VP, Platform Engineering

Bretton AI partners with Kaufman Rossin to bring agentic compliance to financial institutions. June 9, 2026 Kaufman Rossin's financial crime and risk advisory practice is now delivering Bretton AI to its clients, combining decades of regulatory expertise with AI-native operations to change how compliance work gets done. The financial crime problem is not getting any simpler. Transaction volumes are rising, regulatory expectations are tightening, and the investigative techniques underpinning most compliance programs were built for a world that no longer exists. Raymond Villanueva has watched this gap widen across a thirty-year career, first as a federal law enforcement official investigating money laundering, now as Head of Investigations at Kaufman Rossin. His read on the industry is plain: "Transactions are happening with the click of a button, but sometimes we're still using the same 1980s techniques." That is the problem this partnership is built to solve. Kaufman Rossin is one of the most respected risk advisory practices in the country, with deep experience helping financial institutions manage compliance, regulatory, and operational risk. Bretton AI runs financial back-office operations, including AML reviews, transaction monitoring, enhanced due diligence - with every decision traced, documented, and defensible. Together, Kaufman Rossin is now delivering Bretton AI to its clients as part of its compliance and risk advisory practice. A partnership built on selectivity. Configuring, calibrating, and overseeing AI in a regulated environment takes people who understand what good looks like in the context of real compliance programs under real regulatory scrutiny. As Will Lawrence, CEO of Bretton AI, explained: "The promise of agentic AI really requires experts to bring it to market." What Kaufman Rossin found in Bretton was technology that met their standard. What Bretton found in Kaufman Rossin was the kind of institutional expertise that makes the technology perform. What changes for analysts. The operational shift this partnership delivers is palpable. Compliance analysts spend a significant portion of their time on work that should not require their judgment: gathering information, reconciling data from separate sources, building case narratives from scratch. That is time that cannot go toward the escalations and high-risk decisions where their expertise actually matters. Bretton AI changes that equation. Investigative findings flow directly into active cases rather than being assembled manually. Every review follows the institution's own procedures, consistently, regardless of volume. Every output is structured, traceable, and aligned to OCC, FDIC, and Federal Reserve standards from day one. Villanueva, speaking from three decades of investigative experience, framed the value directly: "I bring my expertise, you bring the technology and it's a match made in heaven." For institutions working with Kaufman Rossin, the results are measurable. Analysts used to spend 4-6 hours on transaction monitoring triage. With Bretton, they now spend less than an hour on the same task. Built to hold up to regulators. Quality is not incidental to this partnership. It is the standard Kaufman Rossin has always held itself to, and the standard Bretton AI is built around. Villanueva was clear on what that means in practice: "We're not going to do the work twice or three times. We're going to do it once. We're going to do it right. And regulators appreciate our work." That posture is encoded in how Bretton AI operates. Every output is built on Bretton's Trust Infrastructure, which provides model risk management, continuous AI evaluation, and rigorous QA testing. Institutions operating under OCC, FDIC, or Federal Reserve oversight cannot afford decisions that are not explainable and audit-ready. Bretton agents are built to that standard from the start. A model for how advisory firms grow with AI. Advisory practices face a genuine challenge with AI adoption. The firms best positioned to guide clients through it can tend toward more a more conservative outlook. Because their differentiation is judgment, not tooling, they are appropriately cautious about what they put in front of clients and regulators alike. Kaufman Rossin's approach with Bretton AI offers a different path. As CEO of Bretton AI, Will Lawrence put it, partnering with firms that bring deep expertise to the relationship is what makes the technology land: "You bring your deep expertise on the industry, partnered with our best-in-class technology to change how banks operate." For advisory firms looking to grow their compliance practice, this is a model worth examining. Bretton AI is actively partnering with firms that have the expertise, the client relationships, and the operational presence to deliver agentic compliance at scale. The firms that move first will be the ones that introduce their clients to what modern compliance operations actually look like. Building what comes next. The compliance burden on financial institutions is not going away. But the way it gets managed is changing. Institutions that adopt AI-native operations now will not just be more efficient but they will be better positioned to serve more customers, enter new markets, and grow without the back-office overhead that has historically capped their ambition. Kaufman Rossin and Bretton AI share a belief that this shift happens when deep expertise and purpose-built technology work together. That is what this partnership is built to deliver.

