DFK North American Conference 2022

Ben Miller

Partner, Bennett Thrasher

Ben Miller is a Partner and leader of Bennett Thrasher’s Transfer Pricing practice. He works with clients to design, implement and maintain transfer pricing policies that align strategic business objectives with local and foreign transfer pricing rules and regulations. Ben’s experience includes evaluating the transfer prices of tangible goods, intangible property, services and loans for various purposes, including planning, compliance, international supply chain and debt restructuring, Advance Pricing Agreements, audit defense and due diligence for mergers and acquisitions. His industry experience is broad based, with recent focus in manufacturing and distribution, technology, professional services and real estate. Ben is currently the Vice Chair, Transfer Pricing of the International Tax Committee of DFK International.  Ben also serves as the Bennett Thrasher DEI Partner Champion where he oversees and supports firmwide strategy and initiatives that create a diverse and inclusive environment and help all associates to reach their full potential. In addition to his efforts at Bennett Thrasher in this arena, Ben’s passion for DEI is evidenced through his active leadership in several high-impact Atlanta area non-profits that support issues ranging from employment for individuals with differing abilities, to equitable access and participation in arts and education. 

Charles Hylan

The Growth Partnership

Charles Hylan joined The Growth Partnership as a Shareholder after dedicating 12 years consulting with, and working in, accounting firms ranging from sole-practitioners to National and Big 5 firms. During this time, Charles spent more than eight years working at Price Waterhouse and Arthur Andersen where he began his career as an auditor before transitioning into a strategic planning and marketing role. Charles entered the accounting consulting industry in 1999 as a Vice President in the Consulting Services division of Waugh & Co.  As a shareholder, Charles’ passion is to help each client succeed as a business owner. To this end, he is a trusted advisor to clients within several areas of TGP’s service offerings, including marketing, strategic planning, partner compensation, partner buy-in/out, partner succession and leadership development.

Charles works closely with TGP clients to create high-impact marketing plans focused on implementation. As a practice management consultant, he draws upon his practical, “can-do” approach to help firms create and execute long-term plans, effective compensation systems and realistic succession strategies. On the leadership development side of TGP, Charles facilitates several different training offerings that equip partners and future partners with the skills needed to successfully manage and lead their firm.  Finally, Charles leads the efforts on bringing The Rosenberg Survey, a benchmark report comparing over 100 metrics across nearly 400 firms, to the accounting marketplace.  No matter what service Charles is providing, his passion is to help TGP clients succeed as business owners.  Charles is an inspiration to clients due to his unique ability to focus on implementation…the only true way to bring about change.  Charles has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the accounting profession by Accounting Today and has written articles featured in various accounting publications and has spoken at many accounting firms, associations and other industry meetings and conferences.

DiAndria "Dee" Green

Partner, Bennett Thrasher

DiAndria “Dee” Green is a Senior Manager in Bennett Thrasher’s State and Local Tax (SALT) consulting practice, where she focuses on providing state income/franchise tax consulting, sales/use tax consulting, and other state tax services to clients of varying sizes and legal entity types.  In this role, she assists clients in reducing their tax liability and effective state tax rates.  Additionally, Dee leads the SMART Compliance practice, which assists clients with meeting state sales tax compliance requirements and implementing and managing an automated sales tax software solution.

Claire Carver-Dias

Clearday Communications

Claire Carver-Dias’ professional life has straddled the worlds of sport, business and academia. A PhD specializing in English and Communications and a Cornell MBA, Claire has also won medals in synchronized swimming at the Olympic, Pan American, World Championship and Commonwealth Games. In 2003, she launched Clearday, her own executive coaching consultancy, combining her appreciation of effective business coaching techniques, and keen understanding of teaming, goal-setting, performance management, and communications, to help corporate leaders achieve their full potential. Since 2007, Claire has run presentation skills group coaching sessions for Olympians and corporate teams. In the past, Claire worked as the Practice Leader for Impact-Coaches, a top-tier executive coaching firm. Formerly, Claire was a Director on the board of the Coaching Association of Canada, and President of AthletesCAN. Currently, she is a Director on the board of Commonwealth Games Canada, and served as Chef de Mission for Team Canada at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She holds a coaching certification from the International Coaching Federation, and is certified in administering several psychometric assessments.

