Cherry Bekaert, a top-20 accounting and advisory firm, last week announced the acquisition of Washington, DC-based Tarsus. The deal fits into Cherry Bekaert’s growth strategy of expanding geographically and enhancing services that cater to CFOs, according to CEO Michelle Thompson.

As for client companies, the deal means a greater array of services and expertise are now at their fingertips. For instance, if a Tarsus client in its CFO advisory business needs to align its systems and implement AI technologies, “we do have that solution set” at Cherry Bekaert, Thompson told CFO Brew.

“This is another great reason for us joining Cherry [Bekaert], is to be able to get to these resources,” Alex Diaz-Asper, former Tarsus CEO and now managing partner at Cherry Bekaert, told us. “As a smaller firm, we weren’t able to invest in this kind of systems optimization.”

Powered by PE. The Tarsus deal marks the 15th for Cherry Bekaert since the Raleigh, NC-based firm took on private equity investment from Parthenon Capital in June 2022, and the fourth in recent months. At the time, Cherry Bekaert took note of PE fueling competitors’ growth plans. “The minute other firms took PE investment, it changed the acquisition playing field,” Thompson said.

Keep reading.—AZ

Institutional investors’ use of AI tools is pushing CFOs to spend more time on investor relations, according to new research from Gartner.

Over 35% of CFO respondents in a Gartner survey “reported an increase in the volume, frequency, and time sensitivity of investor communications and engagements in 2025 when compared to 2024.” The business and technology insights company surveyed 146 CFOs between October and December 2025.

CFOs reported spending more time on key IR activities, including preparing for earnings calls (43%), engaging in media and social media appearances (38%), and upping the frequency of meetings with investors and analysts (36%).

“It is going to become increasingly difficult for organizations to control their narrative and influence investors with manual methods alone,” Dymah Paige, director analyst of research in Gartner’s finance practice, said in a statement. “To keep pace, CFOs should be considering private AI solutions available on the market today that can help them to spend more of their time and effort on higher impact priorities.”

Keep reading.—NP

Every new CEO wants a signature first move. Greg Abel’s just happens to involve clearing out a Buffett-era pantry staple.

Berkshire Hathaway is preparing to exit its 28% stake in Kraft Heinz, following a $3.8 billion write-down last year on the value of the position. Kraft Heinz shares fell 5.72% on the news.

The original bet dates back to 2015, when Berkshire joined forces with Brazilian private equity firm 3G Capital to combine Kraft Foods and H.J. Heinz. The company continued to struggle, however, falling about 70% since the merger as higher costs, evolving consumer preferences, and weak brand momentum took a toll.

Management is responding by splitting the company, separating sauces and shelf-stable brands from North American staples like Oscar Mayer and Lunchables, a move Warren Buffett has previously criticized.

Keep reading on Brew Markets.—SY

Skip the noise and cut to the jobs that matter. CollabWORK curates openings from top employers and shares them directly in trusted spaces like CFO Brew—click here to see the full list for readers like you.

• Investment Banking Vice President at Wipfli LLP
• Vice President, Sales Executive - Databricks Consumer Industry at Deloitte LLP
• Global Anti Money Laundering Compliance Officer Vice President at Citi
• Corporate Treasury Forecasting and Planning - AVP at Morgan Stanley
• Director of Finance at Jostens