Kullen Birkeland, West Region Tax Leader at Grant Thornton, promoted to OMP of Southern California

Grant Thornton LLP has named Kullen Birkeland, 53, as office managing partner of its Southern California practice, effective Aug. 1, 2014. He will oversee the growth and operations of the Los Angeles, Irvine and San Diego offices.

Birkeland most recently served as the firm’s West region Tax practice leader, and also previously served as the leader of the Southern California and the Minneapolis Tax practices. He will succeed Jacqueline Akerblom, who has served as the office managing partner of the firm’s Southern California practice since 2012 and will continue to serve as the West region managing partner.

“Kullen has played a key role in driving the strategy and leading the growth of Grant Thornton’s West region Tax practice for the past two years,” said Akerblom. “We’re confident that his extensive knowledge of tax issues combined with his strong leadership skills and experience will be integral to the continued growth and success of our Southern California practice.”

Birkeland is a seasoned tax practitioner with more than 25 years of public accounting and industry tax experience. He has assisted clients in solving many complex tax and business issues, including the tax structuring of mergers and acquisitions, foreign tax planning, state and local tax minimization, and accounting methods. He has directed delivery of tax services for several private and public companies.

A certified public accountant in California and Minnesota, Birkeland is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California and Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants. He also serves on the boards of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach and American Red Cross Los Angeles Region.

Birkeland received a master’s degree in taxation and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota.