ATLANTA, GA – Gifford, Hillegass & Ingwersen LLP (GH&I), an Atlanta-based certified public accounting and advisory firm, announces that Dave Peacos has joined the firm as a risk advisory partner and lead partner of the firm’s fraud, forensic and litigation support service team. Peacos, who has earned the Certified Public Accountant/Certified in Financial Forensics and Certified Information System Auditor (CPA/CFF/CISA) credentials, has experience serving public and private companies in a wide variety of industries. His service offerings include providing fraud and forensic accounting services through fraud investigations and anti-fraud education. Peacos’ commitment to fraud-related cases has allowed him to be deemed an expert witness in corporate fraud in a Superior Court in Cobb County, Ga. His professional expertise also extends deeply into internal control evaluation and remediation with respect to corporate governance, operational compliance and information technology solutions.
“I am excited to take on a leadership position with GH&I,” said Peacos. “I’ve been helping clients identify and manage risk for many years, and look forward to working with GH&I to further the firm’s mission of anti-fraud education and awareness in Atlanta.”
Prior to joining GH&I, Peacos was a principal at Windham Brannon, where he led that firm’s Risk Advisory Services (RAS) team. Peacos began his public accounting career at Ernst & Young in the Northeast in 1985. He was a shareholder at Holstein & Peacos PA, a CPA firm located in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., where he was responsible for all Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) clients, corporate governance and internal control engagements.
“Dave takes a proactive approach to corporate governance and fraud,” said John Shurley, GH&I audit partner and member of the firm’s executive committee. “GH&I shares Dave’s philosophy that by making strong ethical standards a cornerstone of a company’s culture, we can make the company less vulnerable to fraud and more competitive in the marketplace.”
Peacos is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the states of Georgia and Florida. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants (GSCPA), the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA), the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) and the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). Peacos is a current board member of the Georgia Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (GACFE). At GH&I, he further serves as a member of the nonprofit industry group service team.
Peacos earned a bachelor’s degree in financial accounting from the University of New Haven. He continued his education at Nova Southeastern University where he graduated with a Master of Accountancy.