ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE SEARCH CONSULTANTS:

Kurt R. Byer – CPA, MBA, MS-Tax.  Mr. Byer has been in the search business since 1989, founding The Xcel Group in 1994.  Prior to entering the business, Mr. Byer was a CFO for a major construction and real estate development company in San Jose.  He held numerous financial management positions in industry after spending over five years in public accounting.  He is involved with numerous community activities.

Jonathan Taylor – A graduate from California State University-Hayward, Jon has been with The Xcel Group since 1998, successfully placing mid-to-senior level candidates such as controllers, payroll managers, financial analysts and senior accountants. The majority of Jon’s clients have been mid-sized high-tech and biotech companies from San Francisco to San Jose.  Prior to joining The Xcel Group, Jon owned and operated his own successful small business.

Julie Anne Marcik - Julie currently oversees our Interim Staffing Division and enjoys a consultative approach to matchmaking with her wide-range of professional contacts in a variety of industries including Biotechnology, Medical Device, Software, Semiconductor, Telecom, Real Estate and Financial Services. Julie joined the placement industry in 1997 and realized that she had found her true passion. After becoming a Certified Personnel Consultant and spending several years partnering with c-level executives that needed help identifying trusted right–hand support, Julie entered the world of Finance & Accounting recruitment. When Julie is not following her professional passion, she enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, cooking and traveling. She and her husband are both animal lovers. They have an energetic yellow lab named Landon with whom they enjoy long walks along the bay every day.

 

Prudence Minnihan – Prudence (Ilstad) Minnihan has worked in recruiting since 1996.  She was formerly with Silicon Valley Bank, as Vice President, as well as with KPMG, E&Y, Citi and Bank of America before beginning her career in recruiting.  Her expertise is in the sourcing and placement of mid to executive level professionals at high-tech startups, mid-sized companies and major divisions of established corporations in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Prudence’s executive search experience spans across a broad spectrum of industries and functions, including Accounting/Finance, Executive Management, Senior Administrative/Office, Technical, Engineering, Human Resources, Information Technology, Manufacturing, Operations, Marketing/Sales and Investor Relations. She is a member of the Northern California Human Resource Association (NCHRA).