Partner
Stephano Slack LLC
Jim is the Managing Member of Stephano Slack LLC, the firm’s attest entity, where he leads the Audit and Attest practice with a deep client service focus and steady, practical leadership. Highly experienced in all aspects of audit, accounting, financial reporting, project planning, and internal controls, Jim brings trusted expertise to complex client engagements.
In his role, Jim provides leadership for Stephano Slack LLC as the firm’s attest entity while supervising a wide range of audit and attest engagements. Clients rely on him to anticipate and respond to their changing needs with a thoughtful, solutions-oriented approach. His innovative and goal-driven work ethic supports business development as an opportunity to help client businesses succeed, grow, and strengthen their financial foundation.
Jim also extends his leadership to the broader team. As part of the firm’s practice leadership, he values Stephano Slack’s energy, team-first culture, and commitment to supporting, training, and mentoring staff as they continue to develop professionally.
A dedicated husband and father of three, Jim enjoys supporting his children through school, sports, and their other extracurricular activities. He also helps lead the Brian Forgione Foundation, a nonprofit founded in his brother’s memory, dedicated to providing scholarships for higher education and opportunities in athletics while inspiring and empowering people affected by cancer.
Jim is a CPA and earned his B.A. in Business and Economics from Lafayette College.
For many firms, the decision to pursue private equity is not theoretical; it is a complex leadership conversation that touches every aspect of the firm, from culture and governance to partner economics and long-term strategy. In this session, accounting firm leaders who have evaluated — and in some cases pursued or declined — private equity will share how their leadership teams approached the decision-making process.
Panelists will discuss the internal conversations that shaped their thinking, the questions partners asked, the concerns that surfaced, and the factors that ultimately influenced their direction. This candid, experience-driven discussion will provide attendees with practical insight into how firm leaders are evaluating private equity today — and what they learned along the way, whether they moved forward with a deal or decided to remain independent.