Management Return
Dave Bittner, President, Phoenix Client Services Director
Dave Bittner is President of Beanstalk CFO Group. He was one of the pioneers of the CFO-services concept and in 1995 he founded Beanstalk to provide the necessary financial planning, insightful analysis & actionable advice. Dave has led the firm since inception and grown it to 4 offices serving hundreds of double-digit-employee companies.
Prior to Beanstalk, Dave worked as a CPA for Price Waterhouse in Pittsburgh and for a venture capital firm in Chicago. Before that, he studied Accounting at Penn State and earned an MBA from Indiana. In addition to chairing Invest Southwest in 2008, Dave serves on committees and boards of several local companies and organizations. He also enjoys guest-speaking to ASU business students, AAAME, FastTrac, and especially to the third-graders he teaches in Junior Achievement.
Prior to Beanstalk, Dave worked as a CPA for Price Waterhouse in Pittsburgh and for a venture capital firm in Chicago. Before that, he studied Accounting at Penn State and earned an MBA from Indiana. In addition to chairing Invest Southwest in 2008, Dave serves on committees and boards of several local companies and organizations. He also enjoys guest-speaking to ASU business students, AAAME, FastTrac, and especially to the third-graders he teaches in Junior Achievement.
John Davidson, Columbus Client Services Director
John Davidson is a CPA and Certified Financial Planner with over 20 years of financial experience in banking, strategic planning, business financial management and personal financial planning. Prior to joining Beanstalk in 2003, John held key financial roles in several technology companies, and spent 8 years as a Vice President of Commercial Lending at Key Bank. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in finance from John Carroll University, and an MBA from the University of Dayton. In addition to working with entrepreneurial business owners and other individuals to develop, implement and monitor financial plans, he has served as an adjunct professor of Finance and Personal Financial Planning at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus, Ohio.
John stays active coaching youth football and track, playing bagpipes in the Shamrock Club Pipes & Drums, running and riding motorcycles. John and his wife, Anne, have 3 children and reside in northwest Columbus.
John stays active coaching youth football and track, playing bagpipes in the Shamrock Club Pipes & Drums, running and riding motorcycles. John and his wife, Anne, have 3 children and reside in northwest Columbus.
Sarah MacKenzie, Director of Operations
Sarah joined Beanstalk CFO Group as a staff accountant in 2003, having several years of bookkeeping and office management experience. Her dedication and drive to get the job done, attention to detail, and professionalism serve as an asset to Beanstalk CFO. They earned her a promotion to Manager of Accounting in 2004, at which time she began managing other staff accountants and client relationships. She also became responsible for managing the profitability of those client relationships, ensuring that resources were used efficiently and the professional development of the staff on her team. She again succeeded in this position, improving processes and systems to help manage all client activities. In 2006 she was again promoted, this time to Director of Operations of the firm, the position she continues to hold. In this expanded position, she became responsible for firm-wide budgeting, and profitability, staff retention, client retention and the day-to-day running of the company.
While in college Sarah was actively involved in the Sigma Kappa Sorority and the Western Kentucky University Lincoln-Douglas Debate team. She continues to be a part of these communities as an alumnae participant, as well as being an active member of St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Dublin, Ohio.
While in college Sarah was actively involved in the Sigma Kappa Sorority and the Western Kentucky University Lincoln-Douglas Debate team. She continues to be a part of these communities as an alumnae participant, as well as being an active member of St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Dublin, Ohio.
Mike Nelson, Manager of Accounting
Mike manages multiple staff members and client relationships while maintaining a high level of professionalism and developing good rapport with internal and external staff. He began with Beanstalk CFO Group as an accounting intern in 2006, building knowledge and understanding of all levels of bookkeeping and accounting. Upon graduation in June of 2006, he became a full time staff accountant and further developed his skills and experience closing the books for multiple clients and analyzing their financial statements and performance to provide insight into their successes and variances from meeting established goals.
He received his BS in accounting from The Ohio State University and is currently preparing to sit for the CPA exam. Outside of the office Mike is an accomplished musician, having toured the east coast and recorded several albums before returning to college to earn his accounting degree. His music career continues, playing at local clubs and as a drummer in the church band at Grace Brethren. where he and his wife Megan attend.
He received his BS in accounting from The Ohio State University and is currently preparing to sit for the CPA exam. Outside of the office Mike is an accomplished musician, having toured the east coast and recorded several albums before returning to college to earn his accounting degree. His music career continues, playing at local clubs and as a drummer in the church band at Grace Brethren. where he and his wife Megan attend.
