Grant Thornton named the 2026 Vertex Implementation Provider of the Year. October 28, 2026 CHICAGO - Grant Thornton, one of America's largest brands of professionals providing end-to-end audit, assurance, tax and advisory services, has been named the Vertex Implementation Provider of the Year for 2026. Vertex, Inc., a global provider of indirect tax technology solutions, honored Grant Thornton for its exceptional progress, creativity and impact in advancing risk mitigation through innovative indirect tax solutions. The award was presented at Vertex Exchange, a premier tax and technology conference, earlier this week. Grant Thornton earned this recognition based on its longstanding collaboration with Vertex, commitment to client success and ability to deliver innovative tax technology solutions that help organizations modernize their indirect tax and compliance functions. "This award reflects Grant Thornton's commitment to helping clients navigate increasingly complex indirect tax and compliance requirements through innovation, industry expertise and a strong collaboration with Vertex," said Rob Clarke, national managing partner of Global Indirect Tax services at Grant Thornton Advisors LLC. "Together, we help organizations modernize their tax operating models through integrated indirect tax, tax technology and e-invoicing solutions. By combining Vertex's industry-leading platform with Grant Thornton's implementation and transformation capabilities, clients can reduce risk, improve compliance and accelerate their digital transformation initiatives." Building on the success of its te.x platform, which uses AI and robotic process automation to streamline Vertex O Series implementations and ongoing maintenance, Grant Thornton has expanded its capabilities to support clients across the broader compliance lifecycle, including e-invoicing, continuous transaction controls (CTC) and global tax transformation initiatives. Together, Grant Thornton and Vertex assist organizations in establishing scalable, future-ready tax and compliance processes that drive efficiency, enhance visibility and support evolving regulatory requirements. "This year's winners have demonstrated what is possible when expertise, innovation and customer commitment come together," said Chris Jones, chief commercial officer at Vertex. "Their ability to drive meaningful outcomes, solve complex challenges and help customers adapt to a rapidly evolving tax landscape has set them apart as trusted advisors and exceptional partners." About Vertex Vertex is the Decision-to-Defense(TM) global indirect tax and compliance company. Vertex helps enterprises bring control to indirect tax and compliance across the full transaction lifecycle - from tax determination and e-invoicing through reporting, filing, and audit defense - to make outcomes easier to prove and improve over time. Trusted by more than 60% of the Fortune 500, Vertex combines decades of tax expertise, deep global tax and compliance knowledge, and embedded integrations to help organizations operate globally with confidence. With headquarters in North America and offices in South America and Europe, Vertex's purpose is to ensure businesses and communities thrive through trusted transactions. About Grant Thornton Grant Thornton delivers professional services in the U.S. through two specialized entities and their affiliates: Grant Thornton LLP, a licensed, certified public accounting (CPA) firm that provides audit and assurance services - and Grant Thornton Advisors LLC (not a licensed CPA firm), which exclusively provides non-attest offerings, including tax and advisory services. Grant Thornton LLP, Grant Thornton Advisors LLC and their respective subsidiaries operate as an alternative practice structure (APS). The APS conforms with applicable laws, regulations and professional standards, including those from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. "Grant Thornton" refers to the brand under which the member firms in the Grant Thornton International Limited (GTIL) network provide services to their clients and/or refers to one or more member firms. Grant Thornton LLP and Grant Thornton Advisors LLC serve as the U.S. member firms of the GTIL network. GTIL and its member firms are not a worldwide partnership and all member firms are separate legal entities. Member firms deliver all services; GTIL does not provide services to clients. About the Grant Thornton Advisors multinational platform The Grant Thornton Advisors multinational platform is a group of firms within the Grant Thornton International Limited network[*] that connects priority markets and operates with aligned standards, technology and delivery expectations. The platform is currently home to 20 aligned firms stretching from the Americas across Europe and the Middle East to the Asia-Pacific region. These firms bring together tens of thousands of professionals to deliver cross-border solutions powered by advanced technologies, a shared commitment to quality and a growing reputation as an employer of choice in the industry. The platform firms operate as separate legal entities. *The Grant Thornton International Limited network provides access to its member firms in more than 150 global markets.

