Benji started with Friedman+Huey as a tax accountant in 2010. After spending four years in that role, Benji made the transition to lead the firm’s IT Services and Tax Technology efforts. Taking his passion for tech and knowledge of tax, Benji focuses his efforts on ensuring F+H uses the best technology and innovative processes impacting not only the firm, but also all the Firm’s clients. He manages F+H’s Innovation committee, organizes the firm’s annual conference (FH Connect), and collaborates to expand the service offerings in both F+H’s Client Accounting Services (CAS) and Virtual Family Office (VFO) programs.

Benji often collaborates with technology vendors to create more efficient and user-friendly software. He, and the firm, are founding members of Thomson Reuters GoSystem Tax Customer Advisory Board. Benji also serves as a member on the National Advisory Panel for SurePrep, and SafeSend’s Customer Advisory Board.

Briza is a tax advisor with two years of experience in public accounting. She first joined Meridian Advisors as an intern during her final year at California State University, Northridge, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in 2023. Briza is currently working towards attaining her CPA. In her free time, you can find Briza hiking, baking and reaching the top of the leaderboard at her local pinball arcade.

Hiral Rao believes that the secret to scaling a successful firm isn’t just found in a spreadsheet. It is found in the people. With over 23 years of experience in audit and advisory services including a long and successful tenure at EY, Hiral has seen firsthand how the industry has evolved. Today, as the Head of Global Operations at Springline, she is the driving force behind the firm’s global footprint. She manages everything from client facing operations to shared services, ensuring that the transition to a global model is both strategic and seamless.

What truly sets Hiral apart is her commitment to “Scale with Soul.” To her, this credo means that a firm’s growth must be measured by more than just numbers. It is about balancing ambition with empathy and ensuring that every milestone creates a positive impact for the team. She is a firm believer in servant leadership and brings a unique blend of creativity and emotional intelligence to her role. By focusing on the “why” behind every decision, she helps build environments where every team member feels valued and included.

Hiral was drawn to Springline by the grit required to scale and the excitement of building something innovative alongside passionate colleagues. She thrives in fast paced settings and is known for her ability to think outside the box to solve complex problems. Whether she is designing global operational workflows or fostering a culture of collaboration, Hiral is dedicated to building resilient, people first firms that are ready for the future.

Brian is the General Manager of Tax Workflow for the Thomson Reuters Tax, Audit & Accounting Professionals business.  He has been with Thomson Reuters for nearly 20 years, holding various leadership roles across Tax & Accounting businesses since 2010.  Brian is based in Dallas and is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy with an MBA from MIT Sloan.

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Thomson Reuters empowers tax, accounting, and audit professionals with trusted content, workflow automation, and advanced AI. Our software helps firms stay confident in a changing world and deliver maximum client value. With industry-leading brands like UltraTax CS, GoSystem Tax RS, SurePrep, Cloud Audit Suite, CoCounsel, Practice Forward, and SafeSend, Thomson Reuters provides the intelligence, technology, and expertise needed to succeed.

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