THE BUZZ
The latest and greatest happenings at
firm announcements
#66 on Accounting Today’s 2025 Top 100 Firms Named among INSIDE Public Accounting’s “Best of the Best” #63 on INSIDE Public Accounting’s Top 100 Firms list Recognized as a 5-Star RIA by InvestmentNews #28 on Construction Executive’s Top Accounting Firms™ #31 Fastest-Growing RIA by Financial Advisor magazine #21 on Accounting Today’s 2025 Top Firms by AUM
the sax quarterback:
New Partners and National Recognition in q3 & q4
SAX is proud to announce the addition of several accomplished partners who joined the firm beginning in June marking a dynamic start to the second half of the year and continuing the firm’s trajectory of strategic growth and innovation
Our new partners strengthen leadership across high-growth practice areas and reinforce our commitment to an integrated, highimpact advisory platform. Their expertise expands our depth across real estate, financial services, client accounting, trusts and estates, tax strategy, transaction advisory, and investment management allowing us to deliver even greater value to our clients navigating growth, transition, and opportunity
“We’re rounding out the second half of 2025 with incredible momentum,” said Joseph Damiano, CEO and Managing Partner. “Our partnership with Cobepa, our national recognition, and the exceptional new talent joining our leadership team all reflect the strength of our strategy and culture. Each new partner brings specialized knowledge that enhances our ability to provide holistic, high-value advice to clients across industries and life stages.”
Colin Baker, CPA, CVA, MBA Partner Leader of Transaction Advisory Services
Joseph Kuttamperoor, CPA Partner Leader of Financial Services
Ladidas Lumpkins, CPA, JD, LLM Partner Leader of Trusts and Estates
Michael Mastruzzo, CPA Partner Leader of Real Estate Advisory
Peter Motsch, CPA, MBA Partner Leader of Client Accounting Services
Christopher Setili, CPA Tax Partner
Les Vasvari, CFA, CMT Chief Investment Officer SAX Wealth Advisors
recent team member news
Joe Damiano was honored for Outstanding Achievement by Iona University on Friday, October 17
Surrounded by his family and the SAX team, Joe accepted this well-deserved recognition, celebrating a career marked by visionary leadership, impact, and excellence.
Adam Holzberg has been named a 2025 NJBIZ 40 Under 40 honoree! As a Partner at SAX, Adam continues to lead with vision, integrity, and deep commitment to client success qualities that make him truly deserving of this recognition.
Check out Todd Polyniak’s podcast episode, Red Flags of Fraud for Auditors (2 CPE), now live on LumiQ
In this episode, Todd shares practical strategies for how auditors can identify fraud risk in the field by recognizing behavioral, financial, and operational red flags
recent team member news
BILL CONNOR, Partner and Wealth Advisor, joined Gregg Greenberg of InvestmentNews TV at Nasdaq to discuss how high-net-worth investors are leveraging alternative and real estate investments to help manage portfolio risk.
WATCH THE INTERVIEW HERE
He was also recently featured in InvestmentNews in an article discussing how potential changes to New York tax policy are prompting conversations with clients around planning strategies and considerations
READ THE ARTICLE HERE
A group of SAX employees volunteered at the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, and their teamwork made a big impact!
Tasked with a goal of packaging 300 boxes for seniors, the team came together with incredible energy and exceeded expectations completing 560 boxes in total!
SAX & Peapack Private Bank & Trust brought their teams together at Pickleball Palace in Whippany, NJ for an evening of competition, collaboration, and connection
The energy both on and off the court was incredible! Proof that relationships are built not just in the boardroom, but through shared experiences and a little friendly competition.
marketing
sax podcasts & vLOGS
The 2025 SAX 4MILER brought together over 400 participants to support the Child Life Department at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. From seasoned runners to first-timers, our SAX community showed up in full force raising over $95,000 to bring comfort and joy to children and families in need.
Every step mattered. Every dollar counted. Every smile showed the impact we can make together.
We’re already dreaming bigger for 2026 more teams, more runners, more impact. Thank you to everyone who ran, walked, volunteered, and donated. You didn’t just join a race you helped change lives
See you at the starting line next year!
bigger & bolder.
SAX hosted its 4 annual Consumer and Industrial Products Conference at MetLife Stadium, uniting leaders, innovators, and forward-thinking professionals for a powerful day of insight, collaboration, and connection. th
The event kicked off with an inspiring keynote from New York Jets legend Erik Coleman, who shared lessons on leadership, perseverance, and teamwork that resonate both on and off the field His remarks set the tone for a dynamic panel discussion exploring emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of the consumer and industrial products sectors
Throughout the day, attendees engaged with exhibitor showcases spotlighting cuttingedge technologies, practical solutions, and forward-looking strategies driving industry growth.
The event concluded with a lively networking reception in the Commissioner’s Club, where attendees continued conversations and celebrated a truly successful and impactful day.
A Celebration of Perseverance and Impact
The 2025 SAX Founders’ Award was a tremendous success, celebrating nonprofits whose perseverance and purpose reflect the enduring spirit of our founders and the SAX legacy
This year marked a milestone for the event, with the highest number of applicants in its eightyear history representing inspiring organizations from across the United States Our winning nonprofit even hailed from Hawaii!
