Steven Zhang, CPA, CFA
Steven has over 25 years of experience in advising cross-border ultra high net wealth families, institutional investors, alternative investment funds and international business companies. His experience covers a broad spectrum of tax issues impacting the high net wealth families and alternative investment funds, including income tax planning, estate & gift tax planning, business succession planning, tax accounting, corporate and partnership taxation, taxation on investment products, multistate taxation, permanent establishment, global fund tax structuring, tax-efficient leverage, foreign currency, capital gain planning, and cross-border transaction issues. His clients include a variety of international family groups, charitable foundations, investments funds in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America, as well as a number of asset managers and corporate executives. Steven has published articles in a number of professional journals.
Steven's prior professional experience includes PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young where he served at managerial positions and advised on a variety of institutional and individual clients in Private Client Services, Alternative Investment, and International Tax practices.
A CFA charterholder and a licensed CPA in New York, Steven is also a member of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, The CFA institute, and New York Society of Security Analysts. He is the founder and current president of Association of US-China Professional Accountants (AUCPA) and was a former treasurer and board member of National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP).
In memoriam
Connie Chen, CFP, AMP
Ms. Chen is an internationally renowned pioneer in the unique field of HOLISTIC multi-disciplinary approach in global corporate finance for Fortune 500 Corp.; State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and International Institutional Investors. This best practice of comprehensive, integrated, independent strategic due process have served many of her other clientele including principals of privately held companies; founders of charitable organizations; wealth management and family enterprises for many generations. She successfully applied corporate planning and strategic approach to family offices and wealth management, which empowered family members to achieve total freedom by strategic planning of cash flow, risks, investment, taxes, benefits, retirement, real estate, inheritance, cross-border migration and so forth.
Some projects of significance included the very first launching of Private Equity and Hedge Fund of China Merchants Securities International, and the restructuring of some of its subsidiaries has been one of the most noteworthy initiatives. She also advised the JV between ROC’s RET-SER Engineering Agency and US PeriniLand & Development shoulder to shoulder project in the development of Peachtree’s Complex in Atlanta, GA. She was a delegate in Beijing for the forging of the Co-op Agreement the Conciliation Centre of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT). She facilitated the JV between Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) and Tulane University.
Ms. Chen was the first Chinese-American woman to have completed the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration's Advanced Management Program. In addition, as a perennial student Ms. Chen is a Privileged member of Practising Law Institute (PLI). As her commitment to education, she has been the chair of curriculum of Adelphia, Iona, New School, as well as an adjunct professor & lecturer at Columbia University, NYU Yeshiva University and the Academy of Finance, etc to name a few. She also chairs a Special Interest Group “Family Business” at the New York Harvard Club. She has served on numerous boards, including the American Arbitration Association, the Chinese American Academicians and Professional Society, and has been the elected First Women President and Chair of the International Association of Financial Planning in NY (now FPA), etc. She is active in many cultural and professional organizations such as The Economic Club, Harvard Business School Club, Estate Planning Council, The China Institute, Women’s Foreign Policy Group, Women’s Economic Round Table and International Women Forum, Corporate Advisory Board of the NOW Legal Defence & Education Fund in addition to serving on the Development and Audit Committee at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. She is currently the Chair of the New York Yoga Teachers' Association (NYYTA).
Due to her media savvy, Ms. Chen is often being sought after as thought leader and speaker as subject matter expert for mainstream media such as The New York Times, The USA Today, The Wall street Journal, World Journal, ABC, CBS, CNN and FOX. Due to her fluency in English, Mandarin, Cantonese and Shanghai-nese and rich professional expertise, plus her cultural heritage, Ms. Chen envision herself being a perfect bridge between East and West in enhancing global wealth and wellness.