Sikich is kicking off its next phase of compliance expansion with a three-person leadership realignment aimed at tightening execution, strengthening strategy, and sharpening the firm’s competitive edge in a crowded consulting and compliance market. The professional services firm—known for its blend of technology, advisory, and industry-specific compliance work—announced new, elevated roles for Melanie Barnes, Matt Denton, and Kurt Walcutt, positioning the trio to steer the practice through what continues to be an increasingly regulated business climate.
The move reflects a broader trend across the compliance and risk sector: clients are demanding deeper expertise, faster response times, and guidance that can scale across evolving regulatory frameworks. Firms that once treated compliance as a “checklist service line” are now rebuilding leadership structures to match the complexity and velocity of today’s operational risk landscape.
A More Agile Assurance Function
Melanie Barnes, CPA, will now lead Assurance for Sikich while continuing to oversee the for-profit assurance practice. With more than two decades of experience across public accounting and industry, Barnes has become a cornerstone of Sikich’s middle-market strategy—an area where compliance is no longer a back-office function but a structural requirement for growth.
Her expanded role speaks to the market’s current reality: midsize companies are under the same data, security, and financial scrutiny as large enterprises, but often with fewer internal resources. Barnes’ focus on scalable compliance is expected to resonate with clients navigating rapid expansion, M&A activity, or increased regulatory oversight.
Growth Initiatives Get Dedicated Leadership
In a newly elevated position, Matt Denton, CPA, MBA, will take the lead on growth initiatives across the compliance practice. Denton is hardly new to relationship-driven expansion—after 12 years with Sikich, he’s known for cultivating multi-year, cross-practice client engagements.
The timing aligns with industry dynamics: compliance needs are rising, but so is competition. By giving Denton a dedicated mandate to align client needs with broader consulting capabilities, Sikich aims to capitalize on emerging opportunities in highly regulated verticals such as manufacturing, life sciences, and financial services. Expect an emphasis on integrated service models that combine compliance with technology, automation, and analytics—an area where Sikich has been steadily increasing its footprint.
Tax Leadership Shifts to a Veteran Strategist
Kurt Walcutt, CPA, will assume leadership of the Tax practice. Walcutt’s 35-year career spans tax planning, corporate structuring, estate strategy, M&A transactions, and succession planning—skills that have become critical as businesses navigate a wave of restructuring, ownership transitions, and shifting tax regulations.
In a business environment where tax strategy is increasingly intertwined with compliance, risk, and long-term planning, Walcutt’s appointment signals Sikich’s intention to build a more interconnected compliance portfolio. With regulatory complexity accelerating at both the state and federal level, tax leadership with strategic range is becoming a competitive necessity.
A Leadership Model Built for Market Pressure
Richard Lynch, Sikich principal heading compliance solutions, summed up the shift:
“Agile leadership across our compliance practice is the key to our next phase of growth. I’m confident this leadership team will infuse innovation and creativity across our practice as businesses continually seek strategic compliance partners.”
That agility will be tested. Compliance is no longer a steady business; it’s a fast-moving, tech-aligned discipline shaped by cybersecurity regulations, ESG reporting pressures, tax policy shifts, and evolving workforce rules. The firms that win increasingly have one thing in common: leadership structures built to scale and adapt.
With this restructuring, Sikich is making a bet that a deeper bench—and more specialized command—will put it ahead of rivals in 2026 and beyond.
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