Grant Thornton appoints new Guernsey Audit Director. Grant Thornton has strengthened its Guernsey team with the appointment of Mike de Robillard as Audit Director. Mr de Robillard brings more than 20 years' experience in audit, accounting and financial services, having worked in Guernsey, the UK, Cayman Islands and South Africa. He specialises in asset management and private capital funds, having led audits for international businesses, including FTSE 250 companies and firms listed on AIM and TISE. He is a member of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. Cyril Swale, Audit Partner and Head of the Guernsey Office, said: "We are pleased to welcome Mike to our Guernsey team as we continue to strengthen our audit capabilities. "We look forward to the valuable contribution he will make to our firm and our clients." Mr de Robillard said he was excited to join the firm and help drive its growth across the Channel Islands. "I'm looking forward to contributing to the leadership team and delivering for our clients while building on the firm's collaborative culture to support our people's continued development, success and career progression," he said.

Compliance Jobs Report: oct. 23. If it's Friday, it's another week of the Compliance Jobs Report! Radical Compliance has new hires this week at Ericsson, University of Florida, Arthrex, Tyson Foods, Albemarle, and elsewhere, plus a few CCO exits worth noting. Promotions at Bayada, RTX, Ecolab, and more; with job leads in aerospace, airlines, and chickens. Plus Meme of the Week! Radical Compliance gather the Jobs Report news items from LinkedIn, press releases, and wherever else Radical Compliance can find tips - and thank you to everyone who sends them in, you make the Jobs Report possible! If you have any gossip to share (even confidentially) email me at [email protected] or find me on LinkedIn. Compliance Jobs. This week Radical Compliance begin in phones: Scott Jensen recently joined Ericsson as head of investigations for the Americas region. Jensen comes to the telecom manufacturing giant after a year at Grant Thornton, where he had been senior director of global compliance. Hedge fund Millennium, with $92 billion in assets, has hired Michael Padala as senior compliance officer. Padala joins Millennium after six years at Citigroup Global Markets, where he had been a senior vice president for trade surveillance in North America stocks. Oscar Health, a healthcare insurance products business, has hired Gabrielle Sanders as associate director of corporate compliance. Sanders previously worked at Unum as a senior compliance manager for the last year. Joy Hayes just joined the University of Florida (go Gators!) as director of compliance and ethics. Hayes comes to the university from Trafigura, where she spent the last two years as head of compliance program effectiveness (a period that also lines up with Trafigura's FCPA settlement in 2024). Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG, to those in the know) has hired Sneha Patel as global head of audit methodology. Patel previously spent two years at BNY Mellon, where she had been director of risk and compliance testing and assurance. In the Netherlands, the rather blandly named payments platform Online Payment Platform has hired Kim Arts as head of compliance. Arts comes to OPP after nine years in various roles at Ikea, most recently as a global compliance manager. Matt Blackman has a new job as internal audit manager with USS Management, the pension investment fund for higher education workers in Britain. Blackman joins USS from Close Brothers, where he had also been an internal audit manager. Aaron Rykowski has parted ways with WesBanco, a community bank in Wheeling, WVa., after a nearly 10-year run there as chief compliance officer. Not clear yet what he'll do next. Olga Kozak-Anlar has also parted ways with Robinhood, where she had been AI compliance lead for two years. Kozak-Anlar says she will "share what's next soon." The Jobs Report will stand by for that update. Medical equipment manufacturer Arthrex has hired Seth Smoker as compliance manager for North America, working from Indianapolis. Smoker blows into Arthrex after a year at Energizer Holdings, where he had been global ethics and compliance counsel. Karl Kaufmann has left his job as chief banking and regulatory counsel at Synchrony Financial to join PayPal, where he is VP and legal counsel for consumer financial services. Stephanie Rodriguez has a new job as deputy chief compliance officer at