Janelle Murphy O’Brien, CPA, CFF, CFE, CAMS

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Janelle is a seasoned financial practitioner with over a decade of experience providing auditing, tax, litigation support, forensic, bankruptcy support and advisory services. Janelle’s hands on and holistic approach to client service, leaves her clients satisfied, enlightened, and financially empowered. Having led an array of high-profile engagements, Janelle has mastered the balance between providing the guidance and objectivity her clients need. A proud wife and mother, Janelle understands and values the need to provide both the practitioners of Enlight CPA, LLC and our clients with the flexibility, care and expert support they need to balance their personal lives with their business affairs and personal financial goals. Her consistent track record of uncompromising integrity and client service instills confidence and trust. Janelle started her career as an auditor at the prestigious Big 4 accounting firm, EY (formerly “Ernst and Young LLP). While at EY, Janelle’s audit and advisory clients included a variety of both public and private financial services companies of various sizes, including banks, broker dealers and credit default swap companies. As a result, she is knowledgeable in the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002. She was also the project leader on several anti-money laundering (AML) and know your customer (KYC) large-scale due diligence projects, and thus is also well versed in the AML regulatory framework set forth by the Bank Secrecy Act (1970 and as amended) and The USA PATRIOT ACT (October 2001).

Prior to founding Enlight CPA, LLC, Janelle was a consultant within the Disputes and Investigations group at Duff & Phelps. There she’s led a diverse array of complex engagements including compliance reviews and assessments, whistleblower hotline allegations, fraud investigations, anti-money laundering program and policy reviews, fee and expense reviews, litigation support, bankruptcy support and asset tracing analyses.  

Janelle is the Founder and President of NexGen Women in Accounting Inc. (NexGen W.I.A), a non-profit organization committed to increasing the representation and accelerating the advancement of black women in the accounting profession. Utilizing training, programming, and relationship, NexGen W.I.A provides young black women between the ages of 12 and 18 years old with the tools, support and opportunities they need to successfully pursue and achieve a thriving career in accounting.

Janelle received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Science in Forensic Accounting, summa cum laude from the accredited School of Business at the University at Albany. She is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified in Financial Forensics and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist. She is an active member of several professional and community organizations, such as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

Stephanie is an experienced accounting professional with proficiency in auditing, accounting, QuickBooks and higher education. She has been a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of New York for over 25 years. She started her accounting career started as an auditor for one of the previously known Big Six accounting firms. While at Arthur Andersen, Stephanie’s audit clients included a variety of public consumer product corporations. She continued her career working in various capacities such as senior accountant, accounting supervisor and controller at various for profit and not-for-profit organizations. Throughout these various positions she developed a proficiency in Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), relationship building and leadership as well as an acumen for business. 

As an Associate Professor of Accounting in Higher Education with over 25 years of experience, she is deeply committed to the educational, personal, and professional achievement of others. She is an author of QuickBooks for the Restaurant and a current instructor for QuickBooks Online. As a former instructor of an Anti-Racism course in higher education, she is passionately concerned and committed to the advancement of women and minorities in both business and educational environments. 

Stephanie  received a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science and Secondary Education from Stony Brook University and an MBA Accounting Bernard Baruch College. She is member of professional organizations such as the International Council of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and New York State Society of CPA’s.

Married with two children, Stephanie has gained personal, real-life experience and along with her business and professional skills remains excited and energized to engage with others in their own professional journey.