The event brought together outstanding organizations making a real difference in their communities and celebrated their stories of impact, innovation, and resilience.
Congratulations to this year’s top winners for their exceptional contributions and lasting influence
SAX continues to see tremendous value in this event, as do nonprofits nationwide, and we look forward to building on this year’s record participation and celebrating even more inspiring changemakers in the years ahead
1st Place
$20,000 Maui Economic Opportunity
2nd Place mission moment video All About You Healthcare
3rd Place
$5,000
CASA of Morris and Sussex County
mark your calendars
human resources
open enrollment
It’s almost time to choose your benefits for next year! Open Enrollment will take place November 17-26, and is your chance to:
Enroll in or change your medical, dental, and vision plans
Update dependents and beneficiaries
Review voluntary benefits such as life, disability, accident, and critical illness coverage
Join us for the following information sessions that will help arm you with the information you need to back the selections right for you:
Friday, November 14 at 10:00 AM
During this session, UNUM will walk us through:
Life Insurance
Accident Insurance
Critical Illness Insurance
Hospital Insurance
Monday, November 17 at 9:30 AM
During this information session to help you learn more about our Medical, Dental, and Vision 2026 plans.
For any questions in the interim, reach out to Jennifer Pasquarosa, Human Resources Benefits Specialist.
upcoming philanthropic events
COAT DONATION DRIVE
Nov. 3- Nov. 17 | Parsippany & NY Offices | Reference Calendar Hold
Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer's®!
November 15 | Central Park, NYC | Register Here
Accountants United to End Cancer Council
Date TBD | American Cancer Society Hope Lodge NYC | Learn More Here
USO Accountants Salute the Troops Council Event at Citi Field
December 7 | Citi Field | More Info Coming Soon!
toy DONATION DRIVE
Date TBD | Parsippany & NY Offices | More Info Coming Soon!
reminder: give back with sax
Did you know SAX offers 1 Volunteer PTO day each year? Use it to make a difference through philanthropy, charity, or volunteer work. It’s SAX’s way of encouraging everyone to support the causes that matter most to you—and to help strengthen the communities we serve.
the sax family
the sax family
the sax family
the sax family
Let's welcome our newest members of the SAX Family since June!
Marilyn Melendez
Svetlana (Lana) Lipkin
Shaun Piotrowski
the sax india family
Let's welcome
Yash Harmesh Madhyani
Apoorva Gupta
Himisha Manish Kothari
Harsh Mehta
Shailesh Shivaram Mogaveera
Umang Samir Sevak
Neha Sunil Kulkarni
Pankaj Arora
Karthik S
Vikram Singh
Chirag Kannan
Nikhil Shah
Yogesh Dubey
Saksham Sharma
Priyank Joshi
Jaydeep Karia
Shruti Anil
Jun 16, 2025
Jul 21, 2025
Jul 21, 2025
Aug 1, 2025
Aug 11, 2025
Aug 11, 2025
Aug 14, 2025
Aug 21, 2025
Aug 28, 2025
Sep 15, 2025
Sep 3, 2025
Oct 6, 2025
Oct 7, 2025
Oct 23, 2025
Oct 23, 2025
Nov 1, 2025
Nov 1, 2025
sax wealth advisors
2024 401k Match and Profit Sharing Contributions
SAX is excited to announce that the 401(k) company match and profit sharing contributions for the 2024 plan year, totaling $2,280,000 in all, were deposited into eligible employee accounts.
Employees can view their portion of these contributions in their account on the Principal website or mobile app. To receive the full company match portion, employees should contribute at least 10% to their Retirement Plan Account.
The match formula is 25% up to the first 10% of eligible compensation contributed.
