Celebrating 30 Years!
Thirty years ago,this month (January 1996) I was sitting in the 3rd bedroom of myhouse working on my first field exam as an independent and trying to drum upbusiness. During my idle time I was playing a computer game called “PipeDreams”. Not too long after I started, work picked up and my wife kicked me outof the bedroom as my second child was due. I moved to the unfinished basementand eventually joined forces with Eric Fecci, who was managing a small CPA firmand I knew him from our prior employment. My first big break came in 1997, whena Report that I completed was for a group of banks. The Report was sent to MikeMerlo at Fleet Bank who worked on Sixth Avenue in NYC. He was impressed andasked me to meet with him. After our meeting he not only sent the Report andworkpapers to the Audit Manager in New Jersey, he spread the word to therelationship managers and portfolio managers who were able to hire their ownfield examiners.
I had more work thanI could handle. I would wake up at 4am to work on exams (usually write up) till7am, get ready and then head out and work in the field. I did this for close to10 years and in the later years I was doing administration work in the morninginstead of exam work. My first hire was Phil Guba in November 1998. He was witha credit manager with a major bank in NYC and caught in a downsizing. He said,“I’ll help you while I’m looking for another banking job”. I told him that I would have to pay him “perdiem”. He replied will I be able to pay my mortgage and I replied, “I don’tknow”. He is still here after 27 years, granted partnership in 2009, the masterof commodity field examinations and his mortgage is paid off. As a result ofPhil’s work, we are one of the premier firms in the industry to perform“commodity” field examinations.
After Phil washired, we moved to a small office in Fair Haven, NJ and we hired anotherfull-time employee and had three 1099 examiners by 2000. That year the Companyofficially split from Rosenberg and Fecci CPAs to Rosenberg and FecciConsulting LLC. We continued to hire and train and maintained steady controlledgrowth as our lending clients expanded. Our next big break came when Bank ofAmerica purchased Fleet Bank in 2004. As with most bank combinations, severalof our Fleet lending officers moved to new banks or lenders and took ourservices with them.
We hired a few moreolder experienced professionals who had business experience and were notpreviously examiners. They were excellent examiners, enjoyed the work and thebusiness travel. Except for Phil, Ted Gibbon, who was granted partnership in2011, was our longest tenured experienced professional. We hired Ted in 2003and he retired in 2023. During his tenure, Ted was our main trainer,responsible for updating the workpapers and the head of human resources. He wasalso allegedly between jobs when we hired him.
In 2005, we moved into a largeroffice to support our expanding team and welcomed Mike Ticehurst as our firstjunior examiner, just one year out of college. While working full time, Mikeearned his MBA and quickly grew into a leadership role within the firm. He wasgranted partnership in 2015 and recently celebrated 20 years with the firm,marked by the presentation of a watch at this year’s holiday party. Today, Mikeleads our Asset-Based Lending (ABL) group and serves as Partner-in-Charge ofBusiness Development. His leadership and industry impact were recognized whenhe was named a 40 Under 40 honoree by The Secured Lender magazinein September 2017, and he has also served as President of both the New Jerseyand New York SFNet Chapters.
From 1996 through 2008, Ipersonally handled all administrative responsibilities, scheduling, businessdevelopment, and, of course, field examinations. In 2008, I hired Robert Reidy,a Political Science graduate, as an intern while he was working on his Master’sDegree (received in 2010) and also pursuing an interest in horse racing. Robproved to be a quick study, quickly devising an innovative way to usecalendar-based software to streamline field exam scheduling. Over the next twoyears, he continued to refine and implement more efficient processes to manageexam flow, significantly improving our operations. Today, Rob serves as Head ofOperations and was granted partnership in 2022. Adding to his list ofaccomplishments, Rob also captured the Owners Title at Monmouth Park in 2024for winning the most horse races that year.
In 2010, we welcomed JuliaVoytovych to the firm after she relocated from Ukraine and completed her MBA atRutgers University. Julia quickly distinguished herself through her strong workethic and technical expertise, taking on responsibility for several of thefirm’s largest and most complex lending relationships through the use ofspecialized workbooks and customized analysis. In recognition of her leadershipand contributions, she was granted partnership in 2023 and, in 2024, becameManaging Partner of our Danbury, Connecticut office. Julia was also honored asa Women in Commercial Finance recipient by The Secured Lendermagazine in June 2018.
In 2011, we welcomed JessicaBrown to the firm after she had been working at Fort Monmouth in New Jerseyprior to its closure. Jessica quickly distinguished herself as an exceptionalfield examiner and became a cornerstone of our training program, serving as theprimary mentor for new analysts. In recognition of her leadership and impact,she was granted partnership in 2024 and now serves as Partner-in-Charge ofHuman Resources. Jessica was also honored as a Women in Commercial Financerecipient by The Secured Lender magazine in June 2017.
Over the years, Rosenberg& Fecci evolved from a small practice into a fully integrated consultingfirm becoming an industryleader in ABL, Commodity and MRR field exams. We invested in people,training, systems, and leadership—promoting from within and building apartnership group that reflects the firm’s values. Along the way, we expandedoffices, modernized operations, and embraced technology to better serve agrowing and increasingly sophisticated client base.
Today, as we mark 30 years, Rosenberg & FecciConsulting is a firm of 20 professionals serving lenders nationwide—from smallfactoring facilities to multi-billion-dollar, household-name transactions.We’ve navigated industry changes, economic cycles, and generational shifts,emerging stronger each time through teamwork, adaptability, and shared purpose.
This milestone belongs to everyone who has been part of thejourney. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together and deeply gratefulto the professionals, partners, and clients who made it possible. Thirty yearsin, the momentum is strong—and the future has never looked brighter.
