural list of America’s Top 100 CPAs in Valuations. Carden and Warren are among only five honorees based in Tennessee, the only two from Knoxville, and two of only 34 from the southern U.S., spanning Texas to Florida. Additionally, Carden is among only 36 women on the list.
To compile the list, Forbes rated more than 1,000 candidates on achievements, professional honors, influence on the profession, performance, thought leadership, and community service. The prestigious list is “a collection of elite [certified public accountants (CPAs)] who are leading the profession effectively and honorably in the realm of valuations—each of whom share a superb track record [and] impeccable integrity,” according to Forbes.
“Carol and Matt are recognized by our clients and professional colleagues for their integrity, service, and breadth of knowledge,” said President and CEO Marty Brown. “They are respected experts in their fields and ambassadors for PYA and the profession. I am personally thrilled for them to be recognized for their hard work and expertise. All of us at PYA congratulate them on this well-deserved honor.”
A highly complex field, business valuation requires mastery of financial and accounting principles, analytical expertise, industry knowledge, and unquestioned objectivity and ethics. “In truth, while various appraisal professionals perform valuations, CPAs offer distinct insights—including their understanding of accounting principles, financial reporting and tax laws, as well as adherence to rigorous ethical guidelines and professional standards to ensure unbiased objective assessments from a broad range of experience across various industries. And that’s to say nothing about the creditability a CPA carries with financial institutions, regulatory bodies and legal entities,” according to the Forbes report.
Carden is a CPA, an accredited senior appraiser, a certified fraud examiner, and is accredited in business valuation. She is a frequent speaker and published author and is active in national associations, including the American Health Law Association, where she serves on the board of directors, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, which inducted her into the Business Valuation Hall of Fame.
“[CPAs] have in-depth knowledge of accounting principles and must adhere to the rigorous standards promulgated by the AICPA regarding independence, objectivity and quality of work,” Carden states in the Forbes report.
In April, Forbes named Carden a Best-in-State CPA in its inaugural list, recognizing her professional achievements, leadership, and more.
A CPA and certified valuation analyst, Warren provides business valuation and related advisory services for physician practice groups, joint ventures, hospitals, and health systems. With an extensive background in financial reporting, he has significant experience evaluating compensation and service arrangements between health facilities and physicians. Warren also provides litigation consulting services related to lost profits, merger-and-acquisition transactions, and other matters.
Warren serves as the chairman of both the Forensic and Valuation Services Conferences of the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA) and the Knox County Audit Committee, which provides independent oversight to the Board of Commissioners of Knox County (TN). He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and serves on the TSCPA Healthcare Conference task force.
To compile the Top 100 list, Forbes identified candidates “through interviews with industry insiders, outside nominations, editorial research, and an independent advisory board of expert CPAs who specialize in valuation services,” according to the publication. The recognition is free of fees or payment. Read more about the methodology for America’s Top 100 CPAs for Valuations.
