Technology and Firm Risk Management (E1604069)

Clifford Cook, CPA founded Excalibur Systems in 1986 and has assisted companies with the implementation, management, and security of their digital assets. As a leading managed services provider for the past 28 years, Excalibur Systems specializes in making best of breed technology understandable and available to small and medium sized businesses.

Mr. Cook has designed, implemented, and managed data center and wide area network infrastructures throughout the US and Canada. His largest implementation was over 120 locations, with 6 data centers, and over 4,000 users. His CPA background along with his passion for technology has enabled him to effectively communicate and educate the chief executive in the need for digital security and risk mitigation strategies. From the network operations center in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, Mr. Cook and staff manage the monitoring, remediation, and compliance of customers’ systems on a 24 x 7 basis.

Mr. Cook holds a BA from Rutgers in accounting and an MBA with distinction from Pace University in Information Systems and Finance. He also has certifications from Cisco, Checkpoint, VMWare, Citrix, and Hewlett Packard. He is a member of the AICPA and is active in the NJCPA Bergen Chapter.

John oversees the industry specific expertise and risk management for McGowanPRO’s accounting and financial clients. Mr. Raspante is the former Director of Compliance and Risk Management as well as the Director of Education for Graf Repetti & Co. LLP, Certified Public Accountants & Business Advisors. Prior to joining Graf Repetti, Mr. Raspante worked nine years for CAMICO Mutual Insurance Company, a provider of accountants’ professional liability insurance. Mr. Raspante’s primary responsibility at CAMICO was providing loss prevention services to the organization’s largest insured’s. Mr. Raspante is a frequent speaker within the accounting profession on issues relating to risk management and professional ethics. He presents regularly at different conferences for accounting firm associations and CPA State Societies. He is a published author and contributor for accounting firm periodicals such as Journal of Accountancy and Accounting Today.