Since 2009, Brightleaf Consulting Group has been a catalyst for success - providing the strategy, support, and inspiration essential to clients realizing their visions, exceeding their goals, and achieving sustained growth. We believe that strong personal relationships and dedicated thought leadership encourage better results for our clients, Brightleaf, and the community.
Team
Robert E. Ross, MBA
President, Managing Partner
Robert, founder of Brightleaf Consulting Group, helps business leaders create practical strategies and make better decisions through deeper understanding of the financial and operational aspects of their business and industry. By looking at accounting through the lens of a manager and an investor, he has improved the operations of client companies. His extensive experience with financial and accounting systems, quantitative modeling, and business management have helped in a variety of consulting and management roles, including full-time and fractional CFO and CEO positions, for multiple clients in numerous industries.
Robert was born in Colorado and grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana. He moved to North Carolina to attend Duke University and has made it his home ever since. He holds a dual BSE in Mathematics and Electrical and Computer Engineering and later earned his MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business with a concentration in Finance and Strategy. He is an avid sports fan, particularly Duke football and basketball, and attends games as often as he can with his wife and 3 children.
Key Industries:
Finance
Technology
Defense and Security
Engineering
John Thrush, MBA
DIRECTOR of RESEARCH
With nearly 20 years of professional research and management experience, John works with managers and owners to create winning strategies by bringing the facts and data together to better understand a business or financial situation. He enjoys helping clients better understand complex concepts and technologies while creating solutions that improve their ability to outperform their competitors. He has managed projects of varying sizes for private companies, non-profits, and both federal and state governments. He has also written business plans that have successfully been awarded equity, debt, and/or grant funding.
John grew up in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He holds an MBA from Duke University Fuqua School of Business as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Management and English from Gettysburg College with additional Marketing and Statistics coursework from Lancaster University in England. Before joining Brightleaf he worked as a music producer, recording and mastering engineer, and IT knowledge manager. He is the co-author of “Focus On Your Light”, a book for entrepreneurs. He recently completed a 500 mile hike from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France to Santiago, Spain.
Industries:
Information Technology
Energy
Automotive
Aerospace
Personal Care Products
Renee Briggs
Office Manager, SENIOR Bookkeeper
Renee has a broad palette of bookkeeping and accounting experience with a strong focus on payroll and sales tax. She is both an active listener and detail oriented, making her highly skilled at identifying and explaining issues in the financial record. She has over 20 years experience in accounting for small and medium sized businesses with over 16 years experience in the Healthcare Industry.
Renee holds a degree in Accounting, Business Management, and Computer Programming. She is native to NC, having grown up on her grandfather's farm in Cary. She enjoys working in the yard, growing vegetables, and canning and freezing the harvest. She and her husband have a son and recently became grandparents.
Industries:
Healthcare
Construction
Service Industries
Agrima Gulati, CPA
SENIOR Accountant
Agrima concentrates on advanced accounting such as Fund Accounting and in the area of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV). She also collaborates with the team on other projects and researching the latest changes in accounting to stay updated on present accounting or tax rules and regulations. Before joining Brightleaf in 2015, she worked in public accounting and tax preparation for 7 years.
Agrima grew up in North India and graduated from Panjab University in Chandigarh, India and earned her CPA in the US. She enjoys the outdoors, listening and dancing to music, good food, and watching comedies and volunteering at Sunday school.
Industries:
Finance and Private Equity.
Jerome D. Harper
Accountant
Jerome focuses on helping business owners improve accounting and financial operations in order to accomplish their financial goals. His areas of expertise include real estate and nonprofit accounting, cash flow management, and financial reporting. He has 11 years of work experience as an accounting professional working with small/mid size businesses.
Jerome hails from Washington D.C. and spent several years in Philadelphia before moving to North Carolina to be closer to family. He holds a BS In Finance with a Minor in Accounting from Morgan State University in Maryland. He finds it gratifying to teach financial literacy to teens and young adults. He is married and the father of two young children.
Industries:
Real Estate
Non-profits
Inventory Systems
Vincent LaRocca
Accountant
Vincent has a wealth of bookkeeping and accounting experience in a variety of industries ranging from personal care products to real estate to manufacturing. He is excited by problem solving as well as building and maintaining connections with customers. In addition to his 6 years of bookkeeping and accounting experience, he is also a Notary Public as well as a Xero Advisor.
He earned his BS in Accounting from the University of Phoenix. A lover of classic rock music and cats, he enjoys playing board games with friends and family in and around Apex, NC. He has been a resident of North Carolina since early childhood.
Industries:
Personal Care Products
Insurance
Real Estate
Vaping and Nicotine Products
E-Commerce
Sharon Mangrum, MBA
Project Manager
Sharon has been a project manager and sales/operations specialist for over 15 years. She has professional certifications from the Society for Human Resource Management as well as VEEM, Gusto, and Xero.
Sharon earned her BA in Psychology with a minor in business and later her MBA, all from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She grew up in Louisiana and, after several years in Texas, relocated with her husband and 2 children to Redondo Beach, California. She is a hiker and lover of the outdoors.
Industries:
Commercial and Residential Services
Education
Government
Dot Hayes
Director of Business Development
Dot has worked in account management and sales for over 30 years, starting as a teenager in her father’s electrician business. She has extensive experience working with clients of the software, life sciences, and professional services industries. She is certified in Xero Accounting software.
A native of North Carolina, Dot holds a BA in Journalism with minors in both English and Communication from Elon University. She is a member of Women In Networking (WIN) and a member of Apex Chamber of Commerce. She enjoys connecting with a diversity of people, yoga, volunteering in the Nursery at church, and nature walks and thrift shopping with her adult daughter who is on the Autism Spectrum.
Industries:
Technology
Healthcare
Professional Services
Financial Services
Partnerships
