Karen McCurdy

Director of Mergers and Acquisitions

Karen McCurdy is a graduate of Florida State University (1991), she received a Bachelor of Science in Real Estate. Upon graduation, Karen began a career in appraising both commercial and residential properties. She continues to maintain her real estate broker’s license and State Certified General Appraiser License. After appraising for 3 ½ years, Karen accepted a position with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as an Appraiser Specialist. She reviewed statewide appraisals related to the acquisition, sale, lease and disposition of all real property. In addition, she performed desk and field reviews of proposed properties for state acquisition.

In May 1996, Karen began a career with Thomas-Pierce & Company as a Project Manager. In 1999, she was promoted to Sr. Financial Analyst. Some of her responsibilities include evaluating the operating and financial performance of client companies, assisting in negotiating the sales of client businesses and working through client transactions. Karen enjoys the challenge of working with the diversities of each business and assisting each client in meeting his or her individual needs.

Michael Yates

Financial Planning and Analysis Manager

Michael graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelors in Finance with a minor in Political Science. During college Michael worked at a start-up software company that developed financial compliance software for cash intensive businesses. In his spare time Michael enjoys watching and talking about sports and relaxing at home.

Dave Adams

Senior Business Development Consultant

David graduated from Southern Illinois University in 1977 with a B.S. degree in Mortuary Science and later a Masters in Accounting and Finance at Rice University. He served as a partner/licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer/Coroner at his firm in Southern Illinois for over 10 years before selling to his partner. In 1984 he joined Batesville Casket Company, a leading manufacturer of burial and cremation products. During his 25+ year tenure with Batesville, he served in a variety of sales and senior management positions, the last being Vice President of all National Accounts, Key Accounts and the International markets with offices in Australia, England, South Africa and the Philippines. These roles enabled him to gain experience, knowledge and in-depth understanding of sales and merchandising strategies, industry demographics, and the complexity of the changing funeral industry market. David also gained invaluable experience by serving as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at a leading funeral/cemetery complex in the Greater San Francisco Bay area. Just prior to joining Johnson Consulting, David expanded his professional resume by serving as the Director of Corporate Development for Carriage Services, a publicly traded acquisition company. Throughout his career, David has gained extensive knowledge and diverse experience with all aspects of the death care industry.

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Wes Brimley

M&A Consultant

Wes graduated with a degree in Finance and International Business with high honors from the W.P. Carrey School of Business at ASU.  He started his career at Johnson Consulting Group in 2012 as a Business / Finance Analyst helping our clients understand their financial position and strategized with them to improve customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and profitability.  After 3 years with Johnson Consulting Group, Wes moved into corporate FP&A for Insight, a large technology company, helping them optimize and expand their top line earnings, while working to minimize overhead costs.  He became proficient in P&L analysis and built customized tools to help internal clients understand the business in a clear and simple way.  Wes was responsible for the strategizing and goal setting for approximately 1 billion in revenue to the company and was the finance liaison for 17 managers 3 directors and 1 SVP of sales.  After 2 years in the corporate FP&A world, he moved into a management role at Spear Education, a continuing education company for dentists and their staff.  He was the primary finance manager for their consulting division and worked hard to implement best practice solutions for both their internal and external clients.  Wes rejoined the Johnson Consulting team in 2021 after spending some time being a new father, and brings his many years of financial, management and consulting experience with him.  He is a critical thinker who works hard to help our clients be successful operating their businesses efficiently and divesting them for top value.

Nicholas Brown

Financial Analyst/Project Manager

Nicholas joins the Johnson Consulting Group with more than 10 years of advisory, corporate finance, and mergers & acquisition experience. His education includes a Master of Business Administration from the University of Florida and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California. Nicholas also holds the Certified Business Intermediary designation from the International Business Brokers Association. He enjoys working closely with his clients to source investment opportunities and facilitate fair, equitable deals.

When Nicholas is not working, he enjoys traveling, cooking, and watching/playing sports.

Alexis Tudor

Financial Analyst/Project Manager

Alexis graduated with honors from California State University Long Beach with a Bachelor’s in Finance. After graduation she began her career in the municipal bonds industry where she acted as the sole financial analyst for the largest bond issuer in California. She later moved on to corporate FP&A where she gained valuable expertise working with an international team.

Alexis enjoys working with complex data sets to support customer success and drive financial performance. She also loves interacting with others and making connections.

Simon Wong

Financial Analyst

Simon graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. After graduation, he worked at a student loan company as a staff accountant preparing financial documents. Thereafter, Simon worked at an insurance brokerage as a staff accountant preparing financial statements and reviewing an assortment of accounting procedures. Simon’s prior accounting experience and analytic abilities supports his role as a Financial Analyst at Johnson Consulting Group. Simon enjoys bicycling, hiking and listening to music in his free time.

Bob Ekins

Director of Business Development

Bob joined Johnson Consulting after 20 years of experience with three of the industry’s leading companies. After graduating from Spring Hill College in Mobile Alabama with a Business Management degree, Bob began his funeral service career with Batesville Casket Company. His roles included sales territory responsibility, national accounts, cremation specialist and selection room design including merchandising. In 2002, Bob joined Forethought Financial Services as Director of Business Development. His responsibilities included assisting funeral home and cemetery owners with solutions for existing trust funds and new pre-need insurance business. The role evolved into client relations with multiple marketing partners across the country. In 2011, Bob was named Vice President of Sales for Trust 100, the oldest and one of the largest marketing partners to assist client funeral homes with Advance Funeral Planning. These career experiences have made Bob the ideal asset for Johnson Consulting Group to be responsible for client relations and business development.

Jessica Atwood

Financial Analyst/Project Manager

Jessica is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with over 10 years of combined experience in M&A, taxation, financial analysis, and estate planning. She holds a Bachelor’s in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. She also earned a Master of Science in Family Financial Planning and Counseling from the University of Alabama.

 While not at work, Jessica enjoys happy hours, traveling, hanging out with her retired greyhounds, and playing MMOs with friends from across the globe.