Leadership Team

The one who started it all in 1986, Rick Strombeck is a man who knows what he wants and goes for it. Before founding Strombeck, Rick worked for a large international public accounting firm then moved into private industry as a Controller, CFO and eventually a General Manager. Now as the Founder and Head Honcho of Strombeck, Rick has proven his ability to perceive the right pathway to success and he knows the right next steps to get there. The driving forces in all aspects of his life are his take-no-prisoners approach to business, and his understanding of forward momentum–once you get going, it’s much harder to be stopped.

Rick tackles the stuff that’s hard to tackle, will say the words that are hard to say and will do whatever he can to help his clients win, through the right strategy, the right systems and the right people. His focus is helping clients break through barriers they didn’t even know existed, so their business thrives in a way that enables them to live the lifestyle he lives. Speaking of his lifestyle, Rick relishes family time and adventure, often combining the two whenever he can.

Rick’s Top Ten

Rick’s accomplishments are numerous, so here’s a Top Ten of what he does well:

1. Puts himself in the business owner’s shoes to quickly know and implement what steps to take next to grow and improve the business immediately, with the owner’s permission and agreement to do so.
2. Uses his energy, proactivity, and influence to ensure those steps are actually implemented so the money generated from those steps can fund the next steps.
3. Takes responsibility for the results of the client’s back office so the client can concentrate on the front office (where all the money and fun is.)
4. Gives advice that clients find valuable on every possible business-related subject.
5. Uses his industry niche expertise from manufacturing, construction, real estate, service and retail to provide insights.
6. Gives practical advice on specific business tactics, not just theoretical coaching.
7. Helps to bring in the right systems and right people so clients can scale their business.
8. Helps build the business into a multi-generational source of recurring cash flow and wealth.
9. Helps to prepare the business to be sold at a much higher price.
10. Points out and aggressively deals with the elephant in the room in the client’s business that everyone is too scared, busy, distracted or unsure how to deal with.

Having earned both his Masters of Science in Taxation from the University of Central Florida and CPA license at the age of 21, Ben takes after his father Rick in every good way. In a short period of time, Ben is already making his mark to continue the Strombeck legacy through his love of improving processes and the bottom line with technology.

Ben finds the most direct path to success, helping clients find new ways to take steps toward that goal. He specializes in Business Process Automation for companies that can’t justify a million dollar ERP system, but still want infrastructure in place so they can scale up without crumbling. His experience in designing, writing and supporting custom front-end software packages that handle a litany of essential business tasks makes him well-qualified to head up Strombeck’s MVP Automation^SM division as well as Breadboard, Strombeck’s tech incubator company.

A Partner at Strombeck, Scott Michael is either ‘go go go’ or ‘no no no.’ He’s got the energy of the Energizer Bunny with none of the fluff, enough so that he’s been recognized as CFO of the Year by the Orlando Business Journal. Scott has more than two decades of experience providing advisory and accounting services to thriving businesses, from small startups to multi-billion dollar international organizations. He also owned a software Company that had hundreds of business clients using the software that he wrote with his own hands.

Scott’s energy, optimism and technical background makes him very effective at applying technology to business issues. While many in our profession spend much of their time (and their clients’ time) on the rearview mirror (calculating historical performance), Scott utilizes technology to make those activities happen in near-real time. Having historical information gathered in near-real time gives the organization a scoreboard that not only presents the score (cash, profitability, receivables, etc…) as of right now; but also what the score will be in the future based on all the intelligence in the organization.

Scott earned his Masters of Science in Accounting from Liberty University and his BA in Accounting & Finance from Cedarville University.

Scott’s zeal for the community keeps him actively involved on the Board of Directors for the West Orange Chamber of Commerce, and he also serves as the Sergeant-at-Arms for the Rotary Club of Dr. Phillips in Orlando, Florida.

Geff knows how to navigate. He can tell you if the weather will make for smooth sailing or if there’s stormy weather on the horizon. His keen business owner’s vision helps him clearly see what his client’s needs are, now and in the future.

