Lindsay Gaal serves as Makosi’s Chief Customer Officer, where she works closely with customers to shape global workforce strategies that drive profitability, performance and long-term growth. With nearly 20 years of public accounting experience in Workforce Strategy, Resource Management and Operations Lindsay brings a rare blend of HR leadership and operational expertise gained from her time at a Top 50 accounting firm and through her experience as a Makosi customer.
This dual lens allows her to understand the real pressures firms face when managing talent at scale. Today, she partners directly with customers to share industry best practices, helping firms build workforce strategies that strengthen teams, improve delivery, and support sustainable growth across global operations.
As an Audit Associate, Anna brings almost two years of experience in the field, including time as an Audit Staff member at EY. With a strong foundation in technical accounting skills, Anna is adept at understanding complex financial matters.
Anna earned a B.A. in Accounting and a Master of Professional Accounting from Western Washington University. With a passion for continuous learning, Anna values the professional network built during her education and cherishes the friendships formed along the way. Known for quickly grasping new concepts and adapting to diverse challenges, Anna is committed to delivering high-quality work.
Beyond the office, Anna enjoys mentoring accounting students at her alma mater, a continuation of her past role as a peer advisor, where she helped students with goal setting and tutoring in Spanish and Accounting. Staying connected to the next generation of professionals is something Anna finds deeply rewarding.
In her free time, Anna enjoys walking, hiking, playing piano, and savoring great food—all while taking in the natural beauty of the world around her. Anna joined LevitZacks in 2024.
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.
McGowan Program Administrators (MPA) is America’s leading writer of specialized insurance programs, available exclusively through MPA on “A” Rated, Admitted Paper in all 50 states. For more than six decades, we’ve been dedicated to program business, delivering products that help brokers stand out through competitive pricing and coverage.
Since 1998, McGowan Professional has been one of the nation’s largest writers of Accountants E&O, advising firms and tailoring policies to the unique needs of the accounting industry. Through our Private Equity Solutions, we’ve supported hundreds of PE/CPA transactions, partnering with top private equity groups worldwide to provide professional liability coverage designed for today’s complex M&A landscape.
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.
Infinity Globus helps U.S. accounting firms scale with trusted remote staffing solutions. Our experienced offshore professionals support accounting, tax, and audit work while integrating seamlessly with your team. Firms gain reliable talent, greater capacity during peak seasons, and operational transparency to deliver consistent client service.
Basis is an AI platform for accounting firms, providing accountants with a team of AI agents that understand accounting, learn specific client needs, work independently, and take real actions. Accounting teams integrate Basis as part of their team, delegating core workflows and automating time-consuming, manual work. Learn more at www.getbasis.ai
