The Alliance Group has formed its Advisory Board, bringing together five senior leaders with experience spanning Big 4 accounting, the C-suite, and private equity. The Board will work alongside Alliance’s leadership team as the firm continues to grow its national presence and deepen the support it provides to finance leaders across the country.
This is a meaningful step for Alliance as the firm has grown considerably over the past several years, expanding its capabilities across accounting advisory, finance advisory, M&A, business systems and transformation, AI and data analytics, and human capital solutions.
Who Is on the Alliance Advisory Board
The founding members of the Advisory Board bring a range of backgrounds that reflect the clients Alliance serves and the challenges those clients face.
Chris Bruner: Chris spent 38 years at Ernst & Young, including 13 years as Managing Partner of EY Philadelphia, before retiring in December 2024. He brings deep expertise in technical accounting, SEC reporting, audit readiness, and large-scale finance transformation.
Mike Duffy: Mike currently serves as CFO of Zippy Shell and previously held the role of SVP, Chief Accounting and Risk Officer at Hilton Worldwide, where he helped lead the company through its IPO. He brings a practitioner’s perspective on what finance leaders inside large, complex organizations need.
Dan Lasik: Dan retired from Ernst & Young in June 2025 after nearly 40 years advising public companies and high-growth organizations. He founded EY’s Financial Accounting Advisory Practice in the Eastern U.S. and served as Global Head of Hospitality. His experience spans IPO readiness, complex accounting advisory, and extensive boardroom work.
Deborah Ricci: Deborah currently serves as EVP and CFO at Acentra Health and has previously served as CFO at Guidehouse, with additional senior leadership roles at Constellis and Centerra Group. She brings a proven track record of leading organizations through growth, transformation, and M&A.
Bobby Kelly (Advisory Board Chair): Bobby brings more than 20 years of private equity experience, including senior roles at Harvest Partners and CIP Capital. He will chair the Board and work closely with Alliance’s leadership team as the firm continues to expand its footprint within the private equity and professional services space.
What This Means for Clients and the Office of the CFO
The Advisory Board is not a governance structure; it’s a resource – a group of people who have sat on both sides of the table that Alliance works at every day. They understand the pressures CFOs are under, the complexity of finance transformation, and what it takes to build a finance function that can keep up with a growing business.
Their involvement gives Alliance a sharper perspective as it develops new capabilities, enters new markets, and takes on more complex client engagements. For clients, that ultimately translates into a partner that is better informed and more intentional about how it shows up.
“We have assembled a group of highly accomplished leaders who bring diverse perspectives. Their experience and guidance will be instrumental as we continue to scale our firm, expand our capabilities, and deliver even greater value to the Office of the CFO.” – Ed Barrow, CEO, The Alliance Group
Learn More About The Alliance Group
The Alliance Group is a national consulting firm built for the Office of the CFO. The firm partners with finance leaders across accounting advisory, finance advisory, mergers and acquisitions, business systems and transformation, AI and data analytics, and human capital solutions.
Contact us to learn more about how Alliance supports finance leaders.
