CohnReznick ‘s Young Rock Stars
We reported the other day that CohnReznick (largest US accounting firm with principal specialty in CRE) moved to the top floor at 1900 Avenue of the Stars. Sounds pretty glam, across from CAA. So who are some of its bright young stars? Jennifer Liu was born in China near the Mongolian border, went to college in Beijing, came to the US in ‘98, and by ‘02 had a UCLA education in accounting and was working for a developer; in ‘08 she got a masters at USC in business tax. Now she focuses on partnerships—how to form them, split profits, and comply with laws. At home on Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills, she’s also an avid cook—with faves like Chilean sea bass, black cod, Korean BBQ, and quinoa salads. And she runs it off doing marathons--20 so far.
Garrett Ushiyama is a brand new audit partner, reviewing financials for residential and commercial real estate investors. He got into the profession during a summer internship at a large national bank while attending Cal State Northridge; he was asked so often about his accounting skills, he decided he should get some—and loved it. On weekends, his hobby is surfing around SoCal: places like Salt Creek, Trestles, Malibu, and El Porto. So in his house he not only has a 10-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son, but eight surfboards and eight wetsuits.
A bon voyage to the office’s marketing guru Cliff Alsberg. Originally from Florida, he served as an infantry officer at Ft Benning Ga, then 25 years ago came to LA for TV. At ABC he was VP for dramatic programs, working on Love Boat, Six Million Dollar Man, Charlie’s Angels, and Fantasy Island; then became president of both Filmways TV (Cagney & Lacey) and Fries Entertainment (making 45 movies). Eventually Reznick found him, and he has helped guide its huge recent growth. In a few days, Cliff moves his family to their also fast-growing Atlanta office—including wife Laurie and son Adam (whom we snapped driving by as we were walking on Pico), plus daughter Naomi.
