Michael A. Johnston , Certified Public Accountant, MBA, CVA

is a Managing Partner of acceler8 llc and the Exit Planning Advisors LLC. He has over 20 years of experience in public and private industries. Most recently, he was founder and Managing Partner of Michael A. Johnston, CPA PC, a full service accounting firm which combined its business with acceler8 in 2010 to offer expanded accounting, tax and business advisory services to its clients. He has been in the accounting field since 1982. He attained his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration – Accountancy from Northern Arizona University and a Masters in Business Administration from Arizona State University. Mike has worked in both the public arena as a CPA and in the private sector as a controller for a local law firm. Mike has extensive background in corporate and individual tax preparation and business valuations. His corporate client base consists of construction companies as well as professional service, manufacturing and distribution companies. Mike is a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) providing a full range of business valuation services, and a member of the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA). 

Kjell C Andreassen, MBA, AInstIB, CExP

 is a Managing Partner of acceler8 llc and Exit Planning Advisors LLC. He has extensive experience as an entrepreneur and advisor to a number of emerging and start-up ventures and has held senior executive positions with a number of public and private companies. He is an experienced instructor, teaching college and executive training courses in finance, international marketing and small business management. Kjell is a Certified Exit Planner (CExP) with extensive experience in providing exit planning and succession planning services to business owners. He is an Assistant Professor at Western International University and an Accredited Executive Associate of the Institute for Independent Business (AInstIB). Kjell has an MBA from Arizona State University, a Master of Business and Marketing from Oslo Business School and a Postgraduate Degree in Business Education. He has served on a number of corporate Board of Directors and he has completed the Global Leadership Certificate Program at Thunderbird, the Garvin School of International Business. Kjell is the Chairman of the Ambassadors Committee of the Tempe Chamber of Commerce and serves as a Mentor for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and the Greater Phoenix SCORE. 

Professionalism

Our firm is one of the leading firms in the area. By combining our expertise, experience and the energy of our staff, each client receives close personal and professional attention.

Our high standards, service and specialized staff spell the difference between our outstanding performance, and other firms. We make sure that every client is served by the expertise of our whole firm.

Responsiveness

Our firm is responsive. Companies who choose our firm rely on competent advice and fast, accurate personnel. We provide total financial services to individuals, large and small businesses and other agencies.

To see a listing of our services, please take a moment and look at our services page. Because we get new business from the people who know us best, client referrals have fueled our growth in the recent years.

Through hard work, we have earned the respect of the business and financial communities. This respect illustrates our diverse talents, dedication and ability to respond quickly.

Quality

An accounting firm is known for the quality of its service. Our firm's reputation reflects the high standards we demand of ourselves.

Our primary goal as a trusted advisor is to be available to provide insightful advice to enable our clients to make informed financial decisions. We do not accept anything less from ourselves and this is what we deliver to you.

We feel it is extremely important to continually professionally educate ourselves to improve our technical expertise, financial knowledge and service to our clients.

Our high service quality and "raving fan" clients are the result of our commitment to excellence.

We will answer all of your questions, as they impact both your tax and financial situations. We welcome you to contact us anytime.