MassHealth, the public health insurance system operated by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Rodriguez previously worked at Brown University Health for two years as manager of compliance program effectiveness. Memorial Healthcare System in Florida has hired Ennette Cuervo as director of corporate compliance. Cuervo arrives at Memorial from HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in Miami, where she had been ethics and compliance officer for nearly three years. Denise Rivera has joined Tyson Foods as compliance manager for licensing and permits. Rivera previously worked at Walmart for nearly seven years, most recently as a project manager. GenNx360 Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in New York, has hired Nicole Vipperman as chief compliance officer. Vipperman joins the firm from TGM, a real estate acquisition firm, where she had also been chief compliance officer. National Professional Planning Group, a retirement consulting firm based in New Jersey, has tapped Robert Slomin as its new chief compliance officer. Slomin joins NPPG from Integrity Wealth, where he served as chief risk and compliance officer. Ana Paula Neves just signed up as ethics, risk, and compliance lead for Novartis operations in Brazil. Neves was last seen at Takeda as head of global ethics and compliance projects until last year, and had been doing some solo consulting since then. Another in Brazil: Fernanda Lacerda has been named chief compliance officer for Remitly, the global payments platform that focuses on remittances. Lacerda had previously been legal and compliance director at Pinbank Brazil. Pakistan International Airlines has hired Nayla Asgharali as chief audit executive. Asgharali arrives at the airline from Tajweez Advisory in Bahrain, where she had been a director for three years; prior to that she was vice president of internal audit at Gulf Air Holding. Chemicals manufacturing giant Albemarle has hired Josefina Manzur Merino as ethics and compliance manager for Latin America. Merino comes to Albemarle after eight months at the Unifrutti Group, where she had also been a regional compliance manager. She's based in Chile. And here's a career move you don't see every day. Charbel Raffoul, previously chief compliance officer at ATFX, an online trading platform based in Dubai, has given up that job to be chief executive officer at GTCFX, a derivatives trading platform also in Dubai. Always happy to see a compliance officer move into the corner office. Moving up the ladder. BAYADA Home Health Care has promoted Melanie Sponholz from deputy compliance officer to chief compliance officer. Jeanine Maine has a new role within the RTX defense empire, moving from associate director of ethics and compliance at the conglomerate's Pratt & Whitney division to associate director of ethics and compliance at Collins Aerospace. Ecolab has promoted Natalia Marino from director of compliance in Latin America to senior director of global compliance. Salad, a payday loan business in London, has promoted Magdalena Kaczmaryk from compliance and conduct lead to head of compliance. Tetragon, a hedge fund based in London, has promoted Jessica Gold from deputy chief compliance officer to chief compliance officer. (A tetragon is just a fancy word for quadrilateral, if you've forgotten your high school geometry.) Vendors and service providers. Steve Brown has left his job as chief audit executive at Booz Allen Hamilton to join advisory and consulting firm Gartner, where he is executive partner in the chief audit executives practice. Brown had been at Booz for six years. Open req orders. Looks like GE Aerospace is hiring. Tom Monheim, executive director of compliance investigations for the company, says he is looking to fill several newly created senior supervisory investigator roles. The jobs are in various locations and seem to pay $181,000 to $241,000. For you entry-level folks, United Airlines is searching for an ethics and compliance specialist. Job is based in Chicago, with a salary range of $66,500 to $86,000. Tyson Foods is hiring a senior manager for global compliance. Job is based in Springdale, Ark.; salary range not disclosed. Compliance Meme of the Week That's all for this week's report. As always, if you have a tip or want to brag about your new job, promotion, career milestone, or anything else, email me at [email protected] or find me on LinkedIn. I'm always happy to give credit to the many hard-working people here in its corner of the business universe.