Kaufman Rossin elects Marc Feigelson as next CEO. Mar 11, 2026, 10:16 ET Feigelson will succeed Blain Heckaman in June 2026 MIAMI, March 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Kaufman Rossin, the largest independent CPA and advisory firm in Florida and one of the top 50 firms in the U.S., announced today that Marc Feigelson, CPA, the firm's current Chief Financial Officer, has been elected as Kaufman Rossin's next Chief Executive Officer. Feigelson will assume the role on June 1, 2026, following the retirement of current CEO Blain Heckaman, CPA. This planned leadership transition highlights Kaufman Rossin's thoughtful approach to maintaining independence and supporting long-term success for clients and employees alike. Heckaman joined Kaufman Rossin in 1984 and has led the firm since June 2012, succeeding founder Jim Kaufman. Under Heckaman's leadership, Kaufman Rossin expanded its geographic reach and enhanced its advisory services, adding business consulting, risk advisory, forensic advisory, and specialty tax practices. He has fostered a culture rooted in strong values and stewardship, leading the firm to win repeat honors as a "Best Place to Work." During his tenure, the firm has also received multiple recognitions for outstanding client service, including the 2025 "Best of Accounting" award. "Leading this firm has been one of the greatest privileges of my career," said Heckaman. "I have tremendous confidence in Marc and in the strength of our team. Kaufman Rossin's long-term focus remains clear: to serve our clients, invest in our people, and grow on our own terms." Feigelson brings extensive financial leadership and strategic perspective to the CEO role. He has served as CFO since 2022 and has been instrumental in driving operational excellence and sustainable growth. His election as the firm's next leader reinforces Kaufman Rossin's deliberate choice to remain independent in an industry landscape where many firms are accepting private equity investment or merging into larger national platforms. "Independence isn't just structural, it's strategic," said Feigelson, who has been with Kaufman Rossin for nearly three decades. "It allows us to stay accountable to our clients and our people, not outside investors. This leadership transition strengthens our ability to invest in the long-term, powering talent and technology, and making decisions that serve both today and well into the future." Kaufman Rossin's independence enables the firm to build lasting relationships, adapt to evolving client needs, and maintain stability through thoughtful leadership succession. This CEO transition represents continuity of proven leadership and the beginning of an exciting new chapter of growth. About Kaufman Rossin Kaufman Rossin is one of the nation's top 100 accounting and advisory firms and the largest independent CPA firm headquartered in Florida. Since 1962, the firm has provided audit, tax, advisory, and consulting services that help organizations and individuals achieve success. Kaufman Rossin serves clients across industries, combining deep expertise with a people-first approach to deliver lasting value. Learn more at www.kaufmanrossin.com. SOURCE Kaufman Rossin

Marc Feigelson: career Kaufman Rossin accountant moving to CEO's chair. At the end of February, Kaufman Rossin announced that Marc Feigelson would become the firm's next CEO, succeeding Blain Heckaman this June. It's a milestone decades in the making for Mr. Feigelson, who first stepped into Kaufman Rossin's original Coconut Grove offices nearly 30 years ago and has watched both the firm and Miami itself grow in tandem. From those early days to the firm's modern 65,000-square-foot headquarters on Mary Street, Mr. Feigelson's career reflects the evolution of one of Florida's most influential independent accounting and advisory firms. Born and raised in New York, Mr. Feigelson made his way to Florida to attend the University of Florida, where he earned a degree in accounting. A fraternity connection led him to an interview with firm founder James Kaufman, a conversation that revolved less around technical accounting questions and more around shared passions for literature, travel and community. The encounter ultimately convinced Mr. Feigelson to relocate to Miami and begin what would become a nearly three-decade-long career at Kaufman Rossin. He began in the audit group, spending nearly 20 years building experience across audit, advisory and forensic projects. He became an audit principal in his 13th year, then led the firm's real estate industry practice, working closely with some of South Florida's largest developers during a period of unprecedented regional growth. In 2022, he assumed the role of CFO, managing operational expansion, significant staffing challenges and the integration of transformative technologies to enhance client service - work that set the stage for his ascension to CEO. Kaufman Rossin itself has long mirrored the growth of Miami. Founded in 1962 by James Kaufman and Jay Rossin, the firm relocated its headquarters to Coconut Grove in 1974, establishing the office as a hub for expansion and fostering a culture of "Joy at Work." Over nearly five decades, the firm grew from a 4,000-square-foot space into one of the nation's top 100 CPA and advisory firms. In June 2020, Kaufman Rossin moved into a new 65,000-square-foot headquarters at 3310 Mary St., accommodating over 500 employees and reinforcing Coconut Grove as the center of its South Florida operations. Today, Kaufman Rossin employs roughly 725 professionals across five U.S. offices and four overseas locations, with revenues near $175 million, ranking it as the 48th largest accounting firm in the nation. Its client base spans real estate, healthcare, banking, private equity, hedge funds and high-net-worth individuals, supported by robust tax, advisory and consulting practices. As CEO, Mr. Feigelson plans to build on the firm's legacy while focusing on a few key pillars: people, technology and client service. He emphasizes maintaining a culture where employees can thrive, a commitment demonstrated in the firm's repeated recognition as one of the top 50 accounting firms in the country, nationally named the Number 1 Accounting Firm to Work For by Accounting Today and locally honored as one of South Florida's Best Places to Work. He also plans to harness ever-advancing technology to enhance, but not replace, human interaction and to anticipate client needs with a continually expanding suite of services. Drawing on nearly 30 years at Kaufman Rossin and deep ties to Miami, Mr. Feigelson's leadership embodies a commitment to long-term growth, investing in talent and innovative tools and ensuring the firm remains accountable to both its clients and its professionals as he guides its next chapter as a cornerstone of South Florida's business community while adapting to the evolving demands of a global marketplace. Mr. Feigelson spoke with Miami Today reporter Genevieve Bowen. Read the full interview in this week's print or digital edition of Miami Today. Full access is available exclusively to our subscribers. Click here to access your subscription or to subscribe! This week's profile will appear in next year's Book of Leaders. Miami Today publishes a Book of Leaders every year. This book is a compilation of all The Achievers profiled in every edition. The information in this book is available nowhere else - the stories of the women and men who are shaping the development of Greater Miami.