Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting" for 2011

RIVERWOODS, Ill., Sept. 16, 2011 - In its newly published list of "Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting" for 2011, Accounting Today recognized CCH President and CEO Mike Sabbatis and CCH Small Firm Services President Jeff Gramlich for the prestigious honor. CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business is the leading provider of tax, accounting and audit information, software and services (CCHGroup.com). CCH Small Firm Services (SFS) is a provider of tax and accounting software solutions, research products and training to small professional firms (cchsfs.com). Both companies are part of Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting, the world's leading provider of tax and accounting solutions.

Accounting Today honored CCH President and CEO Mike Sabbatis for his leadership in continuing to build on CCH's offerings, "with a strong focus on Best in Process solutions and a new tax unit aimed directly at the needs of professionals." He was also recognized for strengthening CCH's sales and use tax offerings with the recent acquisition of SpeedTax.

Sabbatis heads CCH's U.S. and Canadian businesses in serving as a strategic partner in delivering innovative, customer-focused online solutions for professionals. Under his leadership, CCH has invested at record levels in its solutions. He has led the development of CCH's Cloud and mobile solutions, as well as next generation research and software platforms. Sabbatis has also significantly expanded CCH's presence in both the professional CPA and corporate markets, and has led the extension of the ProSystem fx Suite across Asia Pacific, Canada and Europe. During his 29 years in the software, technology and information industries, Sabbatis successfully led activities in strategic planning, business development, marketing, consulting and sales.

The publication also recognized SFS President Jeff Gramlich for continuing to elevate the company's brand name and products for sole practitioners, tax preparers and modest-sized firms. Under Gramlich, SFS "is laser-focused on its user base and regularly delivers new technology to serve them," said Accounting Today.

Gramlich has led CCH Small Firm Services since the company was formed in 2006.  Under his leadership, SFS has grown to be recognized as one of the industry's leaders.  Gramlich has focused SFS on consistently meeting the needs of the small professional firms in the tax preparation industry while instilling in his team a constant drive to innovate. He has led the development of the industry's leading modernized e-filing capabilities. Gramlich is a 28-year industry veteran who has consistently focused on the development of products to modernize tax preparation and improve the productivity of the industry's professionals.

The annual list includes top professionals who have an active role in shaping the current and future direction of accounting. Accounting Today selects the honorees from a long list of thought leaders and change-makers in the profession that includes top executives, government officials, CPAs, educators and others. Sabbatis has been consistently recognized by Accounting Today in previous years, while Gramlich joins the list for the second time this year.

The publication noted that the parameters of influence in the accounting profession have changed over the years and that new practice segments, positions, technologies, work paradigms and demographics have become significant factors.
 
About CCH Small Firm Services
CCH Small Firm Services (SFS), a Wolters Kluwer business, is a provider of tax and accounting software solutions, research products and training to 45,000 small professional firms throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

SFS offers both the ATX™ and TaxWise® product lines. SFS also provides tax software to the Internal Revenue Service for use at volunteer tax assistance sites. SFS, formed in 2006 following the acquisitions of TaxWise and ATX by Wolters Kluwer, and is part of Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting.
 
About CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business
CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business (CCHGroup.com) is the leading global provider of tax, accounting and audit information, software and services. It has served tax, accounting and business professionals since 1913. Among its market-leading solutions are The ProSystem fx® Suite, CorpSystem®, CCH® IntelliConnect®, Accounting Research Manager® and the U.S. Master Tax Guide®. CCH is based in Riverwoods, Ill.