Drawing on more than 25 years experience in business ownership, consulting, financial management and accounting, Geff is a seasoned Business Advisor CPA who guides clients into an understanding of how to use and analyze data to run their business. Geff’s background in marketing and sales management empowers him to advise clients in forecasting, commission structures and budgeting. His bank loan negotiating and lending experience provides the solid foundation for helping clients arrange their financing and business plans. And because of Geff’s extensive business and financial knowledge, clients often seek his counsel for solving their day-to-day problems as well as long term ones.

Geff’s steady-as-she-goes demeanor and conflict resolution skills help reconcile issues between partners, owners and even spouses. His experience in family businesses enables him to give practical advice for succession planning, conflict resolution and how to structure the business.

Before joining the Strombeck team, Geff served as a Controller, President and CFO of multiple companies. His industry specialties include professional services, retail, franchises, real estate and distribution. He is a Certified Public Accountant in Florida and Massachusetts, a CMA (Certified Management Accountant), and holds an MBA from Babson College in Wellesley, Mass.

With an eye for detail, Mark knows that even the little things can come back to bite you. He’s got a knack for getting those small-but-nagging issues solved so the big picture will be easier to see. Mark’s extensive training in forensic accounting techniques, hands-on experience with buying and selling businesses and more than 25 years of financial management and business consulting experience makes him the guy you’d want in your corner.

Mark has been with Strombeck since 2002 as a Business Advisor CPA. His previous positions have included Controller and CFO for many Central Florida-based manufacturers and distributors including Central Florida Press, Red’s Market, Tech Source, Workable Solutions and Watercraft America. Mark’s “real world” experience in these roles allows him put himself in his client’s place when giving advice or fixing problems.

Mark has extensive industry experience in the fields of manufacturing, distribution, professional and other service industries, along with small construction firms. His calm demeanor and long-view wisdom in times of stress helps to ease his clients’ worries, enabling them to focus on the issues. Mark specializes in one-on-one training in areas of his expertise, and can also serve as a financial neutral in Collaborative Divorce cases. He also loves connecting his clients’ needs with specialized service providers.

Mark received his BA in Accounting from the University of South Florida.

A Partner at Strombeck, Crystal has been in the tax business since the beginning of 2007, giving her an abundance of knowledge of complex tax issues, their history, and how lawmakers think. The vast majority of her experience is with large publicly-traded companies, foreign tax issues, and high net-worth individuals. She received her Master of Science in Taxation from Nova Southeastern University. When she is not saving the world one tax return at a time, she enjoys spending time with her loving husband, five semi well-behaved kids, and her super awesome dog that she rescued from a shelter.

A seasoned CPA and former day-trader, Darren is a task-master that organizes and manages tax-related work from the Primary Business Advisors to his tax prep team. He helped to implement and now manages the day-to-day workflow for tax returns and other financials.

As the head of our back-office and gatekeeper for all of the tax returns getting to our clients and the IRS, Emily plays a crucial role that most people are not cut out for. Her unshakeable desire to make sure things are done precisely the way they should be is what really holds our office together and ensures that all of the little details that are so important to our work are handled properly.

Dan was born to prepare tax returns. Often referred to around the office as the “Dan-The-Tax-Man”, Dan is a tax expert and tax preparer that’s been with Strombeck for years. He’s the go-to guy for questions about the tax laws and software, and is often found happily locked away in a room with piles of tax returns.

With the motto of “Don’t deliver a product, deliver an experience” Nick has become a business development leader in the Public Accounting world - specializing in client development and business advisory. Known to many as the “Connector”, Nick believes that “the business of business is relationships” and his primary goal is to build loyal client-relationships while offering consultative, solution-based strategies to those clients. With a detail oriented and entrepreneurial mindset, Nick has become a household name in the construction and manufacturing industries, helping some of the state’s top commercial corporations extend their reach, internal/external growth potential and better leverage their strengths to achieve extraordinary results.

Born and bred a true Floridian, Nick attended the University of South Florida where he obtained his B.S. in Finance. Over the last 20 years, his focus has exclusively been in the areas of finance, accounting, business advisory and client development. Additionally, Nick is a board member for several non-profit organizations throughout the Central Florida community. In Nick’s free time he can be found working out or living his best life with his wife and son (most likely at a theme park)!