Urban is pleased to announce that Bernard Carolan has been named a 2017 CFO of the Year by the Philadelphia Business Journal. He will be recognized alongside the other honorees at a gala on Thursday, July 13, at the Crystal Tea Room in Philadelphia.

“I am extremely grateful to be recognized among this diverse group of talented executives representing many different industries,” said Mr. Carolan. “I thank my staff and colleagues at Urban for elevating me professionally and helping me achieve this honor.”

A senior vice president at Urban, Mr. Carolan serves as the firm’s chief financial officer and chief administrative officer. His responsibilities include financial planning and budgeting, reporting on the firm’s financial status, and supporting the work of the administrative functions. What sets Mr. Carolan apart from other CFOs is his ability to do all of this while managing many other aspects of the firm. In addition to implementing a new Deltek system and acting as a primary leader of the firms’ five-year strategic planning and implementation project, he assisted in completing Urban’s goal of transitioning ownership and leadership internally for the entire organization, becoming a 100% employee-owned company.

“Having been at Urban for 30 years, I can confidently say that Bernard is the ultimate professional and one of the most ethical people to ever come through the firm,” said Matthew Marquardt, a senior vice president and COO at Urban. “He is a great listener, a team player, and has a knack for explaining complicated financial data into an easily understandable format.”

Mr. Carolan holds a master’s degree in accounting and finance from University College Galway, Ireland and a bachelor’s degree in business studies from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

The Philadelphia Business Journal CFO of the Year Awards honor executives that exemplify the professionalism, integrity, resilience, mastery of all the financial and people skills that make a great CFO. Winners were selected by the paper’s editorial team from a slate of nominees. Criteria included financial accomplishments, tenure and scope of responsibilities, leadership, respect and influence within the company, community involvement, and stewardship of the company’s business model.