The biggest Pittsburgh-based accounting firm has hired a Big Four veteran to helm its cybersecurity practice.
Carl Kriebel joined Schneider Downs & Co. Inc. as a shareholder and is based at its downtown headquarters.
Kriebel previously was KPMG LLP’s national health care cybersecurity leader. He had joined KPMG’s downtown office in early 2019 as a managing director in the risk consulting/cybersecurity services practice. Before that, his career spanned corporate and entrepreneurial posts as well as accounting.
Kriebel was managing director at boutique consulting firm CyLumena LLC, served as a senior manager in the cyber risk services practice at Deloitte, was managing director at Sewickley-based consultancy Certezza Solutions LLC, and worked as a project manager at Pfizer Global Research and Development Informatics Group.
He said part of the appeal of Schneider Downs is its "immense" client roster that enables him to work with companies of all sizes.
“What attracted me was the opportunity to make a bigger difference with smaller clients where the impact can be greater from a cybersecurity perspective,” he said on Monday. “We’re looking to build more of a stronger regional reputation in cyber.”
The plan is to add talent, growing capabilities, expertise and the “gamut of services” Schneider Downs offers, Kriebel said.
Schneider Downs is Pittsburgh’s fourth-largest accounting firm by local professional staff, which was 326, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times’ list published on Sept. 3, and the largest independent firm based here. It is also is No. 56 nationally, according to revenue, as per the annual ranking by Inside Public Accounting. Schneider Downs also has offices in Columbus, Ohio, and Washington, D.C.
“Carl is an outstanding addition to our shareholder group, not just for his impressive experience and credentials, but also as a forward-looking strategist with an eye toward the future,” Steve Thompson, co-CEO, said in a prepared statement. “The fast-paced nature of cyber and IT security demand that consultants remain progressive and innovative in order to anticipate and meet client needs. Carl is well-suited to provide that brand of leadership.”