Grant Thornton has appointed a new advisory
services leader and a state government relations executive director
in the US as part of the firm’s ‘aggressive’ five-year growth
strategy.
Stephen Lukens joins as advisory services
leader in New York and also serves as a member of the firm’s senior
leadership team. Lukens has previously worked as a partner at
PricewaterhouseCoopers before becoming global leader for IBM Global
Business Services’ financial management service line, helping to
create and develop IBM’s global business analytics and optimisation
(BAO) service line and the US BAO unit in the media and
entertainment, telecommunications and utilities industry.
Tamera Velasquez joins the firm’s state
government relations as executive director in Chicago with an input
in the public policy and governmental affairs group. Velasquez has
worked for the American Insurance Association for more than seven
years and managed the association’s state-level resources. She was
previously chief of staff at the District of Columbia’s department
of insurance and securities regulation organising policy
initiatives and activities.
