DECEMBER 19, 2025 (Arlington, VA) – Ascend, a strategic partner for regional accounting and advisory firms backed by private equity firm Alpine Investors, today announced the addition of Sweeney Conrad in Kirkland, Washington, to its market-leading platform for regional accounting firms.
“Our mission at Ascend is to empower independent firms to create permanent advantages in client service and talent strategy by inspiring and supporting transformation. Sweeney Conrad's leadership opted into this transformation journey from a foundation of strength that is worth paying attention to – a record of building a Top 150 firm largely organically; a client strategy that has always afforded ample opportunity to re-invest; a partner group that has, on average, two decades until retirement; and a standout reputation in a flourishing local economy. Our partnership allows Sweeney Conrad to make the most of those circumstances. Clients in the Puget Sound region will receive deeply personal service in increasingly modern ways, and the firm’s next generation of talent will carry forward its special history while embracing innovations that make work more rewarding,” said Nishaad (Nish) Ruparel, President of Ascend.
Sweeney Conrad CEO Sam North said, “We are excited about the future of Sweeney Conrad! We’ve found a great partnership of independent firms that will help us better serve the families, businesses, and communities that we’ve always supported. We will be part of a community that shares best practices and turns ideas into solutions, while preserving our independence, culture, clients, referral partners, and people. Ascend provides the cutting-edge technology, talent, and resources to maximize our potential as a thriving, future-ready firm, ready to take on the challenges of the rapidly changing public accounting industry. We will be able to fully dedicate our attention to our clients because of the world-class tools and technology that we would otherwise need to spend significant time building in-house."
“Joining Ascend resonates with our values, as they share the same PeopleFirst approach that we have always been committed to. It is important to us that Sweeney Conrad remain a place where people love coming to work, appreciate their clients, and help each other thrive. As part of Ascend, we will be able to provide ownership for our people earlier in their careers and to empower our team with the tools they need to best serve clients and have fulfilling careers without the challenges of a large national firm. We’re still Sweeney Conrad, and that will not change. We’ll always be the same firm, providing a consistent team year after year and building relationships for the long-term.”
Founded 1980, Sweeney Conrad is an award-winning, full-service accounting and advisory firm consistently recognized as an accounting leader and best workplace. The firm has been honored for excellence in firm culture by Inside Public Accounting and regularly included in “Best Of” lists by Accounting Today, Puget Sound Business Journal, Seattle Business, and other industry publications.
Sweeney Conrad adds 14 partners and 117 staff to Ascend.
As is common in private equity deals with CPA firms, Sweeney Conrad will adopt an alternative practice structure separating non-attest and attest services. Tax and business advisory services will be provided by Sweeney Conrad Advisors LLC a new entity affiliated with Ascend. Attest services will be provided by an independently owned and licensed CPA firm.
The Ascend platform enables regional accounting firms with between $15 and $50 million of revenue, committed leadership, great cultures, and a big vision for the future to remain independent while accessing the sophisticated resources of a national firm to reach their full potential. Ascend platform firms are currently operating in more than a dozen states nationwide.
Ascend’s Founder & CEO, David Wurtzbacher, launched the platform in January 2023 as an alternative for strong regional accounting firms seeking a modern solution to the challenges embedded in the traditional partnership structure. The appeal of Ascend’s solution immediately propelled the company into the upper tier of the accounting industry, establishing it as an Accounting Today Top 30 firm in under two years and Mr. Wurtzbacher as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting” in each of the last three years.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
About Ascend
Backed by private equity from people-focused Alpine Investors, Ascend is building a dynamic platform for regional accounting firms that enables them to stay independent while accessing the resources of a national firm to help them grow. Ascend provides access to growth capital, robust talent acquisition and training, leading quality management resources, best-of-breed technology, AI tools, an offshore captive, shared back-office services, a catalytic leadership system, and modernized equity incentives so that firms can surmount today’s industry challenges to reach their full potential. For more information, visit www.ascendtogether.com.
Contact:
Julie Gross Gelfand
juliegrossgelfand@gmail.com
(516) 729-8067