Plante Moran appoints four new leaders

Plante Moran, a Southfield, MI-headquartered accounting and consulting firm, has appointed new leaders for its tax, automotive, higher education, and risk management teams.

Curtis Ruppal (Grand Rapids, MI, group managing partner of tax) will join Plante Moran’s management team and will oversee the firm’s tax directives and teams. Ruppal has more than 30 years of experience with a focus on tax advisory.

He has been at Plante Moran since 2001, and previously served as leader of the state and local tax (SALT) practice and tax leader for manufacturing and distribution. Before joining the firm, he was a tax manager at BDO USA.

Ruppal succeeds George Riddering, who is retiring in 2024.

Mark Barrott (Southfield, MI, automotive value chain leader) will lead Plante Moran’s automotive value chain practice, helping clients define strategies, develop executable plans, and realize their long-term objectives. He has nearly 30 years of experience advising on business strategy, transformation, risk, and governance.

Barrott joined the firm in 2017, and previously served as a principal in the automotive practice. Before joining Plante Moran, Barrott spent 19 years at Deloitte, where he was latterly a principal.

Barrott succeeds Daron Gifford, who is retiring later this year.

Steven Bishop (Cincinnati, higher education vertical leader) will oversee the strategic direction of Plante Moran’s higher education practice.

Bishop has been at the firm since 2003. He previously led the service industry practice in Cincinnati and directed the growth of the Southwest Ohio higher education practice.

Bishop succeeds Vicki VanDenBerg, who is retiring in 2024.

Chris Nelson (Southfield, MI, chief risk and legal officer) will work closely with the firm’s management team to oversee ongoing risk management programs and advise on emerging risks, as well as oversee the legal department. He has nearly 30 years of experience.

Nelson joined Plante Moran in 2013 as general counsel. He previously was a shareholder at Butzel Long, a Detroit-based law firm.

Nelson succeeds Frank Audia, chief risk officer, who is retiring later this year.

“This group of talented individuals will continue to uphold our firm’s legacy of promoting the firm’s culture, providing exceptional client service and fostering community connections,” said managing partner Jim Proppe. “I’m excited to see the impact these new leaders will have on our firm as Plante Moran continues to grow and evolve.”

Plante Moran is the 14th largest accounting and consulting firm in the United States, according to Inside Public Accounting, with $918.5 million in annual revenue. The firm has 3,500 professionals across offices in the US, Mexico, India, China, and Japan.