Dr. Jermaine Davis

Author and College Professor,

Before receiving the prestigious College Instructor of the Year Award, Dr. Jermaine Davis worked in corporate America for IBM, Keebler Cookies, and Frito-Lay in sales and management. Now, he’s an award-winning Professor of Communication Studies at Century College and Organizational Leadership at St. Kate’s University. Dr. Jermaine has authored 10 books including, Get Up Off Your Butt & Do It NOW, Leading with Greatness, and Leading and Working with an Inclusive Lens. Dr. Jermaine holds a BA and an MA in Speech Communications, and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership. He specializes in helping teams and organizations develop healthy work environments so ALL employees can thrive and succeed. Dr. Jermaine helps leaders and teams increase employee morale, motivation, and engagement utilizing his popular 3 C’s Approach: Communication, Cooperation, and Collaboration.  Dr. Jermaine is an international speaker, leadership, and communication coach that engages audiences with his unique style of speaking and facilitating known as – EDUTAINMENT – a fun combination of education and entertainment. Prestigious organizations regularly seek out Dr. Jermaine’s expertise in the areas of increasing team engagement, leading courageously, communicating with influence, and overcoming workplace burnout.

John U. Bacon

John U. Bacon has worked nearly three decades as a writer, a public speaker, and a college instructor, winning awards for all three.  Bacon earned an honors degree in history (“pre-unemployment”) from the University of Michigan in 1986, and a Master’s in Education in1994. In 2005-06, the Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellowship named him the first recipient of the Benny Friedman Fellowship for Sports Journalism.

He started his journalism career covering high school sports for The Ann Arbor News, then wrote a light-hearted lifestyle column before becoming the Sunday sports feature writer for The Detroit News in 1995. He earned numerous state and national awards for his work, including “Notable Sports Writing” in The Best American Sports Writing in 1998 and 2000.  After Bacon covered the 1998 Nagano Olympics, he moved from the sports page to the Sunday front page, roaming the Great Lakes State finding fresh features, then left the paper in 1999 to free-lance for some two dozen national publications, including stories on Formula One racing in Australia for The New York Times, on Japanese hockey for ESPN Magazine, and on Hemingway’s Michigan summer home for Time.

He has authored twelve books on sports, business, health, and history, five of which are New York Times best sellers.  Bacon has also pursued his passions for radio, television, coaching and teaching. In 2007 he was invited to give weekly sports commentary on Michigan Radio every Friday morning, which he still does. He also appears weekly on WTKA Sports Talk 1050’s The Michigan Insider, Michigan Radio’s Stateside, and occasionally on National Public Radio, which awarded him the PRNDI prize for nation’s best commentary in 2014. He appears often on TV, including HBO, ESPN, Fox Business, MSNBC, and the Big Ten Network, where he is a frequent contributor to both “Icons” series. Bacon has taught at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, and teaches at the University of Michigan, where the students selected him for the 2009 Golden Apple award, given annually to the University’s top teacher.  Bacon is now an average hockey player, a mediocre Spanish speaker, and a poor piano player – but this has not stopped him from enjoying all three. He lives in Ann Arbor with his wife and son.

Mike Platt

Inside Public Accounting

Mike Platt has been working with firms since 1985 as a past executive of two accounting firm associations, co-founder of AccountingWEB.com, and now principal at INSIDE Public Accounting. Mike has helped large local and regional firms across North America grow and thrive. A frequent speaker and facilitator at partner retreats, Mike specializes in practice management trends and best practices of successful firms. His passion is helping professionals reach their potential. “My goal is to help others see things differently, motivate them to do things differently, and provide ideas of how others like them have successfully overcome the obstacles that are common in professionals’ lives.”