sax resources
SAX resources
CEO & MANAGING PARTNER
Joseph A. Damiano CPA
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Joshua Chananie CPA
Joseph A Damiano CPA
Shivani Jain CPA, MST
Ermal Luzaj CPA, MBA
Joseph Shannon CPA/ABV, CFE
Kyle Stawicki ChFC®
OFFICE LEADERS
Parsippany, NJ
Joseph A. Damiano CPA
Ewing, NJ
Jeremy Rhen CFP®
Morganville, NJ
Joseph J Bulger
New York City, NY
Lisa Goldman CPA, M.TAX, TEP
Mumbai, India
Gaurav Talwar
RISK MANAGEMENT
W. Michael Curry CPA, CCIFP
Vincent Flanagan
Christopher Gaffney CPA, MST
Trevor Hodges
Shivani Jain CPA, MST
Rob Owen
Michael Rolls
Albert Traverso CPA
FIRM OPERATIONS
Chief Financial Officer
Nicholas Valentini
Chief Human Resources Officer
Christine Brennan-Savino
Chief Information Officer
Rob Owen
Chief Marketing Officer/ Head of Business Development
Leon Grassi
Chief Operating Officer
Michael Rolls
Chief Operations Officer and Chief Compliance Officer - SWA
Trevor Hodges
Chief Investment Officer-SWA
Les Vasvari
Director of IT Operations
Tom Hughes
Director of Learning & Development
Nick Romanowski
Director of M&A
Peyton Bowman, MBA
Director of Marketing
Margaret Henn
Director of Operations
Stephen Pena
Director of Quality Control
Akram Soliman CPA
SAX resources
CHARITABLE FOUNDATION BOARD
Lauren Frary MA
Candy Gordon-Geanoules CPA
Carolyn Lanza
Helena Lynch CPA, MST
Jennifer L. Moroz CPA
Deborah Nappi CPA, MST
Michael Rolls
Peter Scalise
Marqus White CPA
SERVICE DIRECTORY
Accounting + Auditing
Albert Traverso CPA
P: (973) 472-6250
E: atraverso@saxadvisorygroup.com
Cannabis
Todd W Polyniak CPA
P: (973) 554-6164
E: tpolyniak@saxadvisorygroup.com
Client Accounting Services
Peter Motsch, CPA, MBA
P: (862) 849-7266
E: pmotsch@saxadvisorygroup com
Construction
Ermal Luzaj CPA, MBA
P: (973) 554-6174
E: eluzaj@saxadvisorygroup.com
Consumer Products
Joshua Chananie CPA
P: (973) 554-6160
E: jchananie@saxadvisorygroup.com
Employee Benefit Plan Audits
Jennifer L. Moroz CPA
P: (973) 472-6250
E: jmoroz@saxadvisorygroup.com
Federal Tax Credits and Incentives
Peter Scalise
P: (212) 661-8640
E: pscalise@saxadvisorygroup.com
Financial Services
Joseph Kuttamperoor, CPA
P: (973) 472-6250
E: jkuttamperoor@saxadvisorygroup com
Fractional Finance
Eric Meisner
P: (212) 661-8640
E: emeisner@saxadvisorygroup.com
Healthcare
Deborah Nappi CPA, MST
P: (973) 554-6191
E: dnappi@saxadvisorygroup.com
HR Consulting
Christine Brennan-Savino
P: (973) 554-6190
E: cbrennan-savino@saxadvisorygroup com
International Tax
Lisa Goldman CPA, M.TAX, TEP
P: (212) 661-8640
E: lgoldman@saxadvisorygroup.com
New Lease Accounting
Jason Borofsky CPA, MBA
P: (973) 554-6082
E: jborofsky@saxadvisorygroup.com
SAX resources
Nonprofit (National)
Mike Schall CPA
P: 212-268-2804
E: mschall@saxadvisorygroup.com
Private Client Services
Joseph J. Bulger
P: (973) 554-6094
E: jbulger@saxadvisorygroup com
Professional Services
Jennifer L. Moroz CPA
P: (973) 472-6250
E: jmoroz@saxadvisorygroup.com
Real Estate
Joseph Shannon CPA/ABV, CFE
P: (973) 554-6100
E: jshannon@saxadvisorygroup.com
SAX Capital Advisors
Jerome Fusco
P: (203) 988-3473
E: jfusco@saxca com
SAX Technology Advisors
Rob Owen
P: (201) 694-6909
E: rowen@saxadvisorygroup.com
SAX Wealth Advisors
Kyle R Stawicki ChFC®
P: (973) 554-6006
E: kstawicki@saxwa.com
State and Local Tax
Richard Goldstein JD
P: (973) 472-6250
E: rgoldstein@saxadvisorygroup.com
Strategic Business Transformation
Lauren Frary MA, LRC
P: (973) 472-6250
E: lfrary@saxadvisorygroup.com
Tax
Shivani Jain CPA, MST
P: (973) 554-6161
E: sjain@saxadvisorygroup com
Tax Controversy
Mat Giordano
P: (973) 554-6142
E: mgiordano@saxadvisorygroup.com
Trusts & Estates
Ladidas Lumpkins CPA, JD, LLM
P: (973) 472-6250
E: llumpkins@saxadvisorygroup.com
Valuation, Forensic & Litigation
Megan Sartor CPA/ABV/CFF
P: (973) 554-6158
E: msartor@saxadvisorygroup com
SAX resources
program champion contact email address
SAX resources
Transcripts transcripts@saxadvisorygroup.com program champions
A&A Scheduling a&aschedule@saxadvisorygroup com
ASA asa@saxadvisorygroup com
CPE Q&A training@saxadvisorygroup com
E-file efile@saxadvisorygroup com
Engagement Letters signedltr@saxadvisorygroup.com
Innovation Committee innovation@saxadvisorygroup.com IT support@saxtechnology.com
LCvista training@saxadvisorygroup.com
LumiQ training@saxadvisorygroup.com
Marketing marketing group@saxadvisorygroup com
P.O.W.E.R. Committee power@saxadvisorygroup com
Retirement Planning retirement@saxwa com
Shared Services sharedservices@saxadvisorygroup com
Source Documents sourcedocs@saxadvisorygroup com
Tax Documents taxdocrequest@saxwa com
Tax Scheduling taxschedule@saxadvisorygroup.com
